Sarwani or Sherwani (Urdu: شیروانی ) is a Batani Pashtun tribe settled in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
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The history of Pashtuns is based mainly on myths and largely on truths. One Niamatullah, in the court of Mughul Emperor Jahangir, in 17th century wrote the history of Pashtuns, in his book"TARIKH E KHAN JIHANI WA MAGHZAN E AFGHANI". He had not stayed in Pashtuns area. As per his narration there was a man by the name of Qaise in the area of Ghor. He went and met the Prophet Mohammad, converted to Islam and was named as Abdul Rashid. He had three sons, Ghurghasht, Sarban and Bittan. As per Naimat Ulla's theory all Pashtuns are descendants of Rashid, except for KARLANRIS AND DESCENDENTS OF BIBI MATTO. Bibi Matto was the daughter of Shiek Bittan. from another afghan tribe far from the south east , came a prince who have been in search of wider landscapes and was made to take refuge by his ancestors so near the Ghaor he met Shaikh Bittanai. Shaikh Bittan gave him refuge. He fell in love with Bibi Mato, daughter of Bittan. They met and Shaikh Bittanai saw the gentleness and well-behavior of Prince, yet he didn't know that the guy is a Prince so he sent some of his tribes men to search after him, in the meanwhile the Prince proposed Bibi Mato for himself, (Some people say Bibi Mato and prince were in love and later conceived) (Some say Bibi Mato and Prince didn't see each others for a long while since the Shaikh was waiting to receive the message from the Prince ancestors then when they found out the royal family and tribe Shaikh Bittanai permitted the prince to marry his daughter) (Some people say ; Shaikh Bittanai and his tribesmen fought against the Gharzai tribe and the prince was captured as a teenager and later on he stayed with Shaikh Bittanai and Shaik married his daughter to him) most of the Afghan historians regard this story as a fiction and Mr. Masoom Hutak an Afghan historian and journalist have found some information based on his research that the dates mentioned in the book (Makhzan-e-Afghani) was untrusted and false. another version of the fiction story is like this => (the prince Shah Hussain requested Matto's mother for marriage with her daughter. Her mother sent a man to south to find out about the family and his ancestors. the sender found out that a prince is from royal family but instead of giving that information to wife of Bittanai he went to the son of a royal family from the Ghalzai tribes and told him that I know you are from a royal family but I will divulge this information to Mrs Bittanai only if you give an undertaking that you will take my daughter in marriage once you get married to Bibi Matto. Shah Hussain agreed. From Bibi Matto Shah Hussain had three sons, Gharzai (Ghilzai, Ghaljai), Lodhi and Suri and from Khak's daughter he had a son Sarwan.)
The Sarwani, Suri or Sherwani tribes migrated to Southern NWFP Dera Ismail Khan and Northern Punjab and settled in Chaudwan and towns of Sialkot, Gujranwala, Karnal and Maler Kotla. A town by the name of Dhraban was built by Sarwanis in DIK, where a dispute with Suris resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. The Miankhels of Dera Ismail Khan subsequently forced Sarwanis to leave that place. Some went to India, a few to a place near Wah known as Chikara. From Wah they migrated to Hazro, Multan(named as Afghan Colony), Deraghazi Khan and Attock. A few families are now residing in Spinkane Ziarat Ka Ka Sahib and Amiro Khairabad, NWFP, Pakistan. Those who migrated to India produced many generals especially in army of Sher Shah Suri. Some Sherwanis have made significant contributions in Indian history. Abbas Khan Sherwani wrote the history of Sher Shah Suri and Hasel??? Sherwani was an ataleeq (tutor) to Shahjehan . The Sherwanis established a state in Malir Kotla, Indian Punjab, while they were made the military governors of Sialkot by Sher Shah, a position they held till annexation of the town by Sikhs in 1799. During partition, many of the Sherwanis settled in Indian part of Punjab (Karnal, Malir Kotla)and UP, migrated to Sargodha,Layyah, Vihari, Sahiwal and Sialkot/Gujranwala areas.In the Layyah they setteled in Basti 'Doratta'. Sherwanis are now scattered in different parts of the world, very few can speak the Pashto language. Afghanabad is a village in Jhelum, where still the Afghan Sherwani is a major tribe.
Sherwani Bala and Sherwani Payan are towns in Afghanistan.Shahryar Khan (ex-Secretary to Government of Pakistan for Foreign Affairs and ex-Chairman Pakistan Cricket Control Broad) is a member of the Nawab of Malerkotla family.Brigadier Shafaat Sherwani ex Judge Advocate General Pakistan Army and his brother Justice Zafar Sherwani from Sindh High Court are the siblings of Kifayat Sherwani from the same tribe.
The Pathan dynasties of Lodi and Suri had the support of the Sherwani Pashtun rulers and troops of that time. On the arrival of the Mughals, Sherwani tribes owed allegiance to the Mughal throne and fought against invaders like Nadir Shah of Persia. Reference to this are found in Tarikh-e-Sher Shah Suri, Tarikh-e-Afghani and Makhzan-e-Afghani. Another reference is in Tuzk-e-Babri.
The historian Asad Muhammad Khan who writes for Suspense Digest nowadays could be a good lead to determine the history of Sherwani Pathans or Sarwani.
Some Sherwani Pathans migrated to the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi From India in 1949. Hafiz Noor Ul Nabi Khan Sherwani his elder son Manzoor Un Nabi Khan Sherwani & Other family members
A large number of Sherwanis migrated from Pani Pat and Suni Pat, India to Jhang, Hafizabad and other places in Pakistan at the time of partition. The families migrated were Rasheed Akbar Sherwani, Saeed Akbar Sherwani and their sons Khurshid Akbar Sherwani, Suhail Akbar Sherwani and Shahzad Akbar Sherwani. Amongst them are Azra Sherwani (PTV Actress), Saleem Sherwani (footballer), Badar Sherwani (PTV Actress), Maleeha Lodhi (Ex. Ambassador (Married with a Lodhi person)), Iftekhar Sherwani (Ex. Financial Advisor to the President).