Lodi (Pashtun)

Lodhi ( sometimes written as Lodhi - لودهي) is a Batani Pashtun (Ghilzai) tribe mainly found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were part of a wave of Pashtuns who pushed east into what is today Pakistan. Often accompanying the Timurids who conquered South Asia, the Lodhi established themselves during the Islamic period as a Muslim ruling class and were valued warriors. Legend has it that the tribe derives from a descendent of Qais Abdur Rashid (the legendary patriarch of all Pashtuns). The term Lodhi is said to be a corruption of the Pashto word loy dha (meaning big person)

Members of this tribe established the Lodhi dynasty, which ruled over the Delhi Sultanate and included the prominent ruler Ibrahim Lodhi. The "Lodhi" family name is often linked with the title "Khan" in the form "Khan Lodhi" or "Khan-Lodhi". Sometimes only the "Khan" or "Lodhi" is retained. "Khan" is a title denoting nobility, and does not necessarily mean its bearer is a Lodhi or of Lodhi extraction.

Today, Lodhi are mainly found in Afghanistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in Chhachh (Attock) Punjab region of Pakistan. The Lodhi Pashtun tribe are also found in Pakistan's urban centers notably in Karachi and in Lahore.

See also

• Lodhi dynasty

References

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