Balar Khel

Balar Khel (بلڑ خیل) is the largest Khel in Usi Khel, Aba Khel subtribe of Mandanr Yusafzai inhabiting Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.

History

Traditionally Pathan tribes live according to a strong family system in which the family is named after the father. Balar Khel thus means the sons of Balar. Family groups prefer to live together and the area is named after their Khel. In the 16th century in the Yusafzai tribe during the time of Malik Ahmed different Khels were divided by his deputy Sheikh Mali^[1] and settlements thus included representatives of all Khels. The idea behind this division was to let all Khels have a share of all types of land. This led to the loss of brotherhood among members of each Khel and the development of rivalries on the basis of villages instead of ancestry.

Balar was the youngest of the eight sons of Usi Khan. His other brothers also add Khan after their names, including Taus, Juna, Zakarya, Tawus, Bazaid, Ayub and Panj Pao.

Settlements

The settlements of the Balar Khel are the villages of Zaida, Maini, Yaqubi, Yarhussain, Hund, Ambar, Lahor, Kaddi and Panj Pir in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Pakistan, Juna Khel Mardan, Gumbat and Taus Khel Mardan, Gumbat.

The Balar Khel in Hund is traced back through Muhammad Imran son of Qareeb ur Rehman son of Fazal Dad Khan son of Khan Bahadur Khan, son of Bostan Khan from patriarch Ayaz Khan. These were the chieftains and landlords of the village of Hund until the British colonized the region. The new landlords took the title of Khan and became the major influence in the area because of British Patronage and support. Khadi khan from the family of new settlers conspired against and cheated Shah Ismail Shaheed and Shah Wali Ullah Rehmat Ullah Alai when they wanted to attack the Marrhattas commonly known as Abaseen in the village of Pori Chagh across the Hund river.

References