Re: Tracing back your ancestry
Am I not right?
wrong....
no doubt, conversions happened. everyone was not dalit, and there are afghan descendants in pakistan. afghans were not hindus i hope......
now wait and see how replies come.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
^ Did I say I am talking about Afghans? You make too much assumptions bhaiya
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
It is interesting.
Time back I got interested in my roots. I found many geneologies of my community that linked us to Hadrat Ali through Sikandar Zulqarnain (probably Alexander the Great), which obviously is ridiculous.
Anyhow, my first ancestor, according to a 17th Century source, was Sultan Shamus, who had son Sultan Hinda, who had son Sultuan Kehjaman, who was Sultan of "Panj".
Sultan Kehjaman called Sulatn Panj had two sons; Sultan Bahram and Sultan Pakhal. Sultan Pakhal established rule at Swat, Bajaur, Hazara, and Kashmir (Pakhli a place in Hazara Division is named after him). Sultan Bahram established rule at Nangarhar, Laghman, and Panjsher. This probably happened in the first half of 14th Century.
when Amir Taimur attacked India (1398), at that time, Sultan Qiran, grand son of Sultan Behram was ruling his domain in Laghman and Nangarhar. Sultan Qiran was defeated but left as a local ruler by Amir Taimur.
Last notable person in my ancestry was Malak Daud Pai who lived somehere in 1450-1480.
When Yousafzai Pashtuns were doing north-eastward migration from Kabul to Peshawar Valley and Swat, my community moved with them as allies and then were assimilated in Yousazai as a new "khel" or clan and are now called "Papin Khel".
After a thorough research about my roots I roughly established that my ancestors came from Andarab in Northern Afghanistan and most probably were Galcha Tajiks (also called mountain Tajiks).
A 17th Century source says that some of our ancestors also moved to Kashmir. I heard there are some Andarabis there. Do they have some relation to Andarab of Nortern Afghanistan?
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
During that study I made many interesting discoveries and read many interesting sources e.g. I read Travels of Marco Polo, Memoires of Babur (English translation of and a beautiful commentary on Tuzak-i-Babari by some English authors), Tazkir-al-Abrar wa Ashrar (Persian book authored by Akhun Darwaiza (in 1612), a religious figure that lived during the reign of Hamayun and Akbar who gave geneology of my community in his book because his mother was from my community), Gardener Travels by some Mr. Gardener, etc.
Because the Shajara said that we are desscendent from Alexander The Great, I explored that point and came to know that many communities in Chitral, Hunza, Badkhshan, Kunar, etc. in the past have made that claim (Marco Polo mentions that). However, this is a myth only.
I also came to know that Nanagarhar once was (around 1300) inhabited by followers of Budh religion and when Sultan Baharam attacked them, they escaped to Peshawar.
Interestingly, the original geneology (quoted in 1612) said that we are descended from Alexander through Sultan Shamus but later some members of my community concocted ancestors to Alexander that were descended from Hadrat Ali. Hahaha, how ludicrous!
(However it is true that there was some Sultan Shamus who had Sultan Kehjaman and Sultan Pakhal and Sultan Bahram in his lineage because this was mentioned by other sources as well...).
I mean geneologies should be studied with utmost caution...In old days everyone tried to claim descent through a noble lineage.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
Last rora I believe the mountian tajiks you are talking abut are the pamiris (correct me if I am wrong). There languages are eastern iranian, and bear a lot of similarities to pashto. INteresting isn't it.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
DASBZ_05 wrora, Glchas are the inhabitants of Pamir and Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajakistan and Afghanistan and are also called mountain Tajaks. Originally, they spoke an array of East Iranian languages. In Samarkand, Bukhara, Tajakistan, etc. Sughdi, an East Iranian language, was spoken in early middle ages. It was during the reign of Samanids that Tajiks adopted Dari/Persian...
Ethnically, Tajiks and Pashtuns are the closest to each other among East Iranian communities...
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
true but tajiks consider themselves persians, thats why I believe calling then tajiks is a misnomer. Yes these wakhis, and other pamiri people of tajikistan are the closest to us pashtuns. Our brothers and sisters in blood and language (i mean this figuritively). Thanks for your input.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
Yes, culturally and linguistically, Tajiks have become Persianized...the people of Gorno-Badakshan, Badakhshan, Wakhan, etc. those like Shaghnis, Wakhis, Yazdghulamis that still retain their languages should be considered original Tajiks...I agree...
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
thanks for the info, I have always been into the languages of pamirs, but its very hard to find anything on it.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
Am I not right?
It's not true. Dalit and tribal conversion is a recent phenomena (may be in the last 100 years) specially to christianity when christian missionaries started their welfare work. My community converted to Islam 500 years ago and it was definitely not an outcaste. It was a prominent business community or say vaisya Hindu in Sindh.
Re: Tracing back your ancestry
Assalam-alikum bhaijaan.. that community is called “memon” in Pakistan. If your origins are from Pakistan, 
why the heck your family moved to India? Life and oppurtunities are much better in Pakistan plus there’s safety issue- there’s riot and loot-maar in India and crime rate is very low in Pakistan.