The Dilazak (Pashto: دلزاک) is a Pashtun tribe, primarily living in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Origins

The origins of Dilazaks is still a mystery.[1] The Afghans did not consider Dilazaks as Pashtuns,[2] and it is suggested that Dilazaks were of non-Pashtun Dardic origins.[3][4] Today, Dilazaks are considered Pashtuns who belong to the Karlani branch.[1]

History

Around 1520, a Pashtun tribe, the Yousafzai, was expelled from Kabul by Mirza Ulugh Beg, a Timurid ruler and paternal uncle of the Mughal Emperor Babur.[5] The Yusufzai migrated to Peshawar valley where they sought and received help from the Dilazak.[6] Later, the relationships between the two tribes deteriorated and a long war ensued.[7] 20 years later, at the battle of Katlang, the Yousafzai and Allied forces pushed the Dilazak east of the Indus River under the leadership of Malik Ahmed Khan.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Swat : An Afghan society in Pakistan : Urbanisation and Change in a Tribal Environment". Université de Genève. p. 71.
  2. ^ The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland.
  3. ^ Leach, E. R. (1960). Aspects of Caste in South India, Ceylon and North-West Pakistan. CUP Archive. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-521-09664-5.
  4. ^ South Asian Handbook. Trade & Travel Publications. 1993. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-900751-40-0.
  5. ^ "The Pathans" by Sir Olaf Caroe Page 153,173/174
  6. ^ "Mukhtasur Taareekh-e-Pashtoon (Short History of Pashtoons) by Professor Hameedullah (2004) Page 49
  7. ^ "Tawareekh-e-Hafiz Rahmat Khani" (Urdu) by Pir Moazzam Shah rearranged with notes by 'Roshan Khan', Published by Pashto Academy, Peshawar University (1976) Pages 83-570
  8. ^ "The Kingdom of Afghanistan - A Historical Sketch" by G.P.Tate (1911), Reproduced by 'Indus Publications' (1973) Page 12 (Foot Note)
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