Ubaidullah Jan
Encyclopedia
Ubaidullah Jan Kandaharai, or simply known as Obaidullah Jan, was a prominent Pashto
singer from Kandahar
, Afghanistan
. He was popular among the Pashtuns
in southern Afghanistan and in Quetta
, Pakistan
. He brought some new style to traditional Pashto music
and was considered a classical singer. He recorded many albums with lyrics written by Sayed
Abdul Khaliq, a famous Pashto poet
from Afghanistan. The lyrics were sometimes relating to Islam
.
Ubaidullah Jan was murdered by Ismatullah Muslim
in the mid 1980s while crossing from Afghanistan to Pakistan. It is believed that he was about 32 years old at the time of death. His songs are still very much enjoyed by many of the Pashtun diaspora
around the world, especially the Pashtuns from the southern Afghanistan-Quetta region and those living in Karachi
, Pakistan.
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
singer from Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. He was popular among the Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
in southern Afghanistan and in Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He brought some new style to traditional Pashto music
Pashto music
Pashto music is commonly found in Pakistan, Afghanistan and among the Pashtun diaspora around the world. It is mainly listened to in the Pashtun regions, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Balochistan in Pakistan...
and was considered a classical singer. He recorded many albums with lyrics written by Sayed
Sayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Abdul Khaliq, a famous Pashto poet
Pashto literature and poetry
-Notable figures:* Amir Kror Suri, son of Amir Polad Suri, is an 8th century folk hero and king from the Ghor region of Afghanistan.* Khushal Khan Khattak, 17th century Pashto poet-warrior from Akora Khattak in today's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan....
from Afghanistan. The lyrics were sometimes relating to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Ubaidullah Jan was murdered by Ismatullah Muslim
Ismatullah Muslim
Ismatullah Muslim, also called Ismatullah Achakzai or just Esmat, was an Afghan militia leader, who in 1979 joined the mujahideen opposed to the communist PDPA and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, before coming over to the side of the government in 1984...
in the mid 1980s while crossing from Afghanistan to Pakistan. It is believed that he was about 32 years old at the time of death. His songs are still very much enjoyed by many of the Pashtun diaspora
Pashtun diaspora
Pashtuns , also called Pathans have many communities around the world. Pukhtuns have long history to conquer and colonizing several regions especially the ancient regions of Sub-continent in duration of past few centuries...
around the world, especially the Pashtuns from the southern Afghanistan-Quetta region and those living in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan.