Nurzai

The name Nurzai or Noorzai, linguistically, is a combination of Arabic and Pashto meaning son of the light. The word "nūr" derives from the Arabic word for the light. While the word "zai" derives from the Pashto word for son or son of. Zai affixed to the end of Pashtun tribal names is the Pashto equivalent of the popular Persian "zada" often affixed to the end of names belonging to indigenous Persian peoples.

Noorzai
Meralzai

Ahmad Shah Abdali era

In the mid 18th century, during the invasions of northwestern India, including the modern day Pakistan, by Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of Durrani Empire c. 1750s–60s, a contingent of Tareens came into prominence for the role they played at the Third Battle of Panipat, January 1761, against the Maratha Empire. This little community belonging chiefly to the Batezai section of the Tor Tareen/Tarin, thereafter gained wide renown as their chiefs were appointed as governors and administrators of the lower Hazara plains, as well as the neighbouring Chach area of Attock in Northern Punjab.[1]

Descent of the Abdali/Durrani from Tareen

The Pashtuns believe that they are descended from the common ancestor Qais Abdur Rashid.[2] In the case of the Tareen, they believe they are descended from his first son, Sarban, his son Sharkhbun, and his son Tareen, the founder of the tribe. Tareen had a number of sons, who correspond with the major divisions of the tribe.[3] One was named Bor Tareen, later renamed Abdali, who is the legendary founder of the Durrani tribe.[4] Thus, the Abdali/Durrani are in effect descended from the elder Tareen lineage.[5]

The Nurzai that is actually spelled as "Noorzai" is the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and are a clan of Durrani Pashtuns.

The other same called named Noorzai Subtribe of Tor Tareen settled in District Pishin province of Balochistan. The Historical place or birth land of Tor Tareen Noorzai tribe are Khushab Province Kandahar-Pishin border. This tribe at last migrated to east of the Great Khorasan to main district Pishin and hold the mountainous area called Shrana and after-all they occupied the land between Malikyar and Batezai tribes. The land which Noorzai are setteld are namely called Tora Shah, Iskan Khan Qilla and mountainous range of land from Kamalzai to Surkhab.

References

  1. ↑ Panni, and 1883 Gazetteer
  2. ↑ Olaf Caroe, 'The Pathans', 1957, np
  3. ↑ Ghulam Rasul Haider 'The Pashtuns- A monograph on tribal claims of their origins'. Peshawar" University of Peshawar Press, 1988, pp 11-13
  4. ↑ Haider, 14
  5. ↑ Haider, 13
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