Ustarana
Encyclopedia
Ustarana is a Pashtun
tribe
inhabiting the outer hills opposite the extreme south portion of the Dera Ismail Khan
district of North West Frontier Province, Pakistan
. They live today on the eastern side of Suleiman Mountains (south of the Gomal River
near the tribes Kakar
and Sherani). Their chief village is Khoi Bahara. To the north they march with Sherani tribe, to the east with the Gandapurs, to the west with Musa Khel
and zamarais while Bozdar
(a balouch tribe) on the south.
as far as Bengal
, but the feud with their neighbors the Musa Khel
and the Bozdar
put a stop to their annual westward immigration, and they were forced to take to agriculture and subsequently acquired a good deal of the country below the hills. Their territory includes the eastern slopes of the Suleiman Mountains, the crest of the range being held by the Musa Khel, and Zamarais.
A descendant of Ustarana tribe settled among and married into the Sherani tribe. Ustaranas are descendants of Sarban (Son of Qais Abdur Rashid
).
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...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
inhabiting the outer hills opposite the extreme south portion of the Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...
district of North West Frontier Province, 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...
. They live today on the eastern side of Suleiman Mountains (south of the Gomal River
Gomal River
Gomal River is a river in the historical region of Pashtunistan, consisting of areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan, inhabited by the Pashtuns...
near the tribes Kakar
Kakar
The Kakar are a Pashtun tribe, with members living in Afghanistan and Pakistan.-Kakar :Kakar Afghan was one of the grandsons of Qais Abdur Rashid. Kakar's father's name was Dani, son of Gharghasht, who was the son of Qais in the Afghan appendix of tribes. According to Afghan and Muslim historians,...
and Sherani). Their chief village is Khoi Bahara. To the north they march with Sherani tribe, to the east with the Gandapurs, to the west with Musa Khel
Musa Khel
The Musa Khel or Moosa Khel are a Pashtun clan of Kakar origin.Musa Khel - Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition] They originate from the Dera Ghazi Khan border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and reside in the tribal range of Batagram District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of...
and zamarais while Bozdar
Bozdar
Bozdar or Buzdar is a Baloch tribe found primarily in the mountainous area of the Suleiman Mountains, situated in Balochistan, Pakistan.- Etymology and origin :...
(a balouch tribe) on the south.
History and origin
Until about a 18th century the Ustaranas were entirely a pastoral and trading tribe; They were venturesome traders, carrying goods from KandaharKandahar
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...
as far as Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, but the feud with their neighbors the Musa Khel
Musa Khel
The Musa Khel or Moosa Khel are a Pashtun clan of Kakar origin.Musa Khel - Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition] They originate from the Dera Ghazi Khan border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and reside in the tribal range of Batagram District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of...
and the Bozdar
Bozdar
Bozdar or Buzdar is a Baloch tribe found primarily in the mountainous area of the Suleiman Mountains, situated in Balochistan, Pakistan.- Etymology and origin :...
put a stop to their annual westward immigration, and they were forced to take to agriculture and subsequently acquired a good deal of the country below the hills. Their territory includes the eastern slopes of the Suleiman Mountains, the crest of the range being held by the Musa Khel, and Zamarais.
A descendant of Ustarana tribe settled among and married into the Sherani tribe. Ustaranas are descendants of Sarban (Son of Qais Abdur Rashid
Qais Abdur Rashid
Qais Abdur Rashid Khan , also known as Kesh, Kish, Qesh and Imraul Qais is a legendary ancestor of the Pashtun race, claimed to be the first ethnic Pashtun who travelled to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia during the early days of Islam.) He is believed to be the 37th descendent of King Saul .He...
).