Babar (Pashtun tribe)

In the First World War 78 people of the Babar tribe from Pirpiai went to the war as Indian Army men and four were killed. Hence, Pirpiai is one of the very few villages which has an official plaque commemorating its First World War contribution. Babar, the ancestor of the Babar tribe was born at Takht-e-Sulaiman in 1175; six generations after Qais Abdur Rashid. The Babars were initially the same tribe as the Shiranis, also settled in and around the same region as the Babars. As far as the pedigrees show, sherani was the son of Babar. The Shiranis have three sub-tribes, namely:^{[citation needed]}

• Marani
• Miani
• Babar

Maranis still refer to themselves as 'Shirani' as they are the main sub-tribe, but Babars and Mianis identify themselves as completely separate tribes. The Babars are treated by some genealogists as a section of the Shirani Tribe. They are, in fact, the latter's neighbours in the Zhob District of Pakistan, but so distinct that neither has any sense of common tribal solidarity; the Babars even collaborated with a British punitive expedition against the Sherani in 1853. Hence showing, they never speak of such a kinship.

In the 12th Century there was an initial settlement of a few Babar families in Chaudhwan, in the modern day district of Dera Ismail Khan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. By the 14th Century, they had moved entirely from the Sulaiman Mountains. In the early 16th Century the tribe had moved to Chaudhwan and some to Zhob. In c.1534, some migrated on to Kandahar in present-day Afghanistan from Zhob. Meanwhile, in Chaudhwan, the Babars fought a battle against a local tribe and emerged victorious. In 1628, they fought another battle against the Gandapur tribe. Soon after, in 1647, the Babars fought off the Marwat tribe in order to gain full command of Chaudhwan by the mid-17th Century. Around the year 1700 or so, some Babars migrated up north to Pirpiai, which they established and held control of. In the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani many moved east to Multan as well from Chaudhwan. By 1783, others had moved south to Shikarpur in Sindh.

This is why the Babar diaspora is spread across Pakistan and Afghanistan today. However, the most prominent communities remain the same, the most notable of which is in Pirpiai. Chaudhwan still has a large number of Babars living there. Other communities include, Zhob, Quetta, Multan, Kandahar, Shikarpur and Karachi.

The further subdivision of the Babar Tribe has been debated frequently in many genealogical books but the ground reality is very clear.

The tribe is divided into sub-tribes based on the offsprings of four sons:

• Maswad Khel
• Gora Khel
• Ibrahim Khel
• Marwat Khel (Later modified as Mara Khel)

Sardar Shadi Khan, Zakaria Khan Babar - Director FIA (Garda Babar), Malik zahir khan & Malak Kamal khan Babar (Aligadh) Muhammad Suleman khan babar (Aligadh) and Nasir Khan Babar, Muhammad Ali khan Babar, Shuja-ul-Malik khan Babar, Hamza Ahmed Khan Babar are the sons of Safar Khan Babar (Aligadh).and the great warrior Kamran khan babar(Aligadh) and the last warrior IMRAN KHAN BABAR son of Haji SHER KHAN BABAR.

Amanullah Khan Babar (Manu Khan)

Amanullah Khan Babar (Also known by his nickname 'Manu Khan') is the forefather of all the Pirpiai Babars. He was the first well known personality from the Babar tribe. Amanullah Khan belonged to the Ibrahim Khel sub-tribe and, hence, all Babars from Pirpiai belong the same sub-tribe. Initially, he belonged to Ibrahim Khel Kot, situated near Zhob. The remnants of the great fort built there by him still exist. The date inscribed on this fort is of AD 1650 (era of King Shah Jahan).

By profession, Amanullah Khan was a great trader, leading the Babar caravan starting from Calcutta all the way to Bukhara. He was also a renowned as being a great warrior, protecting the caravans from being looted. Many heroic stories are told about his fights with different tribes.

By the end of his life, Amanullah Khan moved to Pirpiai along with his family, the main reason for which was to save his children from his enemies. This migration towards Pirpiai is well known and remembered by all the Babars in Zhob and Ibrahim Khel Kot. His name is included in all the Shajra (Family Tree) collected from the Pirpiai Babars.

With the arrival of Amanullah Khan, the Babars settled in the Pirpiai region, in the beginning of the 18th century (era of King Aurangzeb). All the Babars there today are his descendants.

Gul Mohammad Khan Babar

AD (1709–1747)

Gul Mohammad Khan Babar belonged to the Gora Khel sub-tribe and used to live in Kandahar. There, he was the chief of the Babar tribe and Member of the Loya Jirga in the era of Mir Wais Hotak. Gul Mohammad Khan Babar was also the Finance Minister in the reign of Ahmad Shah Durrani (AD 1737-1747). He is also remembered most for his participation in the Third Battle of Panipat against the Marathas.

Nur Mohammad Khan Babar

AD (1747–1798)

Nur Mohammad Khan Babar was a famous personality of his time. He belonged to the Gora Khel sub-tribe and was also from Kandahar. He was the son of Gul Mohammad Khan Babar and like his father, he was appointed as Finance Minister in the reign of Timur Shah Durrani. He later on continued with the same post in Zaman Shah Durrani's time. He was also the father-in-law of Zaman Shah Durrani.

Nur Mohammad Khan Babar served and helped his tribesmen in Shikarpur, Multan and Chaudhwan. Due to his efforts, the Babar tribe was exempted from taxes and compulsory recruitment in the army during the Durrani Empire. Sadly, in AD 1798, Nur Mohammad Khan Babar was murdered on the order of Zaman Shah Durrani, his own son-in-law and Shah of Afghanistan. Abdul Kareem Khan Babar

He belonged to the Ibrahim Khel sub-tribe from Multan. Abdul Kareem Khan served as Chief of the Multan Provincial Army in the Sadozai and Sikh regimes. He was famous as a great administrator.

Sultan Mohammad Khan Babar

AD (1795–1822)

Another famous personality of his time, Sultan Mohammad Khan Babar belonged to the Gora Khel sub-tribe from Shikarpur. He was the grandson of Nur Mohammad Khan Babar. He was appointed as the Governor of Jalalabad in the era of Zaman Shah Durrani. He gave up his post and relocated to Shikarpur, upon the wish of his grandfather. Here, Sultan Mohammad Khan Babar purchased 50000 acres of land and also, a canal, from Dost Khan. He used to reside in Sultan Kot, just outside Shikarpur.

Sultan Mohammad Khan Babar was also on really good terms with Shuja Shah Durrani since his daughter was married to Shuja Shah Durrani's son, Fateh Jung. Shuja Shah Durrani stayed at his settlement in Shikarpur for many months.he also help him in his last attempt for throne of Afghanistan in 1838.

Sultan Mohammed Khan Babar was son of Behrose khan Babar governor of jalalabad in Tamoor Shah era.

Zaman Khan Babar

AD (1849–1901)

Zaman Khan Babar was a Maswad Khel babar from Chaudhwan. He served as a Commander in the army of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. He also led the fight against the invaders from neighbouring tribes in order to protect Zam Chaudhwan (the only drinking water and irrigation source to Chaudhwan). Zaman Khan Babar was known as a brilliant warrior, leader and tactician. He also built a fort at Zam Chaudhwan.

Allama Abdul Shakoor Rashad

AD (1921–2004)

Allama Abdul Shakoor Rashad was an Ibrahim Khel Babar from Kandahar. He served as the Deputy Mayor of Kandahar and later on in life was a Professor at Kabul University. He has written a total of 139 books. 59 out of which have been published and 80 are unpublished. One of his unpublished books, "Aminul Mulk and Babar Clan" is the leading source on the history of Babars.

Colonel Mir Haider Khan

AD (?-1973)

One of the first Pukhtun officers in the British Army, he was a much respected village elder from Pirpiai, a man of distinction. He served as the last Defence Minister of Kalat before its accession to Pakistan. A major landlord of Pirpiai and a notable person of the Babar tribe, he was a man known for his flair and principles. He was an avid antique collector. Col. Mir Haider Khan was also the one who, for a large sum of money, purchased Peshawar Zoo and shifted it to Pirpiai. Famous British generals were known to have been invited to Pirpiai Fort by him, which included Field Marshal Gracy, Field Marshal Roos Capel, General Hastings, the Governor General of India and many more notables of the time. The barbecues and shooting parties of the time were famous. Most remember him as the man that put a face to Pirpiai and probably is the architect of making the village what it is today.

Major General Adam Khan

AD (1910–1973)

A Sandhurst returned army officer, Maj. Gen. Adam Khan served in the British Indian Army and was later one of the first five Major-Generals in Pakistan. He was the nephew of Col. Mir Haider Khan and the son of Mir Safdar Khan. A distinguished officer of his time, he is still known in the Pakistan Army for his strong personality and principles. He was also appointed as the head of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. Maj. Gen. Adam Khan was a reputed landlord of Pirpiai, but in his later years chose to settle in the nearby village of Amangarh, where his sons and their families still reside. He was a recipient of the Military Cross, a British Military decoration, for "acts of exemplary gallantry".

Major General Naseerullah Khan Babar

AD (1928–2011)

A very well known personality in Pirpiai, Maj. Gen. Naseerullah Khan Babar served in the Pakistan Army. Throughout his life he remained an important political figure in Pirpiai and enjoyed several other posts. He was appointed the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps and was a senior central leader of Pakistan Peoples Party. He served as Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 1975–1977 under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's government as well as the Interior Minister of Pakistan during Benazir Bhutto's second government from 1993–1996. He was a Special Assistant in Benazir Bhutto's first government from 1988–1990. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat for single-handedly capturing an entire Indian company of soldiers during the 1965 war, and also the Hilal-e-Jurat, which he famously threw away along with other army medals at the presiding officer of a military tribunal, when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged by the military regime of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Major Farouk Adam Khan

AD (1940-)

One of the most prominent lawyers in Pakistan today, Maj. Farouk Adam Khan is the son of Maj. Gen. Adam Khan. Like his father, he was also a Sandhurst officer and was the architect of The Attock Conspiracy, whereby with the help of his brother Maj. Iftikhar Adam Khan and other army officers, he hatched a conspiracy in the 1970s to topple the government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. They were apprehended by the then serving General Zia ul Haq and tried in the famous Attock Fort, after one of their own lost his nerve and went to report the entire scheme directly to the Prime Minister. Hence, naming the conspiracy by the same name and sentenced to life imprisonment later commuted to 5 years each, which they served. Farouk Adam Khan later served as the Prosecutor General of the National Accountability Bureau upon its formation. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat for acts of bravery in the 1965 war

• Ihsan Ullah Baber

One of the most respectable Judge in Pakistan, Ihsan Ullah Baber is the son of Abdul Sattar khan Baber. He was highly qualified and worked as District and Session Judge High Court Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. He was born in 1947 and got retired in 2007 as District and Session Judge Peshawar. Now he is working as an Advocate OF HIGH COURT PESHAWAR.

• Pakhtun tribes
• Pirpiai