Alakozai

Alakozai (Pashto: الکوزی ‎ - meaning descendant of Alako in Pashto) is the name of a Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan. Spelling variations include Alakozay, Alekozai, Alekuzei, Alikozai, Alokozay, Alakoozi, Alkozai, Alokzai, Halakozai, Alecozay, Alikusi,and Alakuzei.

History

The Alakozai are a sub-tribe of the Abdali Pashtuns of Afghanistan. They are one of four sub-tribes belonging to the Zirak branch of the Durrani - Tareen - Bor Tareen - Abdali dynasty. Their eponymous ancestor is supposed to be Alako, son of King Zirak Khan, son of Abdali, son of Tareen, son of Sharif ud-din (Sharakh-bun), son of Ibrahim Sari (Saraband), son of Qais ul-Laik ('Abdu'r Rashid Pathan)., he was the arisch chief of Ghor, and converted to Islam by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is said that Alako was buried at Nicharah, a valley in the Harboi mountains to the east of Kalt in Baluchistan.

Distribution

The Alakozai are found primarily in Helmand, Kandahar, Kabul, Laghman, Kunar Sarkani District and Herat provinces in Afghanistan, and form the majority of the population in the Sangin District. Jaldak, which is located 110 km northeast of Kandahar, is the original domicile of the Alakozai tribe. The Alakozai people stretch from Farah to Kandahar, and constitute a majority in the Arghandab District of Kandahar. The Arghandab district was given to the Alakozai tribe by King Nadir Shah, who brought down the Safavid empire of Persia with the help of the Alakozai in 1738. Arghandab was referred to by the Greek historians as Arakozia, or the "Land of Arako/Aloko".Alexander the Great faced a fierce resistance from the forefathers of the Alokozai's in Arghandab. Arghandab is also mentioned as Saraswati in Rigveda, and Harwati in Avesta.