Aḥmadzai ( ps, احمدزی, "descendants of Aḥmad"; also spelled Ahmedzai) is a Sunni Muslim

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

tribe found in

South Waziristan South Waziristan District ( ps, سويلي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) was a district in Dera Ismail Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before splitting in to Lower South Waziristan District and Upper South Waziristan District and ...

and Bannu District in the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas , conventional_long_name = Federally Administered Tribal Areas , nation = Pakistan , subdivision = Autonomous territory , image_flag = Flag of FATA.svg , image_coat = File:Coat of arms ...

of Pakistan. They are a clan of the larger Wazir tribe.

Origins

The Ahmedzai, whose name is translated as "descendants of Ahmad", are a distinct tribe from the similarly named community of Afghanistan. They form one of the two major branches of the Wazir tribe, with the other being the Utmanzai of

North Waziristan Agency North Waziristan District ( ps, شمالي وزیرستان ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanist ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. The common ancestor of the Ahmadzai and Utmanzai is Wazir, who is also ancestor to the

Mehsud The Mahsud or Mehsood ( ps, محسود), also spelled Maseed ( ps, ماسيد), is a Karlani Pashtun tribe inhabiting mostly the South Waziristan Agency in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, now merged within Khy ...

s who have since taken a distinct and divergent path. Through Wazir, the tribes trace their origins to Karlanri and thence to the founder of the Pashtun lineage, Qais Abdur Rashid. Ahmad was a son of Wazir. The tribe are Sunni Muslims of the

Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named a ...

sect, although not particularly strict in observance of their religious beliefs. It is possible that some have come under the influence of the Deobandi sect, followers of which have in recent years become active in areas where the tribe lives.

Location

The Ahmadzai were originally settled in the Birmal Valley area of modern-day Afghanistan. Today, they inhabit Pakistan and are primarily a pastoral community that earn a living from the rearing of sheep. Many Ahmadzai migrate between areas according to the seasons. The majority are found in Bannu District and around one-third live in the South Waziristan Agency, a Federally Administered Tribal Area of Pakistan. The North and South Waziristan agencies together form this region, which derives its name from the Wazir supra-tribe. Unlike the Utmanzai, the Ahmadzai generally co-exist peacefully with their Mehsud cousins. Many head men from the two tribes are connected by marriage.

Notable people

Muhammad Iqbal Wazir Muhammad Iqbal Wazir is a Pakistani politician who is member-elect of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Political career Wazir contested 2019 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial election on 20 July 2019 from constituency PK-111 (North Wa ...

* Durmirjan wazir *

Aneela Iqbal Wazir Aneela Mirza (born 8 October 1974) is a Danish singer based in the United Kingdom. She has found success as a member of the pop group Toy-Box and as a solo artist performing mononymously as Aneela. She was part of the Danish pop group Toy-Box ...

Javed Iqbal Wazir Jawed ( fa, جاويد); ''Javed'', ''Javid'' ( ur, جاويد); ''Jawed'', ''Javed'' ( pa, ਜਾਵੇਦ) is a masculine given name of Persian origin meaning of "eternal, immortal" and is also the word for "eternity". The name is from Moder ...

Farzana Iqbal Wazir Farzaneh ( fa, فرزانه, ''Farzāneh'', meaning wise, intelligent, or highly knowledgeable), also transliterated as Farzana, Farzona or Farzane, is a Persian given name for girls common in Iran, South Asia, and Central Asia. The masculine equiv ...

Rabia Iqbal Wazir Rabia or Rabiah is the transliteration of two Arabic names written differently in Arabic text however they may be written similarly in the Latin script: * An Arabic, usually male name (' ) meaning "Spring" * An Arabic, female name (' ) meaning " ...

References

{{Authority control Pakistani Sunni Muslims Karlani Pashtun tribes