History
The Yusufzai originated in the Kandahar area of Afghanistan, and migrated to the Kabul area later on. In the early 16th century, the Yuzufzai were expelled from Kabul by Governor Ulugh Beg Mirza, who was a paternal uncle of the Mughal Emperor Babur. Then the Yuzufzai migrated eastwards to the Peshawar area, all which had already been colonized by other tribes of the Afghans previously, most notably the Dilazaks from whom the Yusufzai sought help. The first Mughal Emperor Babur attacked the Yusufzai several times but was defeated every time. In order to acquire a safe passage for him and his armies to cross the Yusufzai territory and invade the capital of the Afghan Lodi Empire in Delhi, India, Babur married Mubarika Yusufzai, the daughter of the Yusufzai chief Shah Mansur Yusufzai, on January 20, 1519. Afterwards, the Mughal Empire invaded the Yusufzai several times, but the Yusufzai refused submission to their authority.
Meanwhile in the 16th century, the relationship between the Yusufzai and the Dilazaks deteriorated and a long war ensued. After 20 years, under their leader Malik Ahmed Khan, the Yusufzai along with some other tribes (including the Gadoons, and the Utmanzai, a cousin tribe of the Dilazaks), were able to push the Dilazaks eastwards towards the Hazara mountains east of the Indus River, at the battle of Katlang. Eventually the Yusufzai settled in Swat, Buner, Mardan, Dir, Malakand, Tor Ghar, Shangla and Swabi.
By the 1580s the Yusufzai numbered about 100,000 households. In general they were uncooperative with the rule of Akbar who sent military forces under Zain Khan Koka and Raja Bir Bar to subdue them. In 1585 Raja Bir Bar was killed in fighting with the Yusufzai. It was not until about 1690 that they were fully brought within the realm of the Mughal Empire.
In the 20th century, the Yusufzai established their own princely state of Swat under their religious leaders known as Akhund of Swat. The state lasted from 1917 to 1969, and encompassed the present day Swat, Buner and Shangla.
Read more about this topic: Yusufzai (Pashtun Tribe)
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