Sāfī ( ps, ساپی ''Sāpai''; plur. ساپي ''Sāpī'') is a major branch of the greater
Ghurghakhti 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. The Safi tribe comprises a majority in the
Pech Valley
The Pech River ( ps, پېچ سيند) is located in eastern Afghanistan.
Course
The Pech River system is fed from glaciers and snow from the Hindu Kush range to its north. The river rises in central Nuristan Province and flows south and southea ...
of
Kunar and are present in significant numbers in
Parwan Province
Parwan (Dari: ), also spelled Parvan, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 751,000. The province is multi-ethnic and mostly rural society. The province is divided into ten districts. The town of Imam Abu Hani ...
(
Kohi Safi),
Kapisa Province
Kapisa (Pashto/Dari: ) is the smallest of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces and is located in the north-east of the country. It has an estimated population of 496,840 people and an area of , making it the most densely populated province apar ...
,
Kabul Province
Kabul (Persian: ), situated in the east of the country, is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. The capital of the province is Kabul city, which is also Afghanistan's capital and largest city. The population of the Kabul Province is ...
,
Laghman Province
Laghman (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It has a population of about 502,148, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. Laghman hosts a large number of historical landmarks, m ...
,
Nuristan Province, and Safi-yan in
Balochistan Close to Durand line, Lead by Haji Sardar Khan Safi, Saleem Khan Safi,Haji Abdullah Safi and Habibullah Safi. A reasonable majority also resides in different urban and rural areas of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
, particularly
Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
,
Charsadda
Chārsadda ( ps, چارسده; ; ur, ; ) is a town and headquarters of Charsadda District, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. ,
Mardan
Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...
,
Nowshehra,
Swabi. A large number also settled in
Rawalpindi, Tarnol,
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
,
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
,
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the old ...
. They are also present in large number in
Mohmand
The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan.
Most people of the Mohmand tribe sp ...
,
Bajaur Agency
Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merged ...
,
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 ...
and in
Zhob District
Zhob District ( ps, ږوب ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in the north west of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The population of Zhob District is estimated to 310,544 in 2017. Zhob River is used for irrigation in the Zhob District.
Adm ...
,
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. ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
.
district district district
Safi divisions
Currently, Safi tribesmen are found everywhere in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The Safi are divided into three main clans: the ''1-Gurbuz''; the ''2-
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 Khy ...
'' or ''Masawad''; and the ''3-Wazir'' or ''Wadair'', also known as ''Qandahari''. The exact population number of this clan is not known; however, it is estimated to be around 2.5 million, both in Afghanistan and in the
Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan
, conventional_long_name = Federally Administered Tribal Areas
, nation = Pakistan
, subdivision = Autonomous territory
, image_flag = Flag of FATA.svg
, image_coat = File:Coat of arms ...
. Safis have played an important role in Afghan society, especially in the Afghan Government; they were known to be opposed to the
Afghan monarchy. The Safis have also had an important role in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. Currently, Safis serve in key posts in different public sector institutions. On 10 September 2007, Safi elders in the
Mohmand Agency
Mohmand District ( ps, مومندو ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Peshawar Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, with merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtun ...
played a key part in reaching an agreement with
TTP fighters to stop attacks on the Pakistani military and security forces, and on institutions such as schools and hospitals in the Mohmand Agency. The Safis, because of their association with the Mohmand, are also called Safi Mohmands but in fact are not Mohmand in origin.
Origins
Safi refers to one of the major
Pashtun sub-tribes that are descended from
Ghurghakht.
Safi is a major branch of the greater Ghurghakht Pashtun tribe. The Safi are divided into three main clans: the ''1-Gurbuz''; the ''2-
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 Khy ...
'' or ''Masawad''; and the ''3-Wazir'' or ''Wadair'', also known as ''Qandahari''. The exact population of this clan is not known; however, it is estimated to be around 3 million, both in
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 ...
and
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
(
Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
,
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. ...
and in different cities of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
).
History
The ancestry of the Safis reaches back to the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of
Gandhara, and they are related to the neighboring
Nuristanis
The Nuristanis, formerly known as Kafiristanis, are an ethnic group native to the Nuristan Province of northeastern Afghanistan and Chitral District of northwestern Pakistan. Their languages comprise the Nuristani branch of Indo-Iranian langua ...
. Besides Pashto, some clans of the Safis speak a Kohistani
Pashayi dialect. Throughout Pashtun history, the Safi have been mentioned, most famously during resistance against
Aurangzeb, when a major war broke out in 1668. A rebellion was sparked by a general in the ranks of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
who had insulted a woman of this clan; in revenge Safi tribesmen killed the sepoy who had raped the safi woman. When news reached
Aurangzeb that his sepoy was killed, he appealed to the tribe to hand over the killers, but the elders refused and challenged the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. Soon Aurangzeb set out with a large force against the Safi and their allies from among other
Khattak
The Khattak ( ps, خټک) tribe are a prominent Pashtun tribe located in the Khattak territory, which consists of Karak, Nowshera, Kohat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
History
Khushal Khan Khattak
A warrior poet by the name of ...
,
Afridi
The Afrīdī ( ps, اپريدی ''Aprīdai'', plur. ''Aprīdī''; ur, آفریدی) are a Pashtun tribe present in Pakistan, with substantial numbers in Afghanistan. The Afridis are most dominant in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal ...
s,
Shinwari,
Mohmand
The Mohmand ( ps, مومند) or Mohmand is a prominent tribe of Pashtun people. They are based primarily in the Mohmand territory, which is located in Nangarhar, Afghanistan and Mohmand Agency, Pakistan.
Most people of the Mohmand tribe sp ...
s in the command of
Khushal Khan Khattak
Khošāl Khān Khaṭak (1613 – 25 February 1689; Pashto: خوشال خان خټک), also known as Khushal Baba ( ps, خوشال بابا), was a Pashtun poet, chief, and warrior. Khushal Khan served the Mughal Empire protecting them fr ...
, who was at that time the tribal chief of Khattak tribe. Sources claim that
Aurangzeb suffered a humiliating defeat, with a reported loss of 40,000 Mughal soldiers and only four left alive. Akhund Burkhurdar Khan, a famous freedom fighter, migrated towards
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the old ...
during his fights. His clan kept on fighting for years; today, this clan is headed by Khalid Khan Safi.
Currently, the Safi tribe is well known for its resistance to the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...
regime, and many fierce clashes have broken out between the two. Some Safi tribesmen also live in
Zabul Province
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 Za ...
close to the
Durand line
The Durand Line ( ps, د ډیورنډ کرښه; ur, ), forms the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, a international land border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in South Asia. The western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to th ...
led byled by Haji Khudai-Dad Khan Safi, Haji Qalam Khan Safi, Haji Esmatullah Khan Safi, Haji Mohammad Juma Khan Safi, Dr Abdul Wali Safi, Mohammad Wali Safi and Abdullah Safi in
Sibi District
Sibi (Urdu and bal, ) ( Sindhi: سيوي) is a district in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.[Kamalzai
The Yusufzai or Yousafzai ( ps, یوسفزی, ), also referred to as the Esapzai (, ) are one of the largest tribes of ethnic Pashtuns. They are natively based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, to which they migrated to from Suliman mountains du ...](_blank)
. Safi also live in Zobh District In
Baluchistan; they are together under Safi Ithad and their office is located at Mizan Chock in Mizan Plaza quetta. In Sibi, Safi have the lion's share of water, 8 Pao of water in Nari River.
References
{{Authority control
Gharghashti Pashtun tribes
Pashto-language surnames
Pakistani names