Pashtun tribal structure

The Pashtun tribes' or Afghan tribes (Pashto: پښتانه ټبرونه يا پښتانه قبايل‎) are the large family units of the Eastern Iranian ethnic groups who use the Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali code of conduct. They are found primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan and form the world's largest tribal society, comprising over 49 million people and between 350 and 400 tribes and clans. They are traditionally divided into four tribal confederacies: the Sarbani (سربڼي), the Bettani (بېټني), the Gharghashti (غرغښتي), and the Karlani (کرلاڼي).

Folkloric genealogies trace the descendants of the Pashtuns to Qais Abdur Rashid and his three sons Sarbaṇ (سربڼ), Beṭ (بېټ), and Gharghax̌t (غرغښت) as well as his fourth son, the Karlani confederacy Ormur Baraki, who became the progenitor of the Karlani.

There are several levels of organisation of Pashtun tribes. The "tribe" is subdivided into kinship groups, each of which is a khel and zai . A khel or Zai is further divided into 'Plarina' each of which consists of several extended families. A large tribe often has dozens of sub-tribes whose members may see themselves as belonging to each, some, or all of the sub-tribes" in their family tree depending upon the social situation: co-operative, competitive, or confrontational.

Tarbur refers to a "tribe" split into two or more clans and Tarbur mean cousin in Pashto so Tarbur could be enemy as well in the Pashtun culture that they can occupy your land or property. Every Pashtun tribe is then divide into subtribes, also called khel or zai. Zai in Pashto means "descendant". In Avestan it is similar to Pashto "Zoi" meaning son or offspring. William Crooke has said that khel is from an Arabic word meaning "association" or "company".

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