The Kharoti (

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...

: خروټی) are a

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 of

Ghilji The Ghiljī ( ps, غلجي, ; fa, خیلجی, Xelji) also spelled Khilji, Khalji, or Ghilzai or Ghilzay (), are one of the largest Pashtun tribes. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Qalati Ghilji in Afghanistan but they have also settle ...

origin, originating in the central part of

Paktika Province Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, but can be also found in other parts of the country. The Kharoti settled in Kharotabad in

Quetta Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه‎) is the tenth List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in Geography of Pakistan, south-west of the country close to the ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(now

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

) around 1945. The Kharoti in Afghanistan and have an estimated population of about 2.5 million, making them one of the largest tribes in

and Pakistan. The Kharoti own significant territory throughout eastern and southeastern

. Many Kharoti are business owners. There are large Kharoti populations in the

Paktika Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana ...

districts of

Urgun Urgun ( ps, ارګون) is the main town of the Urgun District of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. With an estimated population of 10,665,Barmal, Sar Hawza, Zarghun Shahr, Omna, Surobi,

Ghazni Ghazni ( prs, غزنی, ps, غزني), historically known as Ghaznain () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana ( gr, Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan ...

Zabul Zabul (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. It has a population of 249,000. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabu ...

Paktia Paktia (Pashto/Dari: – ''Paktyā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly 6 ...

Khost Khōst ( ps, خوست) is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram in ...

, Logar, Wardak,

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

, Nangarhar,

Helmand Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

and Gomal. The Kharoti also have a significant presence in the

i province of

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

Sher Khan Bandar Sher Khan or Shir Khan ( ps, شیر خان بندر; prs, شیرخان بندر) is a border town in the northern Kunduz Province of Afghanistan, next to the Panj River. The town's main attraction is the Sher Khan Bandar, which is a dry port and ...

, Afghanistan's largest harbour city, which is located near Tajikistan's border, is named after

Sher Khan Nashir Sher Khan Nashir (also: Nasher) was the hereditary Grand Khan (Loy Khan) of the Nashir clan of the Kharoti (Ghilji) tribe and governor (Wali) of Northern Afghanistan in the 1930s, known as the "father of Kunduz. He was apparently poisoned by the K ...

, Khan of the Kharoti. Around 2000 Kharoti families also live in the Iranian cities of Zahedan and Karimabad. They typically speak Persian and Balochi languages. In Pakistan, Kharoti live in the Chaghi District of Balochistan and typically speak in the Balochi tongue. They also live in Noushki,

. The Kharoti also live in Chamalang near Loralai and call themselves Kharotani, but nevertheless speak Balochi. The Kharoti tribe has a presence in the KPK province in Dera Ismail Khan and Lakki Marwat village Adamzai. The Kharoti families are also living in district Zhob Balochistan having a population of 500 families.

Significance

As Pashtuns of the Ghilji confederacy, the heyday of the Kharotis was during the peak of the khans of the Nasher-Nashir family. With the rise of the rival

Durrani The Durrānī ( ps, دراني, ), formerly known as Abdālī (), are one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. Their traditional homeland is in southern Afghanistan (Loy Kandahar region), straddling into Toba Achakzai in Balochistan, Pakistan, but ...

confederacy in the 18th century, the Kharoti lost their leading role in Afghan politics but remained strong in rural Afghan regions. However, they often view themselves as the "true Pashtuns" and, being Ghilji, as the rightful leaders of Afghanistan.

Notable Kharoti

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Gulbuddin Hekmatyar ( ps, ګلب الدين حكمتيار; born 1 August 1949) is an Afghan politician, former mujahideen leader and drug trafficker. He is the founder and current leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin political party, so calle ...

, Politician, Afghan warfare leader during soviet union occupation, ( Hizb-e-Islami Chairman) and former Prime minister *

Sher Khan Nasher Sher Khan Nashir (also: Nasher) was the hereditary Grand Khan (Loy Khan) of the Nashir clan of the Kharoti (Ghilji) tribe and governor (Wali) of Northern Afghanistan in the 1930s, known as the "father of Kunduz. He was apparently poisoned by the K ...

, Loe Khan (Grand Khan) founder of Spinzar Cotton Company and founding father of Kunduz *

Gholam Serwar Nasher Gholam Serwar Nasher (also known as Ghulam Sarwar Nashir; 1922–1984) was the last ruling Khan (title), Khan of the Nasher clan, Nasher and President (corporate title), President of Spinzar Cotton Company in Kunduz, the most profitable company and ...

, Khan (1922–1984), president of Spinzar Cotton Company * Dr. Ahmad Shah Kharoti, general director of finance and administration of MOPH Afghanistan and elder of Kharoti tribe. * Gholam Nabi Nasher, Khan (1926–2010), parliamentarian *

Hafizullah Amin Hafizullah Amin (Pashto/ prs, حفيظ الله امين; 1 August 192927 December 1979) was an Afghan communist revolutionary, politician and teacher. He organized the Saur Revolution of 1978 and co-founded the Democratic Republic of Afghanist ...

, politician and president of Afghanistan *Haji merajuddin Khan Kharoti former justice minister of Afghanistan and elder of Kharoti tribe. *Sahib Jan Khan, politician and a former Kharoti tribe leader in Paktika, Afghanistan *Sardar Akbar Khan Kharoti, namesake of Sardar Akbar Kharoti Road in Quetta, Pakistan * Arsala Kharoti, A renowned Commander during the soviet invasion Afghanistan, Chairman of Afghan refugees in Pakistan since 2016. * Malak khan Mohammad Khaki, the son of Malak Agha Mohammad Abbaskhil from Sarobi Paktika, he was Senator from 2004 to 2010 The House of Elders or Mesherano Jirga (Pashto/Dari: مشرانو جرگه یا خانه کهن سالان), is the upper house of the bicameral National Assembly of Afghanistan, * Farhad Darya Nasher, Khan (born 1962), singer and composer *

Mirwais Ashraf Mirwais Ashraf Khan ( ps, ميرويس اشرف خان) (born June 30, 1988) is a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler who plays for the Afghanistan national cricket team and Chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board since 6 Novem ...

, Afghanistan national cricket team player *

Sharafuddin Ashraf Sharafuddin Ashraf (born 10 January 1995) is an Afghan cricketer. He made his international debut for the Afghanistan cricket team in July 2014. Domestic career In July 2018, Ashraf was the leading wicket-taker for Amo Sharks in the 2018 Ghazi A ...

, Afghanistan National Cricket Team player * Haji Ghani Kharoti Pakistan, Loralai Katwai, leader of a Kharoti family in Loralai Pakistan who came from Helmand, Afghanistan * Ahad Khan Zada Kharoti Pakistan Qila Saifulla, leader Of the Kharoti Tribe Qila Saifullah in Balochistan, Pakistan *Haji Mohammad Akber kharoti, leader of the Amandkhel tribe of Kharoti *Malak Sultan Muhammad Mehmood Khel Kharoti *Muhammad Nazir Kharoti, Governor of Urozgan (2015-2018) * Molowe Arsalan Rahmani Paktika Afghanistan, member of Sana (Mashrano Jarga) and director of the Afghan peace committee *Sardar Akbar Khan Mehmood Khel Kharoti Kanobi Aghbarg Loralai * Haji Niaz Muhammad Amiri, Ghazni, Afghanistan, member of parliament in 2006 and Governor of Logar province *Bayazid Khan kharoti

References

{{Pashtun tribes Ghilji Pashtun tribes Pashto-language surnames Pakistani names

Significance

Notable Kharoti

See also

References