The Hassanzai is a sub-clan of
Yousafzai, which is a
Pakhtoon
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 r ...
/Pashtoon/
Pathan tribe. It is one of the divisions of the Isazai clan of the
Yousafzai tribe.
Yousafzai tribe is regarded as one of the most powerful, famous, and respected tribes of
Pashtoons. Colonel
H. C. Wylly (1858–1932) described these people in the following words:
Origin
The Hasanzais are amongst
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes; a division of the Isazai clan of the
Yousafzai tribe. They are the descendants of Hassan the son of Isa (Isazai) and the grandson of Yusaf/Yousaf/(
Yousafzai). The Hassanzais are further divided into following ten Sections:
The Sections
Demographics
The Hassanzais live on either side of the
Indus
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
; those cis-Indus occupy the most southern portion of the western slopes of Tor Ghar, while those trans-Indus live immediately opposite to them. The Hassanzai area is bounded on the north and east by the
Akazais, on the west by the Indus, and on the south the Hassanzai border adjoins the territory of
Tanawal, the former state of
Amb
AMB may refer to:
* Active magnetic bearing
* Advanced Memory Buffer, used in Fully Buffered DIMM memory
* Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, one of the armed sections of the Palestinian Fatah movement
* Ambergate railway station, abbreviation used in th ...
.
Culture and traditions
Like all other
Pashtoons, Hassanzais have maintained their cultural identity and individuality. They lead their lives strictly in accordance with code of ethics of
Pashtoonwali which comprises Manliness, Goodness, Gallantery, Loyalty and Modesty. Hassanzais have also maintained the Pashtoon customs of
Jirga
A jirga ( ps, جرګه, ''jərga'') is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of other ethni ...
(Consultative Assembly),
Nanawati (Delegation pleading guilty), Hujhra (Large drawing room) and Melmasteya (Hospitality).
Fighting against the British
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes had never been under the
British Rule
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
. Hassanzais along with
Akazais had been actively involved in fighting with British for quite some time. Brief account of the British Expeditions against
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes is as under:-
*Under Lieutenant Colonel F. Mackeson, in 1852–53, against the Hassanzais. The occasion was the murder of two British customs officers. A force of 3800 British troops traversed their country, destroying their villages, grain and crops.
*Under Major-General A. T. Wilde, in 1868. The occasion was an attack on a British police post at Oghi in the Agror Valley by all
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes. A force of 12,500 British troops entered the country and the tribes made peace.
*
The First Hazara Expedition in 1888. The cause was the constant raids made by the tribes on villages in British territory, culminating in an attack on a small British reconnaissance troop, in which two British officers were killed. A force of 9,500 British troops traversed the country of the tribes, and severe fighting took place.
*The Second Hazara Expedition of 1891.
The Black Mountain (Tor Ghar) Tribes fired on a force within British limits. A force of 7300 British troops traversed the country. The tribesmen made their peace and entered into an agreement with government to preserve the peace of the border.
Recent developments
On 28 January 2011, Tor Ghar became the 25th district of
Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.
Tor Ghar: Kala Dhaka becomes 25th K-P district
The Express Tribune. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011. Judba is the Capital of this newly born district with multiple tehsils:-
* Judba
* Kandar Hassanzai
* Mada Khel
Most of the Hassanzai areas come under the Kandar tehsil.
References
{{Pashtun tribes
Social groups of Pakistan
Yusufzai Pashtun tribes