The Miyana or Miyanai (Pashto: میانه, also romanized as Miyāṇah or Miyanrah), are a Pashtun tribe belonging to the Sarban division, specifically within the Sharkhbun branch.Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 41. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69757/page/n4/mode/1up Historically documented in the Makhzan-i-Afghani (translated into English as the History of the Afghans) by Khwaja Naimatullah al-Harawi, they are genealogically categorized as siblings to the Shirani, Barech, and Tareen tribes.Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 41. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69757/page/n4/mode/1up They primarily inhabit territories in Northern Balochistan today, within the Loralai, MusaKhel, and Dukki districts—some are settled in the Quetta district—within the vicinity of the Sulaiman Mountain ranges. Smaller, fragmented populations are located across the wider Pashtun belt, and some have settled in Punjab's Dera Ghazi Khan district near the northeastern edge of Balochistan.Khan, Muhammad Hayat (1867). Hayat-i-Afghani, p. 152.
Tribal branches
According to the Makhzan-i-Afghani, compiled c. 1612 by Naimatullah, the principal sub-sections of the Miyana lineage include:Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69757/page/n4/mode/1upRose, H.A. A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes..., Vol. 3, p. 101. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69674/page/n3/mode/1up Loni (Lorni)Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. RahwaniDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. Ghornai (Ghorai)Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. TsotDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. LawaniDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. LasDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. MullaiDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. JafarDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. Gharsheen (or Kharshin)Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101.Balochistan District Gazetteer Loralai (1907), Vol. 2, p. 94. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279670/page/94/mode/2up Shkorn (Zmarai and Kahtran)Raverty, H.G. (1888). Notes on Afghanistan and Balochistan, pp. 514-515. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.38715/page/n524/mode/1upDorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. Silah (Silach)Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101. Toghai (Sur is one of his sons)Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 43.Rose, H.A. (1911), p. 101.
Demographics and assimilation Today, descendants of these branches are primarily found along the Sulaiman Mountains. Over centuries, complex regional dynamics have led to the assimilation of several Miyana sections into other Pashtun tribes and neighboring ethnic groups. For example, descendants of the Toghai branch are largely found in the Bangash region, with a village in the region bearing their name.Khan, Muhammad Hayat (1867). Hayat-i-Afghani, p. 152. Muhammad Hayat Khan also mentions some groups in Kandahar.Khan, Muhammad Hayat (1867). Hayat-i-Afghani, p. 152.
While many branches such as the Luni and Zamarai speak Pashto predominantly, linguistic shifts and regional bilingualism are also heavily prevalent among these descendants. Some Miyana, such as the Khetran (Kahtran), were assimilated by the Baloch, Census of India 1911, Vol. IV, pp. 18, 107. https://ia801500.us.archive.org/23/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.62740/2015.62740.Census-Of-India-1911-Vol-Iv.pdf Today, the Khetran tribe reflects this by navigating a dual identity. While a significant number of Khetran—particularly those inhabiting Barkhan—have been culturally assimilated into the Baloch fold and speak Khetrani (an Indo-Aryan language),Census of India 1911, Vol. IV, p. 137. https://ia801500.us.archive.org/23/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.62740/2015.62740.Census-Of-India-1911-Vol-Iv.pdf many members of this group retain a consciousness of their Pashtun origins and maintain their Pashtun identity.Raverty, H.G. (1888). Notes on Afghanistan and Balochistan, p. 14. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.38715/page/n524/mode/1upRidgway, Major R.T.I. Pathans, p. 104. https://books.google.com/books/about/Pathans.html?id=0rswAQAAMAAJ Similarly, the Jafar and Rahwani branches in the Drug and Gargoji areas of MusaKhel maintain their Pashtun identity,Balochistan District Gazetteer Loralai (1907), Vol. 2, p. 53. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279670/page/10/mode/1up?q=JafarMusaKhel - A District Profile, p. 1. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.1444.3849 though they predominantly speak Jafriki (a language very similar to Khetrani) or remain bilingual.Balochistan District Gazetteer Loralai (1907), Vol. 2, p. 71. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279670/page/10/mode/1up?q=JafarCensus of India 1911, Vol. IV, p. 137.MusaKhel - A District Profile, p. 11. https://doi.org/10.13140/2.1.1444.3849 This reflects the extensive linguistic adaptation typical of frontier populations. In contrast, Jafar communities residing further west in the Pashtun belt, such as in Quetta, Loralai, and Dukki, have largely retained the Pashto language.
The 1911 census of Balochistan records that sub-sections like the Silah merged with the Khetran,Census of India 1911, Vol. IV, p. 137. while others integrated into the Isots residing north of the Drug valley.Census of India 1911, Vol. IV, p. 158. Other branches experienced similar structural shifts; many Gharsheen frequently identify solely as SyedCensus of India 1911, Vol. IV, p. 154. and the 1907 Loralai district gazetteer also describes many inhabiting MusaKhel as speaking Jafriki or Khetrani (despite this, many Gharsheen retain a dual identity, as they have in the past, of being both Afghan/Pashtun and Syed).Balochistan District Gazetteer Loralai (1907), Vol. 2, p. 71. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279670/page/10/mode/1up?q=Jafar Muhammad Hayat Khan noted in the Hayat-i-Afghani that populations of Gharsheen exist across the Pashtun belt, including areas like Pishin and some areas in the vicinity of Kandahar.Raverty, H.G. (1888). Notes on Afghanistan and Balochistan, p. 516. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.38715/page/n524/mode/1upKhan, Muhammad Hayat (1867). Hayat-i-Afghani, p. 152.
History and migrations Early homeland As far back as the 16th century, the traditional homeland of the Miyana was centered in the Sulaiman Mountains. According to Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech’s Khulasat ul-Ansab (1770), the tribe inhabited the regions near Takht-e-Sulaiman, which he explicitly refers to as Kasighar.Barech, Hafiz Rahmat Khan (1770). Khulasaat ul Ansab, p. 103. https://archive.org/details/393855319KhulasatulAnsabByHafizRahmanKhan Kasighar is the Pashto equivalent for Takht-e-Sulaiman (the site where the mythical progenitor of the Pashtuns, Qais Abdur Rasheed, is traditionally said to be buried). Hafiz Rahmat Khan describes them as sharing contiguous territory east of the Sheranis.Dorn, Bernhard (trans). History of the Afghans (English translation of the Makhzan-i-Afghani), p. 123. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69757/page/n4/mode/1up H.A. Rose, in A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes... (1911), also states that the Miyana inhabited Kasighar in the past,Rose, H.A. (1911). A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes, Vol. 3, p. 219. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.69674/page/n3/mode/1up establishing that prior to their later migrations, the Miyana historical center lay near the modern-day Sherani District and south of Dera Ismail Khan.
The Lodhi Era and Early Migrations Afghan migration into the Indian subcontinent occurred in successive waves, significantly accelerated by the Mongol conquests of Afghanistan and the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate.Hussain, Iqbal (1994). "Afghan Immigration into India", p. 238. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44143362 Displaced by regional upheaval and in search of new livelihoods and opportunities, populations from Roh—a vast historical region stretching from Kashkar in the north to Balochistan in the south, and the Helmand River in the west to Kashmir in the east—began migrating eastward. This included tribes such as the Miyana, Shirani, Yusufzai, Barozai, Panni, and Dilazak.Hussain, Iqbal (1994). "Afghan Immigration into India", p. 238. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44143362 Genealogical records of the Nawabs of Savanur also trace their ancestry to Malik Abdul Karim Khan Miyana, who served the Delhi Sultanate before the Mughal era and was granted an estate near Delhi prior to the Mughal period.Lethbridge, Sir Roper. The Golden Book of India, pp. 485-486. https://archive.org/details/goldenbookofindi00lethuoft
Following the call of Bahlul Lodi, many Miyana migrated to assist in the expansion of the Lodi dynasty, incentivized by high-ranking positions and land grants.Raverty, H.G. (1888). Notes on Afghanistan..., p. 516. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.38715/page/n524/mode/1upHussain, Iqbal (1994), p. 238. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44143362 Rizqullah Mushtaqi mentions that when Prince Nizam Khan Lodi (Sultan Sikandar Lodi) was sent by Sultan Bahlol Lodi to crush the rebellion instigated by Tatar Khan Yusuf-khel, and began gathering a coalition of commanders and their sawars to join the Prince's army, Ikhtiyar Khan Togh (Miyana) was one of the commanders who presented himself for service, eventually culminating in a battle between Nizam Khan and Tatar Khan's armies on the plains of Ambala.Siddiqi, Iqtidar Hussain (trans). Waqiat-i-Mushtahqi, p. 22. https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/Waqi%CA%BBat_e_Mushtaqui_of_Shaikh_Rizq_Ulla.html?id=7F1EAAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
The Sur Period By the early sixteenth century, Miyana Afghans had established a presence in Malwa. According to K.R. Qanungo the Miyana migrated as mercenaries for the Khalji rulers of the region.Qanungo, K.R. (1965). Sher Shah and his Time, p. 157. https://ia801702.us.archive.org/7/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.127013/2015.127013.Sher-Shah-And-His-Times_text.pdf Many individuals of this tribe naviagted the complex and shifting political landscape of North India. While Nizam Khan Miyana surrendered to the Mughal Emperor Babur,Hussain, Iqbal (1994). "Afghan Immigration into India", p. 240. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44143362 others, such as Sikandar Khan Miyana of Malwa, attempted to maintain their independence amid the ensuing power struggles between the early Mughals and the Afghan factions. As Sher Shah Suri consolidated his empire, this neutrality eventually brought Sikandar Khan into direct conflict with him.