Kakazai

Read Family Tree of Kakazai Pashtun Tribe on Page 555 from "Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India" - Published 1907 :: Courtesy: The British Library

Kakazai Pashtuns - Page 22 from "A Dictionary of the Pathan Tribes of the North West Frontier of India" - Published 1910 :: Courtesy: The British Library

Family Tree — From Qais Abdul Rashid to the Kakazai (Loi Mamund) Pashtuns

Daulat Khel, Maghdud Khel, Mahsud Khel and Mahmud Khel, Sub-divisions of Kakazai Pashtun Tribe :: Courtesy: The British Library

The Kakazai (Pashto: کاکازي / ککےزي / ککازي‎, Urdu, Persian: کاکازَئی / کَکےزَئی / کَکازَئی‎‎),^{[1][2][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]} also known as Loye or Loi Mamund, a division of the Mamund clan,^{[2][3][14][15][16][17][18]} are part of the larger Tarkani (ترکاڼي) tribe^{[4][5][6][7][8][13][18][19][20][21]} who are mainly settled in Bajaur Agency, Pakistan, but originally hailed from the Laghman province of Afghanistan. However, it has grown and scattered around to such an extent that it is recognized as tribe of its own.^{[1][2][3][12][13][14][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]}

Etymology

The name "Kakazai" means "descendants/offspring/children of Kakae or Kaka" (in Pashto, Kaka or Kakae = a contemporary Afghan name for a male.^{[1][10][14][24]} It is also used for Paternal Uncle.^[29] Zai = descendants/offspring/children of, a root also used in other Pashtun tribes such as Yousafzai). Spelling variants include: Kakizi, Kakaezai, Kakezai, Kakaizai, Kakay Zai, Kakayzai, Kakeyzai, Kaka Zai and Kakkayzai.^{[9][11][30][31]}

History

Early History

The Kakazai came to South Asia during invasions such as those of Mahmud of Ghazni, settling in various regions.^[1][2][10]

British-Raj Era

A major Kakazai group from Gurdaspur, East Punjab, India settled in twelve villages, including Babal Chak, Faizullah Chak, Sut Kohiah (Satkoha), and Wazir Chak, near Dhariwal. At the independence in August 1947, having been initially told they (being Muslim) would be in Pakistan, they were caught up in the ensuing violence and the survivors displaced when their area became part of India.^{[30][31][32][33][34][35]}

Modern Era

Today, the majority of the Kakazai reside in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, they reside in Marawara District, and the Barkanai and Shortan areas of Kunar^[36] as well as some areas of Laghman.^[24]

In Pakistan, they reside in all provinces, particularly in the areas of Dara Kakazai (Valley of Watelai, also known as Mamund Valley),^[37] Bajaur Agency (Lagharai, Kalozai, Kaga, Mukha, Maina and Ghakhi areas of Tehsil Mamund), Lahore,^[38][39] Abbottabad, Peshawar, Sialkot,^[40] Dera Ghazi Khan, Quetta, Karachi, Kashmir, Jehlum, Bhalwal, Sargodha, Chakwal, Gujrat, Chak Karal, Isa Khel, Musa Khel, and Killi Kakazai (Pishin, Baluchistan).^{[24][31][41][42]}

Consequently, the Kakazai Pashtuns not residing in Pashto-speaking areas, despite practicing Pashtunwali, do not exclusively speak Pashto but may speak other languages indigenous to Pakistan such as Urdu, Punjabi, Siraiki, Hindko and Balochi.^[9][10][24]

Sub-divisions

• Daulat Khel
• Khulozai
• Mahsud Khel
• Maghdud Khel
• Mahmud Khel
• Umar Khel
• Yusaf Khel

See also

• List of Kakazai people

References