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{{Short description|Pashtun tribe}}
{{for|a list of people with Durrani as a surname|Durrani (surname)}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Durrani
| native_name      = دراني
| native_name_lang = ps
| image            = Coronation of Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747 by Breshna.jpg
| caption          = [[Coronation]] of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani|Ahmad Shah ''Durr-i-Durrān'']] by Abdali chiefs at [[Kandahar]] in 1747
| popplace         = [[Afghanistan]]<br/> [[Pakistan]]
| langs            = [[Pashto language|Pashto]]
| rels             =  [[File:Allah-green.svg|18px]] [[Islam]]
}}
The '''Durrānī''' ({{langx|ps|دراني}}, {{IPA|ps|durɑˈni|pron}}{{ref|a|1}}), formerly known as '''Abdālī''' ({{lang|ps|ابدالي}}), are one of the largest [[Pashtun tribes|tribes]] of [[Pashtuns]]. Their traditional homeland is in southern [[Afghanistan]] ([[Loy Kandahar]] region), straddling into [[Toba Achakzai]] in [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]], [[Pakistan]], but they are also settled in other parts of Afghanistan and parts of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]].
[[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], who is considered the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan, belonged to the Abdali tribe. In 1747 after establishing the [[Durrani Empire]] based in [[Kandahar]], he adopted the epithet ''Shāh Durr-i-Durrān'', "King, Pearl of Pearls," and changed the name of his [[Tareen]] Abdali tribe to "Durrani" after himself.<ref name="Kurbanov">[http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/FUDISS_derivate_000000007165/01_Text.pdf?hosts= The Hephthalites: Archaeological and Historical Analysis, Aydogdu Kurbanov, Berlin, 2010, page 242.]</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EY6NDgAAQBAJ&q=sadozai+or+durrani&pg=PR24|title=The History of Afghanistan, 2nd Edition|last=Runion|first=Meredith L.|date=2017-04-24|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781610697781|language=en}}</ref>
== Descent and origin ==
[[File:Durrani prince tomb in kohat.jpg|thumb|Graveyard of 19th-century Durrani princes and princesses in [[Kohat]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]]]]
According to linguist [[Georg Morgenstierne]], the tribal name ''Abdālī'' may have "something to do with" the Hephthalite.<ref>Morgenstierne, Georg. "The Linguistic Stratification of Afghanistan." Afghan Studies 2 (1979):
23–33.</ref> This hypothesis was endorsed by historian [[Aydogdy Kurbanov]], who indicated that after the collapse of the Hephthalite confederacy, they likely assimilated into different local populations and that the Abdali may be one of the tribes of Hephthalite origin.<ref>Kurbanov, Aydogdy. "[https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/fub188/8366/01_Text.pdf The Hephthalites: Archaeological and Historical Analysis.]" PhD dissertation, Free University of Berlin, 2010.</ref> 19th-century British Indian explorers, [[Charles Masson]] and [[Henry Walter Bellew|Henry W. Bellew]], also suggested that there was a direct relationship between Abdalis and Hephthalites.<ref>Masson, Charles. Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, the Panjab, & Kalat, during a Residence in those Countries: To which is Added an Account of the Insurrection at Kalat, and a Memoir on Eastern Balochistan. 4 vols. London, 1844. Reprint, New York: Oxford University Press, 1974–77.</ref><ref>Bellew, Henry Walter. An Inquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan. Woking, 1891. Reprint, Karachi: Indus, 1977.</ref>
Joseph T. Arlinghaus referred to a [[Syriac language|Syriac]] chronicle from c. 555 CE, which mentions ''Khulas'', ''Abdel'', and ''Ephthalite'' as three of the nomadic tribes from the "lands of the [[Huns]]." Arlinghaus linked the "Khulas" and the "Abdel" to the [[Khalaj people|Khalaj]] (modern [[Ghilji]]) and the Abdali (modern Durrani), respectively, arguing that the relationship between the Hephthalite, the Khalaj, and the Abdali may date back as far as the sixth century.<ref>Arlinghaus, Joseph T. "The Transformation of Afghan Tribal Society: Tribal Expansion, Mughal Imperialism and the Roshaniyya Insurrection." PhD dissertation, Duke University, 1988.</ref>
Yu. V. Gankovsky, a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] historian on Afghanistan, also asserted that the Hephthalite contributed to the [[ethnogenesis]] of Durrani Pashtuns:<ref name="Gankovsky">{{Cite book|title=A History of Afghanistan|last1=Gankovsky|first1=Yu. V.|year=1982|publisher=[[Progress Publishers]]|page=382}}</ref> "The Pashtuns began as a union of largely [[Eastern Iranian languages|East Iranian]] tribes ... dating from the middle of the first millennium CE, and ... connected ... [to] dissolution of the Hephthalite confederacy... Of the contribution of the Hephthalites to the ethnogenesis of the Pashtuns, we find evidence in the [[ethnonym]] of the largest of the Pashtun tribe unions, the Abdali ... associated with the ethnic name of the Hephthalites... The [[Nuristanis#Pre-1895_Kafir_society|Siah-posh]], the Kafirs ... of the [[Hindu Kush]], [still] called all Pashtuns ... Abdal ... at the beginning of the 19th century."{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}
''Abdur Rashīd'' (meaning "Servant of the Guide to the Right Path" or "Servant of God" in [[Arabic]]). Abdur Rashid returned to Ghor and introduced Islam there. The book stated that Abdur Rashid's great-grandson, Tareen, had three sons: "One was black in complexion, and he was named ''Tōr'' (meaning "black" in Pashto); the other was white in complexion, and he was named ''Spīn'' (meaning "white" in Pashto); his third son was named ''Abdāl'' (or ''Awdāl'')." The first two sons were the progenitors of modern [[Tareen]]s, who are closely related to Durranis and are divided into two clans (Tor Tareen and Spin Tareen), while the third son was the progenitor of modern Durranis.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20150410230818/http://www.khyber.org/tribes/info/Tareen_or_Tarin.shtml Tareen or Tarin.]}} 10 April 2015. Khyber.ORG.</ref>
The 1595 Mughal account ''Ain-i-Akbari'' also mentioned the [[groups claiming affiliation with Israelites|tradition of Israelite descent]] among Pashtuns, which shows that the tradition was already popular among 16th-century Pashtuns.<ref name="Nejatie">The Pearl of Pearls: The Abdālī-Durrānī Confederacy and Its Transformation under Aḥmad Shāh, Durr-i Durrān by Sajjad Nejatie. https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/80750.</ref>{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}
==History==
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Abdali were primarily [[pastoralism|pastoralists]], not known for agricultural activities, but some of them were engaged in overland trade. Abdali and [[Tareen]] (a Pashtun tribe related to Abdalis) chieftains were patronized by both [[Safavid Empire|Safavid]] and [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] appointed governors, and asked to patrol travel routes to ensure the safety of merchant caravans passing through Kandahar, which was a province located on a strategic trade corridor linking [[Hindustan]], [[Iran]], and [[Turkestan]].
===Durrani Empire===
[[File:Portrait of Ahmad Shah Durrani.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] (1747–1772), founder of the [[Durrani Empire]], belongs to [[Popalzai]]]]
{{Main|Durrani Empire}}
In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani established the [[Durrani Empire]] with its capital at [[Kandahar]]. He adopted the title ''Shāh Durr-i-Durrān'', "King, Pearl of Pearls," and changed the name of his tribe "Abdali" to "Durrani" after himself.
Ahmad Shah is now regarded as the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan. Within a few years, he extended his control from [[Khorasan Province|Khorasan]] in the west to [[Kashmir]] and [[North India]] in the east, and from the [[Amu Darya]] in the north to the [[Arabian Sea]] in the south.<ref name="Chayes">{{Cite book|title=The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban|last1=Chayes|first1=Sarah|year=2006|publisher=Univ. of Queensland Press|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4XMSl-aFk1YC&pg=PA99 |access-date=23 September 2010}}</ref>
===Barakzai dynasty===
{{Main|Barakzai dynasty}}
[[File:King Amanullah Khan.jpg|thumb|upright|King [[Amanullah Khan]] (1919–1929), under whom Afghanistan gained independence over its foreign policy from the [[British Raj]]]]
[[File:Queen Soraya of Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|upright|Queen [[Soraya Tarzi]], wife of King Amanullah Khan]]
In 1823, Emir [[Dost Mohammad Khan]], who belonged to the [[Barakzai]] tribe of Durranis, founded the [[Barakzai dynasty]] centered at [[Kabul]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Tarzi |first=Amin H. |encyclopedia= [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|title= DŌSTMOḤAMMAD KHAN |url= http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dost-mohammad-khan|edition= Online|publisher= [[Columbia University]]|location= United States}}</ref> Thereafter, his descendants ruled in direct succession until 1929 when King [[Amanullah Khan]], under whom Afghanistan gained independence over its foreign policy from the [[British Raj]], was forced to abdicate and his cousin [[Mohammed Nadir Shah]] was later elected king. The Barakzai dynasty ruled present-day Afghanistan until 1973 when [[Mohammed Zahir Shah]], the last Barakzai king, was overthrown in a bloodless coup by his cousin [[Mohammed Daoud Khan]]. The coup ended the [[Kingdom of Afghanistan|Barakzai kingdom]] and established the [[Republic of Afghanistan (1973—1978)]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Rubin |first=Barnett |editor=Ehsan Yarshater |editor-link=Ehsan Yarshater |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |title=DĀWŪD <u>KH</U>AN |url= http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dawud-khan |access-date=8 June 2020}}</ref>
===Contemporary period===
[[File:Meetings of Presidents participated in Nowruz with Ali Khamenei - Tehran, Iran (cropped-Karzai).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Hamid Karzai]], former Afghan president (2001–2014) and leader of the [[Popalzai]] clan of Durranis]]
Contemporarily, the former Afghan president [[Hamid Karzai]] (2001–2014), like Ahmad Shah Durrani, also belongs to the [[Popalzai]] clan of Durranis.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/06/ret.attacks.karzai/ Taliban run-in highlights dangers for Afghan opposition leader] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825163310/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/11/06/ret.attacks.karzai/ |date=25 August 2013 }}. 6 November 2001.</ref>
The current leader of the [[Taliban]] - [[Hibatullah Akhundzada]] is a member of [[Nurzai]] [[Panjpai]].
==Pashto dialect==
{{main|Southern Pashto}}
Although many are bilingual in [[Dari|Dari Persian]], the Durrani of southern Afghanistan speak [[Southern Pashto]], also known as "Kandahari Pashto", the "soft" dialect of [[Pashto]]. It is considered one of the most prestigious varieties of Pashto. This dialect retains archaic retroflex [[Sibilant consonant|sibilants]] {{IPA|[ʂ]}} and {{IPA|[ʐ]}}, which have merged into other phonemes in other dialects.<ref name="UND">{{cite web |url=http://arts-sciences.und.edu/summer-institute-of-linguistics/theses/_files/docs/2014-coyle-dennis-w.pdf |title=Placing Wardak among Pashto varieties |last=Coyle |first=Dennis Walter |date=August 2014 |publisher=University of North Dakota:UND |access-date=26 December 2014 |archive-date=26 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226120648/http://arts-sciences.und.edu/summer-institute-of-linguistics/theses/_files/docs/2014-coyle-dennis-w.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Southern Pashto also preserves the affricates {{IPA|[t͡s]}} and {{IPA|[d͡z]}}, which have merged into {{IPA|[s]}} and {{IPA|[z]}} in some dialects.
The [[Tareen]] (Tarin) tribe is historically closely related to Durranis. Although most Tareens speak Southern Pashto, a small section of the Spin clan of Tareens living east of [[Quetta]] speaks the unique [[Wanetsi]] (Tareeno) dialect of Pashto, which is considered by some linguists to be distinctive enough to be classified as its own language. According to linguist [[Prods Oktor Skjaervo]]: "The Pashto area split into two dialect groups at a pre-literary period, represented today on the one hand by all the dialects of modern Pashto and on the other by Wanetsi and by archaic remains in other southeast dialects."<ref>Hallberg, Daniel G. 1992. ''Pashto, Waneci, Ormuri''. Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan, 4. [http://www.sil.org/sociolx/pubs/32847_ssnp04.pdf LINK]</ref>
== Subtribes ==
*[[Sarbans|Sarban]]
*[[Tareen]]
*[[Achakzai]]
*[[Alakozai]]
*[[Badozai]]
*[[Barakzai]]
*[[Miana (Pashtun tribe)|Miana]]
*[[Bamozai]]
**[[Nawabi]]
*[[Barech]]
*[[Ghoryakhel]]
**[[Khalil (Pashtun tribe)|Khalil]]
**[[Daulatyar]]
***[[Daulatzai]]
**[[Chamkani tribe|Chamkani]]
**Mattezai
***[[Halimzai]]
**[[Mohammad Omar Daudzai|Daudzai]]
**[[Mulagori]]
**[[Hazarbuz]]
**Bayazidkhel
**[[Shilmani]]
**Zakhil
**Zeerani
**[[Zakhilwal]]
**Khawezai
*[[Hanbhi]]
*[[Ishakzai|Ishaqzai]]
*[[Kiral]]
*[[Loni (Pashtun tribe)|Loni]]
*[[Mohammadzai]]
*[[Nurzai]]
*[[Panjpai]]
**[[Alizai (Pashtun tribe)|Alizai]]
*[[Popalzai]]
**[[Habibzai]]
**[[Sadozai (Pashtun tribe)|Sadozai]]
**[[Sudhan]]
**[[Wazirzada]]
*[[Zirak]]
== Notables ==
* [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], Founded Afghanistan
* [[Amanullah Khan]], Initiated war on the British Empire for Afghan Sovereignty in the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War|1919 Anglo-Afghan War]]
* [[Mohammad Zahir Shah]], King of Afghanistan
* [[Mohammad Daoud Khan|Mohammad Daud Khan]], Afghanistan's first President
* [[Mahmood Khan Achakzai|Mahmud Khan Achakzai]], Pashtun Nationalist Politician of Balochistan and Chairman of the [[Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party|Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP)]]
* [[Hibatullah Akhundzada]], Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
* [[Hamid Karzai]], President of the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]
* [[Abdul Ghani Baradar]], Afghan Taliban Mullah and Deputy Minister
* [[Pashtana Durrani]], Pashtun Educationist Woman's rights activist
* [[Mahmud Ali Durrani]], Pakistan National Security Advisor and two-star rank general officer
* [[Mullah Naqib]], was a former Mujahideen Freedom Fighter during the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Soviet-Afghan War]] from Southern Afghanistan
* [[Abdul Raziq Achakzai]], Afghan Police Chief
* [[Ismatullah Muslim]], Militia leader during the war in the 80s who rose in the Afghan Army while collaborating with Pakistani Intelligence and eventually defecting to pro-PDPA government forces
* [[Obaidulah Jan Kandahari]], Classical Pashto singer who was prominent in [[Kandahar]] and [[Quetta]] where his music was most popular
* [[Gul Agha Sherzai]], former Afghan Mujahideen who became Governor of Nangarhar
* [[Ataullah K. Ozai‐Durrani]], Afghan inventor known for a method of creating instant rice, sold to General Foods Corporation.
* [[Abdul Ghafoor Khan Durrani]], chief of [[Popalzai]] Durrani tribe in Balochistan
* [[Hayatullah Khan Durrani]], Pakistani mountaineer
* [[Ayesha Durrani]], Afghan poet
==Notes==
* {{note|a|1}}In Pashto, "Durrani" ({{lang|ps|دراني}}, [durɑˈni]) is the plural form of the word. Its masculine singular is "Durranai" ({{lang|ps|درانی}}, [durɑˈnay]), while its feminine singular is "Durraney" ({{lang|ps|درانۍ}}, [durɑˈnəy]).
==See also==
*[[Tareen]]
*[[Ghilji]]
*[[Yusufzai]]
*[[Kakar]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | title = DORRĀNĪ | last = Balland | first = Daniel | authorlink = | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/dorrani-1 | editor-last = | editor-first =  | editor-link = | volume = 7 | fascicle = 5 | pages = 513–519 | location = | publisher = | isbn = }}
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | title = ABDĀLĪ | last = Kieffer | first = C. M. | authorlink = | url = https://iranicaonline.org/articles/abdali-ancient-name-of-the-i-group-of-afghan-tribes | editor-last = | editor-first =  | editor-link = | volume = 1 | fascicle = 2 | pages = 175–176 | location = | publisher = | year = 1982 | isbn = }}
* {{Encyclopaedia Islamica|last=Pak|first=Nacim|title=Abdālī|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-islamica/abdali-SIM_0073?s.num=19&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-islamica&s.q=alam+ara|year=2008}}
* {{EI2|last=Yapp|first=M.E.|title=Durrānī|volume=2|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/durrani-SIM_2159?s.num=4&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-2&s.q=G%CC%B2H%CC%B2ILZAY}}
{{Pashtun tribes}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Durrani Empire]]
[[Category:Durrani Pashtun tribes| ]]
[[Category:Sarbani Pashtun tribes]]
[[Category:Pashto dialects]]
[[Category:Tribes of Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kandahar Province]]
[[Category:Tribes of Pakistan]]
[[ca:Durrani]]