The Bettani (), also spelled Batani, Baittani or Bhittani, is a

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...

confederacy located mostly in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. The Bettani are named after ''Shaykh Beṭ'', their legendary ancestor, who is said to be the third and last son of

Qais Abdur Rashid Qais Abdur Rashīd or Qais Abdul Rasheed () 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 between religious and ethnic identit ...

(575 – 661). The Bettanis are

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

of the

Hanafi school The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...

. The Bettani confederacy includes the tribes of Bettanis, and the Matti tribes, which are the progeny of BiBi Mattu, the daughter of Sheikh Bettan. These include the Lodi, who are also known as

Lohani Lohani, also known as Nuhani, is a nomadic Pashtun tribe which had made deeper incursions into India, as far as Bihar, and settled therein during the days of the Lodi dynasty. The exact ethnicity of Lohanis is disputed. While some authors refer to ...

, as well as the tribes of

Marwat The Marwat () is a Pashtun tribe, a branch of the Lohani tribe and belong to Lodi section. The Marwats were named for their ancestor Marwat Khan Lodi.Mohmand, Sher Muhammad, ''The Marwats''. p. 50-53 Distribution They are located primarily in ...

Tanoli The Tanoli (Hindko: تناولی; ) is a Hindkowan tribe living mainly in the Hazara region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. They form the majority of the population of Lassan Nawab union council. The Tanoli describe themselves as of Barlas ...

and

Niazi Niazi (; , ), Niazai or Niyazai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes which resides in Afghanistan and northwestern part of Pakistan. Origin The earliest work which provides the details about origin of Niazis is '' Makhzani-i-Afghani'' (1610 A ...

. The Shirani tribe has also been referenced as a component of the Bettani confederacy.

History

According to

Makhzan-e-Afghani The ''Tarikh-i-Khan-Jahani'' () is a 17th-century Persian language text describing the history of the ethnic Afghans. Versions of the work are referred to by the names ''Makhzan-i-Afghani'' () and ''Tarikh-i-Khan Jahani Wa Makhzan-i-Afghani.'' It ...

, a compiled history of Afghans written by

Ni'mat Allah al-Harawi Ni'mat Allah al-Harawi (also known as Niamatullah; ) was a chronicler at the court of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir where he compiled a Persian history of the Afghans, the '' Tarikh-i-Khan-Jahani''. He was a '' waqia navis'' (news-writer) in the Mug ...

, the Bettani are said to be named after their ancestor Betṭ Baba (claimed by a legend to be the first

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

poet), who lived in the Altamur range, which is located between Logar and

Zurmat Zurmat () is the main town of Zurmat District in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. Zurmat is the largest city of Paktia Province, while Zurmat District, with a population of 109,805, is also the most populous district of the province.

. The narrative continues with the account of his burial in

Ghazni Ghazni (, ), historically known as Ghaznayn () or Ghazna (), also transliterated as Ghuznee, and anciently known as Alexandria in Opiana (), is a city in southeastern Afghanistan with a population of around 190,000 people. The city is strategica ...

. The Bettani are also known to have lived in the Logar,

and

areas of Afghanistan until the 15th century. However, this period saw them embroiled in conflicts with the

Ghilji The Ghiljī (, ; ) also spelled Khilji, Khalji, or Ghilzai and Ghilzay (), are one of the largest Pashtuns, Pashtun tribes. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Qalati Ghilji in Afghanistan but they have also settled in other regions throu ...

group. The Bettanis were eventually compelled to vacate these areas, moving towards the east. Among Bettanis, some managed to secure control over Gabarḡar, situated between the Bannu Basin and Dēra, while other segments of the Bettani lineage migrated further northeastward to the Gangetic plains.

Settlements

Some Bettanis reside in Pakistan, in

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

and

Lakki Marwat Lakki Marwat or Lakki (Urdu and ) is the headquarters of Lakki Marwat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Lakki Marwat has become List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, one of the fastest growing cities in Khyber P ...

Jandola Jandola () is the main town of Jandola Tehsil (formerly known as "Frontier Region Tank") in Tank District, southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located at the boundary of South Waziristan South Mahsud Waziristan District () was a ...

is considered the capital of the Bettani tribes.Castes of Punjab by Ibettson The area is mainly inhabited by the Bettanis. They also inhabit

Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan (; Urdu and , ), abbreviated as D.I. Khan, is a city and capital of Dera Ismail Khan District, located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 10th largest city of Pakistan and third or fourth largest in the province of Khy ...

and

Bannu Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...

, mostly in the mountainous areas on the borders of

and Bannu, from the Gabbar mountain in the north to the Gomal valley in the south.The Pathan Boderland, Spain During the reign of the

Lodi dynasty The Lodi dynasty was an Afghan royal family that ruled Sultanate of Delhi from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Lodi when he replaced the Sayyid dynasty. Bahlul Lodi Followin ...

, some Bettanis had prestigious positions, and many of them served in the Sultanate's army.Makhzan-e- Afghani

Tribal organization

The Bettani tribe is divided into four subgroups: Tattao (mostly living in Jandola, Siraghar, and Dera Ismail Khan), Bakhtiyari (living throughout Pakistan and in

Petlad Petlad is a Town and a municipality "Taluka" in Anand district in the Gujarat state of India. Petlad was founded and ruled by Koli Chieftain A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Trib ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

), Dhanna (living on the Gabbar mountain and in

Lakki Marwat District Lakki Marwat (, ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district in the Bannu Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It was created as an administrative district on 1 July 1992, prior to which it was a tehsil of Bannu District. Geogra ...

), and Waraspun (living in Dera Ismail Khan and nearby valleys). Lakki Marwat District is also inhabited by the Boba, Bobak, and Wargara clans of the Bettanis. The Tattao are subdivided into three clans: the Umarkhail, the Aba Khel, the Naimat Khel, and the Khaishi. The Dhanna are divided into the Ali Khail, Rattanzai, wargara,Bobi, Waroki, and Dadi Khel sub-clans. The Waraspun are divided into the Mazyani, Tari, Chapli, and Shakhi clans. The Bettani have historically had a low population, increasing from 8,000 – 9,000 in c. 1884 to over 43,000 by c. 1960. Currently, the Bettani tribe numbers between 200,000 and 250,000.

Bettani Sufi saints

The shrine of Mama Peer is located near the town of Umar Adda. Some people in the area visit the shrine on a daily basis, particularly on Fridays. Many devotees also visit the shrine of the Sufi saint Sheikh Younas, situated near

, one of the principal towns of Bettani tribe.

Notable people

(575 – 661) (7th century legendary ancestor of all the Pashtun people) * Zafar Beg Bhittani *

Sheikh Mohammad Rohani Sheikh Muhammad Rohani(~ 616-704 Hijri/ ~1220-1305 AD)(Pashto:شيخ محمد روحانى) also known as Shah Muhammad Rohani and Rohani Ba Ba was a 13th century Sufi saint. His burial site, located on a scenic hill in southern Afghanistan, is a sh ...

Mufti Abdul shakoor Abdul Shakoor (1 January 1968 – 15 April 2023) was a Pakistani politician who served as the Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony from 2022 to 2023. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2018 to 2023. Ear ...

History

Settlements

Tribal organization

Bettani Sufi saints

Notable people

References

Further reading