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 r ...

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 Bannu District ( ps, بنو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Bannu Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It was recorded as a district in 1861 during the British Raj. It is one of 26 districts that make up the Khyber Pak ...

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 Wazir often refers to: * Vizier or wazir, a high-ranking political advisor or minister Wazir may also refer to: Places * Wazirabad, a City in Punjab, Pakistan * Waziristan, a region in tribal belt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan * Wazir Akbar K ...

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

tribe, with the other being the Utmanzai of North Waziristan Agency,

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 ...

. 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 Khyb ...

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 Qais Abdur Rashīd or Qais Abdul Rasheed ( ps, قيس عبد الرشيد) is said to be, in post-Islamic lore, the legendary founding father of the Pashtuns. It is believed that the conception of such a figure was promoted to bring harmony betw ...

. Ahmad was a son of Wazir. The tribe are

Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

s 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 ...

sect, although not particularly strict in observance of their religious beliefs. It is possible that some have come under the influence of the

Deobandi Deobandi is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam, adhering to the Hanafi school of law, formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the name derives, by Muhammad Qasim Nanau ...

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 Waz ...

* 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-Bo ...

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 Modern ...

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