How much do Tribes matter nowadays?

[Traveller]

I've know that most Pashtuns know and identify by their tribes, but how much do they matter beyond that nowadays? I know that in the past, for example, the Khattaks and Yousufzais fought wars(I believe Khushhal Khan Khattak's father was killed in one such war). Even though there may not be tribal wars anymore, do these rivalries still exist? Also do people have favororitism or otherwise some kind of special relationship with people of their own tribe?

And I've noticed that, with some exceptions people tend to talk more about the area that they're from than their tribe. The exceptions to this that I've seen are for tribes in FATA, or just karlanris tribes in general. I've heard a lot of "dai Apridyan di" but I've almost never heard "dai Yusufzai di." Usually people talk about what district or area they are from.

Of course, much of this may have to do with the fact that I am from a very small tribe that isn't extremely well known and I grew up in the west so I haven't had as much interaction with Pashtuns of various backgrounds. People who grew up there or live there, like [MENTION=18842]Samandri[/MENTION] and some others can probably explain more.

[Shapur]

Tribal identity still plays an important role in rural areas where most Pashtuns live, not so much in urban areas as they are melting pots of different tribes and people from different tribes intermarry.

In my tribe we have had alot of marriages to other pashtuns tribes and non Pashtuns but still prefer our own tribe. With more empbasis on Islam and state nationalism, tribal nationalism is decreasing day by day.

[Traveller]

Tribal identity still plays an important role in rural areas where most Pashtuns live, not so much in urban areas as they are melting pots of different tribes and people from different tribes intermarry.

In my tribe we have had alot of marriages to other pashtuns tribes and non Pashtuns but still prefer our own tribe. With more empbasis on Islam and state nationalism, tribal nationalism is decreasing day by day.

Yeah I've thought that tribes might be more important in rural areas. Ta khpala da kamzi ye?

[Shapur]

Yeah I've thought that tribes might be more important in rural areas. Ta khpala da kamzi ye?

Za de Kabul skha yum, dre sawa kalono na mung pa shamali Afghanistan ke osego kho asli kalay mo Ghazni ke day, os pa UK ke osam.

[Traveller]

Za de Kabul skha yum, dre sawa kalono na mung pa shamali Afghanistan ke osego kho asli kalay mo Ghazni ke day, os pa UK ke osam.

You guys still identify with your village in Ghazni after 300 years? Wow I didn't even know that was possible. O da "skha" sa matlab de?

[Shapur]

You guys still identify with your village in Ghazni after 300 years? Wow I didn't even know that was possible. O da "skha" sa matlab de?

To be honest, all I know is that we are from Ghazni region and some of our relatives have kept lengthy Shajaras which we can use to trace our ancestory. We have no connection to Ghazni now and mainly identify with the north and Kabul.

" skha" څخه means "from ", it is not the same as "skhaa" which is used northern KPK to mean dirty. Some people use "na", de Kabul na yum or de Kabul skha yum. Both mean same thing.

[Traveller]

To be honest, all I know is that we are from Ghazni region and some of our relatives have kept lengthy Shajaras which we can use to trace our ancestory. We have no connection to Ghazni now and mainly identify with the north and Kabul.

" skha" څخه means "from ", it is not the same as "skhaa" which is used northern KPK to mean dirty. Some people use "na", de Kabul na yum or de Kabul skha yum. Both mean same thing.

That's what it looked like but I wasn't sure. We use "na,"

[Samandri]

I've know that most Pashtuns know and identify by their tribes, but how much do they matter beyond that nowadays? I know that in the past, for example, the Khattaks and Yousufzais fought wars(I believe Khushhal Khan Khattak's father was killed in one such war). Even though there may not be tribal wars anymore, do these rivalries still exist? Also do people have favororitism or otherwise some kind of special relationship with people of their own tribe?

And I've noticed that, with some exceptions people tend to talk more about the area that they're from than their tribe. The exceptions to this that I've seen are for tribes in FATA, or just karlanris tribes in general. I've heard a lot of "dai Apridyan di" but I've almost never heard "dai Yusufzai di." Usually people talk about what district or area they are from.

Of course, much of this may have to do with the fact that I am from a very small tribe that isn't extremely well known and I grew up in the west so I haven't had as much interaction with Pashtuns of various backgrounds. People who grew up there or live there, like @Samandri and some others can probably explain more.

Tribal nationalism , tribal identities and tribal rivalries are strong in southern districts (with exception of Kohat), Balochistan and FATA (with exception of Bajaur)........the ones in Peshawar valley (Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda) , Buner, Swat etc behave differently.....there tribal identity is not pronounced at all and is just ceremonial. The emphasis is more on "Pashtun nationalism" and shedding of tribalism there....areas are densely populated and are on par with Punjab in urbanization.....

Here in southern belt, tribal skirmishes can still happen.......Rarely one tribe against another but one Khel against another Khel within the tribe are frequent......interests of tribe or clan comes first....thus societies are organized along the old and traditional Pashtun set up

[toughpashtun]

You guys still identify with your village in Ghazni after 300 years? Wow I didn't even know that was possible. O da "skha" sa matlab de?

Many Afghan Pashtuns as well as the Pashtuns in Balochistan use 'sakha'. The ones in kpk and fata use 'na'

[toughpashtun]

To be honest, all I know is that we are from Ghazni region and some of our relatives have kept lengthy Shajaras which we can use to trace our ancestory. We have no connection to Ghazni now and mainly identify with the north and Kabul.

" skha" څخه means "from ", it is not the same as "skhaa" which is used northern KPK to mean dirty. Some people use "na", de Kabul na yum or de Kabul skha yum. Both mean same thing.

What tribe do you belong to?
I am guessing it must be one of the Ghilzai tribes, since you are originally from Ghazni which according to my limited knowledge is a Ghilzai stronghold.

[toughpashtun]

Another interesting point is that there are some tribes whose nearly all members use the tribe's name in their own surname.
That is why 'Afridi' is such a common surname.On the other hand, Yusufzai is nearly non existent as a surname,especially when you consider how big a tribe it is.

[Samandri]

Another interesting point is that there are some tribes whose nearly all members use the tribe's name in their own surname.
That is why 'Afridi' is such a common surname.On the other hand, Yusufzai is nearly non existent as a surname,especially when you consider how big a tribe it is.

Yousafzais dont even use the names of the sections within their tribes as last name.....for example when our Lohani tribe grew in numbers, its four sections started identifying themselves as distinct tribes some times after 17th century (Marwat, Tatur, Miya Khel and Daulat Khel).....Ghilzai is perhaps a largest tribe and its members use the names of its sections as last names e.g Hotak, Ahmadzai, Tokhi, Andar, Nasar, Kharoti etc.....Almost all the Khattaks, even through quite scattered across the districts, use their tribal name as last name.

[toughpashtun]

Yousafzais dont even use the names of the sections within their tribes as last name.....for example when our Lohani tribe grew in numbers, its four sections started identifying themselves as distinct tribes some times after 17th century (Marwat, Tatur, Miya Khel and Daulat Khel).....Ghilzai is perhaps a largest tribe and its members use the names of its sections as last names e.g Hotak, Ahmadzai, Tokhi, Andar, Nasar, Kharoti etc.....Almost all the Khattaks, even through quite scattered across the districts, use their tribal name as last name.

Absolutely.Just one question for you; are the Tokhi tribe Sunni or Shia?

[Samandri]

Absolutely.Just one question for you; are the Tokhi tribe Sunni or Shia?

Sunni..........only one tribe as a whole is Shia among Pashtuns, and that is Turi....others have some clans within them which are Shia e.g Bangash and Orakzai.....I have read in book that Pashtuns of Afghanistan are almost entirely Sunni

[Nekrofrost]

Tribal identity is stil very important in the more southern parts and there are still tribal wars going on in kurram and in waziristan but not like the traditional way. For example in south waziristan there is a kind of tribal war between mehsuds and wazirs where mehsuds are often sheltering taliban or with them while wazirs are helping the army or in kurram its basically the turis,bangash,orakzais(shias) vs mangals and zazai(sunnis). So yeah its still pretty much of an important thing as people can tell where you are from with your tribal identity and even have stereotyles towards tribes so.