The Suleiman Khel (Suleimankhail) are a Pashtun sub-tribe of the Ghilzai confederation. In the early 20th century, the tribe was recognised as generally pastoral.[1]
In 1924, the Suleiman Khel joined in the Khost Rebellion initiated by the Mangal tribe.[2]
The Suleiman Khel are one of the largest Ghilzai Pashtun subtribes. According to Ghulab Mangal, former governor of Paktika Province, the Suleimankhel provided the majority of recruits for the Taliban in the province. As a result, the level of Anti-Coalition Militia activities remain high in areas dominated by Suleiman Khel. The bias of some sub-tribes toward the Taliban in part may be explained by their proximity to the Pakistan border and the influx of insurgents and the radical politics. They have been allied with the Hotaki in the past, and their traditional rivals include the Kharoti.[3] Principal sub-divisions of the Suleimankhel include the Alizai, Sulemanzai, and Jalalzai. Other sub-divisions include the Alikhel, the Nizamkhel, and the Shakhel. It is interesting to note that the Alikhel sub-tribe, which primarily lives in the northwest of Paktika, has been more cooperative with the central government and coalition forces. The Nizamkhel and Shakhel also remain more supportive of the government, which may be explained in part by their rivalry with the Jalalzai.[4]
solimankhel cast ofmain branches are given below 1- bawlo khel 2- mutta khel 3_ yaa khel 4_ math khel etc