Pathans of Gujarat

Pashtun/Pathan

Junagadh Nawabs and state officials, 19th century
Total population
(254,000)
Regions with significant populations
•  India
Languages
• Pashto • Gujarati • Hindustani • English
Religion
• Islam
Related ethnic groups
• Pashtun • Rohilla • Pathans of Uttar Pradesh • Pathans of Rajasthan • Pathan of Bihar • Pathans of Punjab • 30-35% of the Muhajir people

Gujarati Pathans are a group of Pathans. At various times in history, a large number of Pashtuns have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati speaking Muslims. They are distributed throughout the state, but live mainly in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Junagadh, Surat, Bhavnagar, Panchamahal, Koth, Kotha, Borsad, Kheda, Banaskantha, Bharuch, Gandhinagar, Sabarkantha, Vadodara and Mehsana. They speak Gujarati, with many Hindustani loanwords. Common Tribes include Babi or Babai (Pashtun tribe), Khan, Bangash, Durrani, and Yousafzai.

The Pathans arrived in Gujarat during the Middle Ages onwards, as soldiers in the armies of the various Hindu and Muslim rulers of the region. Historical evidence suggests that the earliest settlement of the Pashtuns was during the rule of Mohammad Tughlak in the 14th Century, when military colonies were established., it is also possible that many accompanied and formed part of the army of Mahmud of Ghazni in his invasions of Gujarat in 1024AD.(Early Ghaznavid History and Artifacts in Hansot & Tadkeshwar settlements in Surat District) Quite a few arrived during the rule of Mahmud Begada, and over the course of time spread over the entire the state of Gujarat. During the period of Mughal rule over Gujarat, there was further settlement of Pashtuns. With the breakup of the Mughal Empire, the Babi or Babai (Pashtun tribe) and Jalori Pathans became rulers of the princely states of Junagadh and Palanpur. The 19th Century saw a further settlement of Pashtuns, mainly Ghilzais Tanoli from Afghanistan, with many settling in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat and Khambhat. They are divided into twelve lineages, the main ones being the Babi or Babai , Sama, Khanzada, Yousafzai, Lohani, Mandori, Suleiymani, Surat Turk, Miani and Zadran.The bulk of the Gujarat Pathans belong to the Jalori.