Afghan Biographies

Hotak Tribe


Name Hotak Tribe
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth
Function/Grade Southern Afghan Tribe
History and Biodata

Hotak (Ghilzai): Mullah Omar is a member of Taliban fame’s tribe. One of the main divisions of Ghilzais, the Hotak, or Ohtak, often lived next to and competed with the Popalzai and Tokhi for resources. Controlling the more mountainous areas of “Pashtunistan,” they often got income from trading snow, wood, and higher altitude crops with their lowland compatriots. As the tribe of Mir Wais, in olden times they received a special stipend from the king in Kabul as the “Badshah Khel” (“the king’s sub-tribe”). They have had a long rivalry with the Popalzai Durranis, dating to the 1729 destruction of the Hotaki dynasty at the hands of the Persian Nadir Shah and his Abdali (later renamed Durrani) allies.

Last Modified 2011-04-15
Established 2009-10-14