Nikpikhel

Naikpikhel (also known as Nekbikhel in Pashto:

Kabal, Swat, situated just opposite to Mingora

on the western bank of the River Swat in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Ethnicity

Naikpikhel belongs to the Yousafzai branch of Pashtuns and traces its ancestry back to Malak Yousaf (Yousafzai) and further to Aku (Aku Zai). From the first wife of Aku (Aku Zai), named 'Gouhara', the tribe branches into four sub-tribes: 1. Baizai 2. Khwaja Zai 3. Aba Zai 4. Khadak Zai

Khwaja Zai further branches into Mali Zai, Sujni, Shami Zai, Naikpi Khel, Shamo Zai, and Aden Zai.

Etymology

The name Naikpi Khel is a portmanteau of Nikpi (نیکپی), which means "fortunate" in Pashto, and khel (خیل), which translates to "tribe" or "clan".

Naikpi Khel Sub-Clans

The Naikpikhel tribe is divided into four sub-clans:

Aba Khel
Aisha Khel
Sheikh Sena
Musa

The Aisha Khel sub-clan includes villages such as Kanju, Derai, Damghar, Kuza Bandai, Momdherai, Sigram, Lalu Bandai, Kamar Bandai, Jut Kot, Maloka, Bara Bandai, Ghorijo, Dhelay, Jalawan, and Ningolai.

Aba Khel is further divided into two branches:

Upper Aba Khel (Bar Aba Khel)
Lower Aba Khel (Koz Aba Khel)

Bar Aba Khel includes Kalakalay, Totano Bandai, Manja, Golden, Devlai, Nasrat, Shah Dehrai, Samai, Maira, Tall, Dardyal, Kamkhwalai, Chur, Penawrhai, and Kamyari.

Bar Aba Khel is subdivided into three clans or tribes:

Mata Khel
Zaina Khel
Sahib Khel

Mata Khel sub-clan includes Karam Ali Khel (Karmali Khel), Maryam Khel, Saran Khel, Jora Khel, Khushal Khel, Bemi Khel, and Ranjo Khel, residing in Shahderai, Totano Bandai, Golden, Manja, and Dardyal.

Zaina Khel further branches into Merwais Khel and Usman Khel. Merwais Khel expands to Sheda Khel, Umer Khel, Painda Khel, and Musa Khel. Usman Khel is divided into Jogi Khel, Nemat Khel, Baba Khel, and Hasan Ali Khel. Kotwal Khel (Hassan Zai) resides in Sirsinai Kabal, having migrated from Torghar due to alliances and loyalties with Usman Khel.

Sahib Khel is further divided into sub-tribes like Mamo Khel (including Bado Khel, Mansaf Khel, Wali Khel, and Baro Khel), Bostan Khel, Sayed Khan Khel, Dolat Khan Khel, and Shabor Khel, based in Devlai, Golden, Nasrat, Shalhand, Tagma, Malakana, and Sirsinai.

Musa has only two sub-tribes according to the Shajara, namely Sar Abdal and Bakhti.

Aisha Khel Sub-Clans

The Aisha Khel tribe is divided into three main sub-clans:

Zubar Khel

Rama Khel
Nemat Khel
Khata Khel
Pai Khel

Khudai Khel

Babokar Khel
Umer Khan
Zaal Khel
Mian Khan Khel

Dado Khel

Ali Khan Khel
Aibo Khel
Manki Khel
Jogi Khel
Ghali Khel
Nasar Khel
Haider Khel (Maloch Wal)
- Originating from the Shamozo area, Haider Khel (Maloch Wal) migrated from Maloch village to Bara Bandai.
Ali Khan Khel subdivisions:
- Audal Khel
- Bucha Khel
- Bara Khan Khel
- Saido Khel
- Sultan Khel
Nasar Khel subdivisions:
- Shado Khel
- Ajo Khel
- Tawas Khel
- Mandanr Khel

Sheikh Sena has no further sub-tribe information.

External links

Khan Roshan Khan. Yousafzai qaum ki sarguzasht [The history of Yousafzai]. Retrieved 15 March 2019.

Khan Roshan Khan. Tawarikh-e-hafizRehmatKhani [The history of Yousafzai]. Retrieved 26 June 2013.