Are Jadoons a branch of Yusufzai Tribe?
The reason for this misunderstanding is that
the Jadoons became annoyed and aggrieved with
their ancestral Panni tribe. Whatever the cause might
be, after their separation from Pannis they associated
themselves with the Yusufzais and remained with
them in all their migrations and exodus. They fought
courageously alongside Yusufzais in all their battles
against other tribes. In this connection, Raverty says:
“Panni (Parnai) son of Danaey had
eighteen sons. The sons of Panni were
the progenitors of as many branches or
sub-tribes, but the descendants of some
increased greatly and those of others
never became numerous as to send out
branches. Some of the latter, indeed,
appear to have died in their own
country, or decreased in number that,
lately, they have not been mentioned
otherwise than under the general name
of Panni. The descendants of Jzadoon
on the other hand, respecting whom
likewise very erroneous statements had
been made by persons who knew
nothing about their descent, who are
now settled near the west bank of Indus
above Attock and in Dharamtaur, rapidly
increased and, in time, separated, or
were separated by some means or
other, from the parent stock. They
subsequently joined the Khas’hies
(Yusufzais, etc.) in their migrations and
continued alliance with them. The
Jadoons had been “ham-sayahs” of the
Khas’hies during all their vicissitudes
and wanderings, from the time they
were obliged to leave the south-western
part of the Afghanistan moved
northwards, and finally settled for a time
in the mountain tracts dependent on
Kabul. They accompanied them from
thence eastwards (Peshawar Valley)
and after Dilazak Afghan had been
expelled by Khas’his from all their lands
north of the river Kabul, and when the
newly conquered land was apportioned,
the Jzaduns were assigned the tract of
the country in which they at present
dwell, in the eastern part of the Samah,
near Aba’Sin. Since that time, having
greatly increased, they spread further
east on the other side of great river and
hold lands in the Kohistan of
Dharamtaur, and are said to number
near upon ten thousand families”.
Hence, they have been considered by some
writers to be a branch of the Yusufzais.
COLONEL C. Mac Gregar in his “Gazetteer Vol-I p. 603 writes
“The Jadoons who occupy the Orash Plain are
not Afghans but their customs assimilate them”.
It is quite interesting to note that his statement
is self contradictory as at another place in the same
book on page 16 of Vol-II, he writes, “Jadoons are
Pathans, but are not Yusufzais, like those around
them”.
Some other writers suppose them to be a
branch of Kakar tribe. Hayat Khan Kathar in his book “
Hai’ at Afghani”, not knowing the descent of Jadoons,
or, taking his accounts from Elphinston, turned them
into a branch of Kakar, and those who copied from
English version thereof followed the suit.
Bellew, on the other hand declares them a
Gakhar clan of the Punjab. He asserts that Kakar
Afghan and Gakhar of the Punjab are the one and the
same tribe, perhaps”?. This also appears to be quite
incorrect, irresponsible and loose statement.
These writers have confounded Kakar Afghan
with Gakhar and apparently did not know the
difference between them.
On the other hand Pannis are generally, but
erroneously, supposed to be Kakars. In this context
Raverty says that Elphinston, whose accounts of
Afghan tribe are generally believed to be correct, has
made the terrible error of turning the Pannis into
Kakars.
With reference to Raverty, one British Revenue
Settlement Officer says that Jadoons belong to a
splendid Hindu line”. “But this assertion has also been
contradicted by Sir Danzil Ibbetson and Raverty by
saying, ”It is almost certain that the Jadoons are not
of Indian origin; though it has been suggested that in
the name is preserved the name of Jadu or Yadu, the
founder of the Rajput Yadubansi dynasty, many of
whose descendants are supposed to have migrated
from Gujrat of India some 1100 years before Christ,
and afterwards supposed to be found in the hills of
Kabul and Qandhar. This analogy is also incorrectly
derived by confounding and inter mixing the words
Jadu and Yadu with Jadoons. But this has been
questioned by Sir Olaf Caroe, who asserts that they
are the descendants of Ghurghusht the third son of
Qais Abdur Rashid, the common ancestor of the
Afghan”.
Similarly, another English Settlement Officer in
the Punjab, in his report to the Government by way of
showing the extent of his information regarding the
Afghan tribes of Pannis of which Jadoons are a
division, states that they are an inferior race of
Pathans.
Not only Jadoons, but even other Afghan tribes
were measured with this rod while determining their
descent.
For Instance, Bellew, with reference to Captain
Plowden considers the Dilazak Afghan to be “Rajputs”
and thinks their name Dilazaks points to their original
religion as Budhist, Saki being the name of which the
disciples of Sakimuni were formerly in Yusufzai
country. Some assert them from Arab descent. Major
H. James-Church, Missionary Intelligencer, 1854,
considers them the same race as that which peopled
the Punjab. However, the authority for this opinion is
unknown. On the other hand, all the Afghan writers as
well as the Mughal monarchs, Babar and Jahangir
and many other writers including Abu-al Fazal have
cosidered them as Afghans. We may safely conclude
that had the Dilazaks been either scythians, Rajputs,
Arabs etc., Khan Kaju, the Chief of Yusufzai and
Mandar tribes, and Khushal Khan Khattak, who were
themselves Afghans, would not have styled them as
Afghans. There is a clan of Panni called Khajazak.
They are descended from Khajazak, son of Panni,
under the name Khajakzai’s. They had also been
turned into Kakars by some irresponsible writers.
Similarly, Mac Gregar in his book “Central Asia Part-I”
terms Niazis as Luhanis (Nuhani), which is as
impossible as “Mohmand Yusafzai” while Mohmand is
a distinct tribe from Yusufzai.
The same author in the above mentioned book
on page-158, part-I, Vol.3, refers to Tarkheli tribe as
“Ghabri Swati”, but on page-185 in the same book he
says that they are said to be the same race as the
Utmanzais of Yusufzai. In a report to Govt. by Lt.H.B.
Lumsdon, in 1851, he styles the “Shaikh Rahim Kar
(alias Kaka Sahib) by the strange name of “Shaikh
Rahum Rao”, thus making a Hindu of him.
Ibrahim, known by his nick or by-name
Sarahban, had two sons Sharf-ud-Din and Kahir-ud-
Din, who were known among the Afghans by their
nick-names of Sharkahbun (progenitor of Tarin,
Sherani, etc. tribes) and Kharshabun (progenitor of
Kansi, Khalils, Mohmand, Yusafzais, etc. tribes). But
Mr. Bellew changes them into Sharjyun and
Khrishjun, the Solar or Royal race of the Rajput
Hindus. Similarly, in case of the Sherani tribe, one of
Sharkhbun’s sons, to whom Bellew writes “Sheorani”
and is ultimately changed into a Hindu name of
“Shivaram”, Panni tribe and most of its sub-branches
or sub-tribes either are asserted to be a branch of
Kakar or are linked with non-Afghan tribes. Similar is
the case of Yusufzais. Census Report 1961 of District
Mardan says that the origin of the Yusufazai tribe is
not very clear. On the other hand Yusufzais claim
their descent from Kharshabun, son of Sarahban, son
of Qais Abdur Rashid, who is called by all Pathans as
their common ancestor (Real & spiritual).
To sum up, it may be amply infered from the
above mentioned views of certain writers that
Jadoons were not an exception regarding the
confusion prevailing about their origin as many other
Pathan tribes faced similar treatment. These are the
specimen of the loose and inaccurate manner in
which Jadoon history has been distorted by following
the statements of a single author without comparing
all contemporary writers. These writers, who appear
to have no special knowledge of the subject, seem to
be unaware of these facts, and hence, Jadoons are
first turned into Kakar Afghan and the same Kakars
are re-transformed into Ghakhars of the Punjab.
Some considered them to be a celebrated branch of
Hindu. Utter confusion was created by rash and crude
statements respecting the descent of people of whom
the writers often knew nothing about. So, all sort of
mistakes have been made concerning different clans
of Afghan tribes, and they
The reason for this misunderstanding is that
the Jadoons became annoyed and aggrieved with
their ancestral Panni tribe. Whatever the cause might
be, after their separation from Pannis they associated
themselves with the Yusufzais and remained with
them in all their migrations and exodus. They fought
courageously alongside Yusufzais in all their battles
against other tribes. In this connection, Raverty says:
“Panni (Parnai) son of Danaey had
eighteen sons. The sons of Panni were
the progenitors of as many branches or
sub-tribes, but the descendants of some
increased greatly and those of others
never became numerous as to send out
branches. Some of the latter, indeed,
appear to have died in their own
country, or decreased in number that,
lately, they have not been mentioned
otherwise than under the general name
of Panni. The descendants of Jzadoon
on the other hand, respecting whom
likewise very erroneous statements had
been made by persons who knew
nothing about their descent, who are
now settled near the west bank of Indus
above Attock and in Dharamtaur, rapidly
increased and, in time, separated, or
were separated by some means or
other, from the parent stock. They
subsequently joined the Khas’hies
(Yusufzais, etc.) in their migrations and
continued alliance with them. The
Jadoons had been “ham-sayahs” of the
Khas’hies during all their vicissitudes
and wanderings, from the time they
were obliged to leave the south-western
part of the Afghanistan moved
northwards, and finally settled for a time
in the mountain tracts dependent on
Kabul. They accompanied them from
thence eastwards (Peshawar Valley)
and after Dilazak Afghan had been
expelled by Khas’his from all their lands
north of the river Kabul, and when the
newly conquered land was apportioned,
the Jzaduns were assigned the tract of
the country in which they at present
dwell, in the eastern part of the Samah,
near Aba’Sin. Since that time, having
greatly increased, they spread further
east on the other side of great river and
hold lands in the Kohistan of
Dharamtaur, and are said to number
near upon ten thousand families”.
Hence, they have been considered by some
writers to be a branch of the Yusufzais.
COLONEL C. Mac Gregar in his “Gazetteer Vol-I p. 603 writes
“The Jadoons who occupy the Orash Plain are
not Afghans but their customs assimilate them”.
It is quite interesting to note that his statement
is self contradictory as at another place in the same
book on page 16 of Vol-II, he writes, “Jadoons are
Pathans, but are not Yusufzais, like those around
them”.
Some other writers suppose them to be a
branch of Kakar tribe. Hayat Khan Kathar in his book “
Hai’ at Afghani”, not knowing the descent of Jadoons,
or, taking his accounts from Elphinston, turned them
into a branch of Kakar, and those who copied from
English version thereof followed the suit.
Bellew, on the other hand declares them a
Gakhar clan of the Punjab. He asserts that Kakar
Afghan and Gakhar of the Punjab are the one and the
same tribe, perhaps”?. This also appears to be quite
incorrect, irresponsible and loose statement.
These writers have confounded Kakar Afghan
with Gakhar and apparently did not know the
difference between them.
On the other hand Pannis are generally, but
erroneously, supposed to be Kakars. In this context
Raverty says that Elphinston, whose accounts of
Afghan tribe are generally believed to be correct, has
made the terrible error of turning the Pannis into
Kakars.
With reference to Raverty, one British Revenue
Settlement Officer says that Jadoons belong to a
splendid Hindu line”. “But this assertion has also been
contradicted by Sir Danzil Ibbetson and Raverty by
saying, ”It is almost certain that the Jadoons are not
of Indian origin; though it has been suggested that in
the name is preserved the name of Jadu or Yadu, the
founder of the Rajput Yadubansi dynasty, many of
whose descendants are supposed to have migrated
from Gujrat of India some 1100 years before Christ,
and afterwards supposed to be found in the hills of
Kabul and Qandhar. This analogy is also incorrectly
derived by confounding and inter mixing the words
Jadu and Yadu with Jadoons. But this has been
questioned by Sir Olaf Caroe, who asserts that they
are the descendants of Ghurghusht the third son of
Qais Abdur Rashid, the common ancestor of the
Afghan”.
Similarly, another English Settlement Officer in
the Punjab, in his report to the Government by way of
showing the extent of his information regarding the
Afghan tribes of Pannis of which Jadoons are a
division, states that they are an inferior race of
Pathans.
Not only Jadoons, but even other Afghan tribes
were measured with this rod while determining their
descent.
For Instance, Bellew, with reference to Captain
Plowden considers the Dilazak Afghan to be “Rajputs”
and thinks their name Dilazaks points to their original
religion as Budhist, Saki being the name of which the
disciples of Sakimuni were formerly in Yusufzai
country. Some assert them from Arab descent. Major
H. James-Church, Missionary Intelligencer, 1854,
considers them the same race as that which peopled
the Punjab. However, the authority for this opinion is
unknown. On the other hand, all the Afghan writers as
well as the Mughal monarchs, Babar and Jahangir
and many other writers including Abu-al Fazal have
cosidered them as Afghans. We may safely conclude
that had the Dilazaks been either scythians, Rajputs,
Arabs etc., Khan Kaju, the Chief of Yusufzai and
Mandar tribes, and Khushal Khan Khattak, who were
themselves Afghans, would not have styled them as
Afghans. There is a clan of Panni called Khajazak.
They are descended from Khajazak, son of Panni,
under the name Khajakzai’s. They had also been
turned into Kakars by some irresponsible writers.
Similarly, Mac Gregar in his book “Central Asia Part-I”
terms Niazis as Luhanis (Nuhani), which is as
impossible as “Mohmand Yusafzai” while Mohmand is
a distinct tribe from Yusufzai.
The same author in the above mentioned book
on page-158, part-I, Vol.3, refers to Tarkheli tribe as
“Ghabri Swati”, but on page-185 in the same book he
says that they are said to be the same race as the
Utmanzais of Yusufzai. In a report to Govt. by Lt.H.B.
Lumsdon, in 1851, he styles the “Shaikh Rahim Kar
(alias Kaka Sahib) by the strange name of “Shaikh
Rahum Rao”, thus making a Hindu of him.
Ibrahim, known by his nick or by-name
Sarahban, had two sons Sharf-ud-Din and Kahir-ud-
Din, who were known among the Afghans by their
nick-names of Sharkahbun (progenitor of Tarin,
Sherani, etc. tribes) and Kharshabun (progenitor of
Kansi, Khalils, Mohmand, Yusafzais, etc. tribes). But
Mr. Bellew changes them into Sharjyun and
Khrishjun, the Solar or Royal race of the Rajput
Hindus. Similarly, in case of the Sherani tribe, one of
Sharkhbun’s sons, to whom Bellew writes “Sheorani”
and is ultimately changed into a Hindu name of
“Shivaram”, Panni tribe and most of its sub-branches
or sub-tribes either are asserted to be a branch of
Kakar or are linked with non-Afghan tribes. Similar is
the case of Yusufzais. Census Report 1961 of District
Mardan says that the origin of the Yusufazai tribe is
not very clear. On the other hand Yusufzais claim
their descent from Kharshabun, son of Sarahban, son
of Qais Abdur Rashid, who is called by all Pathans as
their common ancestor (Real & spiritual).
To sum up, it may be amply infered from the
above mentioned views of certain writers that
Jadoons were not an exception regarding the
confusion prevailing about their origin as many other
Pathan tribes faced similar treatment. These are the
specimen of the loose and inaccurate manner in
which Jadoon history has been distorted by following
the statements of a single author without comparing
all contemporary writers. These writers, who appear
to have no special knowledge of the subject, seem to
be unaware of these facts, and hence, Jadoons are
first turned into Kakar Afghan and the same Kakars
are re-transformed into Ghakhars of the Punjab.
Some considered them to be a celebrated branch of
Hindu. Utter confusion was created by rash and crude
statements respecting the descent of people of whom
the writers often knew nothing about. So, all sort of
mistakes have been made concerning different clans
of Afghan tribes, and they
Gadoon / Jadoon
Mast Khwazi