Khattak: Difference between revisions

Khattak or Khatak (Pashto: خټک /xaˈʈak/, Urdu: خٹک), is the name of a Pashtun tribe. The Khattak tribe's homeland is located in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan and the tribe stretches along the western bank of the river Indus from as north upwards as Sher Garh near Malakand to south through the district of Karak. Their historic capital is Akora Khattak, a town 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of the provincial capital, Peshawar.

The Khattaks are Gharghasht Pashtuns descended from Lukman (alias Khattak), a brother of the founder of the Afridi Tribe Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).. Earliest records show their migration from around modern day Bannu northwards towards modern day Kohat, Karak and Nowshera ^[1].

A warrior poet by the name of Khushal Khan Khattak (1613–1690) was once the cheif of this tribe, and his contributions to Pushto literature are considered as classic texts Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).. His life and times are one of the most chronicled and discussed subjects in Pashtun history, as he was active on the political, social and intellectual fora of his times and contributed significantly at each front. He was a most voluminous writer, and composed no less than three hundred and sixty literary works, both in the Pushto and Persian languages Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).. His poetry revolves around concepts of Honour, Justice, Bravery and Nationalism and his works have been translated into numerous languages, English and Urdu being the primary ones. Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).. The Khattaks have a high literacy rate in comparison to other Pashtun tribes, and have achieved positions of influence throughout history Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page)..

Legend has it that Luqman had three brothers. One day, all four of them went into the woods for hunting and had set up camp when they saw four women with heads covered in colourful shawls in the distance.

The first settlement of the Khattaks was at Shawal, a valley in the Waziri country lying to the west of Bannu, near the Pir Ghal peak. They migrated thence eastwards to the British district of Bannu and settled with the Afghan tribes of Honai and Mangal, who then held it. These tribes were driven out by the Shitaks, a clan allied to the Khattaks, also from Shawal, probably during the 14th century Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). . The Shitaks gradually drove back the weak Khattak communities previously settled along the left bank of the Kuram. The Khattaks thus pressed from behind gradually spread over the southern portion of the Kohat district. They first took Possession of the Chauntra Bahadar Khel and Teri valleys, and jointly with the Bangashes drove out the tribes previously occupying the north-eastern part of the district, and obtained the Gumbat, Pattiala and Zira tappas as their share ^[1].

A significant majority of the Khattak now reside in developed countries such as Malaysia, the UAE, Japan, Saskatchewan Canada, and the USA. The largest contingency resides in the Britain^{[citation needed]}, and in particular the regions of Birmingham, London, Manchester and Aylesbury.^{[citation needed]} Khattaks are thought to be vey successful and wealthy in relation to other tribes^{[citation needed]}.

The Khattak sub tribes include the Seni Khattak(Kohat), Barak Khattak(Karak), Akora Khel Khattak(From Lundkhur to Nizampur), Mungi Khel Khattak(Shakar Dara), Mattu Khel Khattak (Shakar Darra), and the Saghri Khattak (Narra Kanjoor, Jand - Attock). They also live in Sndh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces of Pakistan.

There are several levels of organization within the Pashtun village system.Same as for villages of CHERAT area e.g saleh khana, Kotli kaalan, Bakhti & Kotli Khurd: the Village is subdivided into kinship groups called Khels. For the Khattaks,of this area, include

Kotli Kalan

• Amir Jan Khel
• Tharkan Khel also known as inkey kheil
• Tatar Khel
• Shattar Khel
• namawar khel
• Moondh Khel

Saleh khana

• Duraan khel
• Gun Khel
• Amin khel
• Qurban khel
• Meis khel

Kotli khurd

• Hassan khel
• Sardar khel
• Janab khel
• wahdet khel also known as THERKARAN.

Bakhti

• Kaski khail
• Mangi khail
• Tala Khail
• Bahadar khail
• Bahram khail

• Shenewa Guddi Khel
• Dak Banda (Gulla Khel)
• Shah Salim (Dela Khel)
• Mina Khel (Mixed)
• Jarasi Khel(Mixed)
• Dershah Khel(Mixed)
• Zarin Killa (Tor Taran Tibes)
• Kirri Dhand (Alaf Khel, Kali Khel,Bangi Khel etc)

The Pashtun tribes from Attock include:^{[citation needed]}

• Mousa Zai
• Sara Khel
• Mula Khel
• Levana
• Khan badshai
• Chandalkhel
• Toora Khel
• Marko khel
• Raja khel(LakkarMar)
• Chokara

Chokara starts from Karak city outskirts alongside famous Indus Highway. Varana, Latamber, Land Kamar, Gruzi ( This village has new name now even though old name is preferred and more common ) lies to its west while Bogara and Takh-e-Nasrati ( Old name Tatai ) in east. The people of Chokara: Main clans are Svi and Min Khels, Mosa kan of Khozi Khel Clan of Barak sub-tribe of Khattaks. Chokara, Land Kamar, Latamber, Gruzi, Varana, Mitha Khel, Karak city so on and so forth are all interlinked, for an outsider they can be collectively identified as Khozi Khel of Barak sub tribe of Khattak nation. Village Varana touches Samei Wazir areas. Samei literally being Plain, Wazir tribesmen living on plains.

Ghundi Chokara ' Ghundi meanings hilly ' Amin Khel Atti Khel Gohar Khel Painda Khel Shazi Khel

• Bahadur Khel
• Latamber
• Mitta Khel
• Drush Khel
• Takh-e-Nasrati
• Ahmadabad
• Rehmatabad
• Topi Kalla
• Mithakhel
• Karak
• Latamber
• Guddi Khel
• Saber Abad
• Shahidan Banda
• Dabb Kala
• Eesak Chontra
• Takht-e-Nasrati
• Mianki Banda
• Masti Khan Banda
• Surdag
• Inzer Banda
• Yaghi Musakan Banda
• Khojaki Kala
• Nari Panos
• doopar
• Amberi Kala
• Dhab Jandrai
• Lachi
• Banda Daud Shah
• Teri
• Gurguri
• Guddi Khel
• Shakar Dara
• Kohat City
• Akora Khattak
• Saleh Khana
• Mangi Khel
• Behram Khel
• Tala Khel
• Kaski Khel
• Bahadur Khel
• Palosasar
• Nari Khurrah
• Chapri
• Dak Ismail Khel
• machekki
• siraj khel
• Buden khel
• Chandal khel
• Marko khel
• Toora khel
• Laghri Ghari Khel (Ghari Khel tribes) near to khojaki killa
• Shah Bhat Khel
• Awwal Khel
• Peela Khel
• Gada khel
• Deewan Khel

• Damgari Seraj Khel

1) Mashki Khel (Mazarri Kalla) 2) Bakar Khel 3) Durani Khel

• Pashtun
• Khushal Khan Khattak
• Afridi