کارن:Arafat2002

Stanikzai
ستانکزی / ستانزی / استانزی
ټول نفوس
	– (see main article)
ګڼ مېشتې سيمې
	Afghanistan: Logar, Kabul, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, Balkh
اړوند توکمډله
	Other Pashtun tribes, especially Ghilzai

Stanikzai (alternatively Stanizai or Istānzai) is a prominent Pashtun tribe, part of the larger Ghilzai confederation. Stanikzai communities are found across various provinces in Afghanistan. They have historically been involved in agriculture, pastoralism, and trade, and have provided notable figures in political and military affairs.

Etymology

The term Stana in Persian signifies “a sacred place,” “shrine,” or “revered person,” and in Pashto likewise. In Arabic, it corresponds to “Hazrat.” Thus, **Stanikzai** literally means “sons of the sacred.” Variants include:

Stanikzai
Stanizai
Istānzai

Subtribes (Khels)

Prominent subtribes of the Stanikzai include:

Payinda Khel
Ilyas Khel
Shahi Khel
Kutub Khel
Ghafur Khel
Awal Khel
Ismail Khel
Jabar Khel
Akbar Khel
Asghar Khel
Mughal Khel
Pai Khel
Mirbash Khel
Sangar Khel
Tag Khel
Patur Khel
Choli Khel
Asmin Khel
Bayazid Khel
Malik Khel
Alo Khel
Rustam Khel
Mullah Khel
Ali Khel
Tatar Khel
Bazoo Khel
Aido Khel
...and others

Geographic Distribution

Stanikzai populations are located in the following Afghan provinces:

**Logar** – Pul-e-Alam, Mohammad Agha, Baraki Barak
**Kabul** – Bagrami, Surobi, Deh Sabz
**Nangarhar** – Surkhrod, Kama, Rodat
**Maidan Wardak** – Nirkh, Jalrez, Chak
**Ghazni** – Andar, Deyak, Qarabagh, Gelan
**Zabul** – Qalat, Pai Sang
**Balkh** – Northern districts near Mazar-e-Sharif

Historical Record

According to Captain J.A. Robinson in *Notes on Nomad Tribes of Eastern Afghanistan* (1934), several key Stanikzai khels had identifiable population sizes and leadership:

Khel name	# of families	Region(s)	Leadership / Remarks
Payinda Khel	~500	Chaharbagh, Behsud (Wardak)	Agriculturalists, camel herders; traded with British India.
Ghafur Khel	~500	Sakhabi desert	Farmers, little trade.
Ilyas Khel	~300	Local farmland	Led by Malik Hazrat Gul Khan; British trade restrictions.
Shahi Khel	~200	Seasonal nomads	Winter – Nangarhar; Summer – Hazarajat.
Kutub Khel	~800	Logar (500) & Surobi (300)	Farmers, no trade with British India.
Awal Khel	~140	Nirkh	Non-trading.
Asmin Khel	~280	Ghazni & Maidan Shahr	Led by Malik Shahzada Khan.
Jabar Khel	~600	Qalat (Zabul)	Led by Maliks Ghulam Haidar & Agha Jan; involved in trade.
Akbar Khel	–	Balkh	Led by Malik Mehrdil Khan.
Asghar Khel	~150	Deyak (Ghazni)	Led by Malik Kakar Khan.

Many more subbranches were also mentioned by Robinson.

Notable Figures

**Mohammad Masoom Stanikzai** – Former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS); Acting Defense Minister of Afghanistan.
**Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai** – Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban); senior negotiator at the Doha talks.
**Mohammad Saber Stanikzai** – Deputy head of the Central Statistics Organization.

References

Robinson, J.A. (1934). Notes on Nomad Tribes of Eastern Afghanistan.
Hayat al-Afghani (in Farsi).
Makhzal Afghani.
Translation and additional notes by Arafat Rasuli (Arafat2002).