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Awan (tribe)

2026-07-31T12:41:09Z

39.62.179.228:

{{short description|A tribe in Pakistan}}

The Awan (Urdu: lgel; Hindko/Punjabi: are a prominent agrarian and land-owning tribe native to the northern, central, and western regions of Pakistan. Primarily concentrated in the Pothohar Plateau, the Salt Range, Hazara, and the Indus valley, the Awans have historically maintained a strong presence in regional politics, agriculture, and the armed forces.

==History==
Traditional genealogical records (Shajrah) maintain that the Awans are descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib (the fourth Caliph of Islam and cousin/son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad) through his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (or in some branches, Abbas ibn Ali).

According to this account, the direct progenitor of the tribe in South Asia was Qutb Shah (Awn ibn Ya'la), a medieval commander who arrived during the invasions of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the early 11th century.

==Genetic studies on Awan==
Centre for Human Genetics of [[Edith Cowan University]], [[Australia]], [[Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (Pakistan)|Armed Forces Institute of Pathology]], [[Pakistan]] and Institute of General Genetics of [[Russian Academy of Science]], [[Russia]] conducted different genetic studies on Awan and its neighbouring tribes, namely [[Khattar (clan)|Khattar]] and [[Rajput]], which concluded that Awans are genetically isolated, endogamous and very different from its neighbouring tribes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=W. Wang|last2=S. G. Sullivan|last3=S. Ahmed|last4=D. Chandler|last5=L. A. Zhivotovsky|last6=A. H. Bittles|date=2000|title=A genome-based study of consanguinity in three co-resident endogamous Pakistan communities|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|journal=Annals of Human Genetics|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|volume=64|issue=Pt 1|pages=41–49|doi=10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|pmid=11246460|s2cid=21493970|quote=There was a reduction in heterozygosity and high average inbreeding effects (''FIS'' and/or ''HS''), particularly in the Awan, indicating genetic isolation and a high cumulative level of autozygosity.}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted a dental morphology and DNA analysis of major tribes in [[Northern Pakistan]] which recorded that [[Haplogroup T-L206 (Y-DNA)|haplogroup T1]] (originated in [[Israel]]<ref name="Lazaridis16">{{cite journal |last1=Lazaridis |first1=Iosif |display-authors=etal |year=2016 |title=Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East |journal=Nature |volume=536 |issue=7617 |pages=419–424 |bibcode=2016Natur.536..419L |biorxiv=10.1101/059311 |doi=10.1038/nature19310 |pmc=5003663 |pmid=27459054}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2022 |title=Haplogroup T-M184 |url=http://www.owlapps.net/owlapps_apps/articles?id=9238638&lang=en |quote=It appears to have originated somewhere around the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, perhaps somewhere between Israel to the Jordan Valley.}}</ref>) is only found in Awans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nazia |date=2014 |title=GENETIC ANALYSES OF THE MAJOR TRIBES OF ABBOTTABAD AND MANSEHRA DISTRICTS THROUGH DENTAL MORPHOLOGY AND DNA ANALYSES |url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2751/1/2908S.pdf |journal=Department of Genetics Hazara University Mansehra |pages=92}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]], Department of Anthropology of [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]], [[USA]] and Center for Human Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted different studies in which hypervariable segment I (HVSI) from mtDNA was analyzed to establish the genetic lineage of the populations living in [[Northern Pakistan]]. A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 was clearly observed in Awans and they fall in the same genetic cluster as Arab tribe of [[Sayyid|Syeds]] because of their similarity.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=N. Akbar |author2=H. Ahmad |author3=M.S. Nadeem |author4=B.E. Hemphill |author5=K. Muhammad |author6=W. Ahmad |author7=M. Ilyas |date=June 24, 2016 |title=HVSI polymorphism indicates multiple origins of mtDNA in the Hazarewal population of Northern Pakistan |url=http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2016/vol15-2/pdf/gmr7167.pdf |journal=Genetics and Molecular Research |volume=15 |issue=2 |doi=10.4238/gmr.15027167 |pmid=27420957 |access-date=November 28, 2020 |quote=HVSI sequence homology showed that Hazarewal populations fall into three major clusters: Syeds and Awans sorted out into cluster I, ... A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 observed in the ethnic Awan population residing in Mansehra. |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A latest study conducted by [[Zoological Society of Pakistan]] concluded that Awans are genetically identical to [[Pashtuns]], specifically [[Daudzai]] and [[Khalil (Pashtun tribe)|Khalils]] sub-tribes of [[Ghoryakhel tribe]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zubair |first1=Muhammad |last2=Ahmad |first2=Habib |last3=Hemphill |first3=Brian E. |last4=Tariq |first4=Muhammad |last5=Shah |first5=Muzaffar |title=Identification of Genetic Lineage of Peshawar and Nowshera Tribes through Dental Morphology |journal=[[Pakistan Journal of Zoology]] |date=June 2021 |volume=53 |issue=3 |doi=10.17582/journal.pjz/20190927080941 |issn=00309923}}</ref>

==Notable people==

[[File:Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Amir Mohammad khan.jpeg|thumb|150px|[[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]], former [[Nawab]] of Kalabagh, Chief of the Awan tribe, [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966]]
[[File: Noor khan.jpg|thumb|150px|Air Marshal [[Nur Khan]], Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70]]

* [[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]] – Former [[Nawab]] of [[Kalabagh]], Chief of the Awan tribe and [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pakistan Leadership Challenges|last=Khan|first=Jahan Dad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MjZuAAAAMAAJ|page=72|isbn=0195795873}}</ref>
* [[Nur Khan|Air Marshal Nur Khan]] – [[Commander-in-chief]] of the [[Pakistan Air Force]], 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70, and recipient of the [[Hilal-i-Jurat]], the second-highest military award of [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Papers: Secret and Confidential India-Pakistan-Bangladesh Documents, 1965-1973|last=Khan|first=Roedad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxpuAAAAMAAJ|page=265|isbn=0195791908}}</ref>
* [[Mir Sultan Khan]] – A [[chess master]] also believed by some to be the greatest natural [[chess]] player of modern times.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sultan|first1=Ather|last2=Sultan|first2=Atiyab|date=17 May 2020|title=CHESS:The Wrath of Khan|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1557393|work=Dawn|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref>
* [[Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi]] – [[Urdu]] poet, journalist, [[literary critic]], dramatist, short story author, recipient of the [[Pride of Performance]] and [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]], the third-highest civil award of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Flower on a Grave: Poems from Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi|first=Daud |last=Kamal|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|url=http://global.oup.com/academic/product/flower-on-a-grave-9780195474978|isbn=9780195474978}}</ref>
* [[Sultan Bahu]] – A [[Sufi]] [[mysticism|mystic]], [[poet]], [[scholar]] and founder of [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Sarwari Qadiri]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan|first=Jürgen Wasim |last=Frembgen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wzzYAAAAMAAJ|page=103|quote= ... Sultan Bahu (d. 1691) whose real name was Sultan Muhammad. Born into an Awan Family in Shorkot (District Jhang), ... |isbn=0195470060}}</ref>
* [[Khadim Hussain Rizvi]] – A Pakistani [[Islamic scholar]] and the founder of [[Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Warraich |first= Suhail |date=10 December 2017 |title=A Barelvi revival? |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/564518-barelvi-revival |work= The News International |location= Islamabad|access-date=24 January 2021}}</ref>
* [[Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan]] – [[Islamic scholar]] and [[Sheikh#Sufi term|spiritual leader]] of the [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Naqshbandia Owaisiah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.naqshbandiaowaisiah.org/hazrat-ameer-muhammad-akram-awan-ra.html |title=Hazrat Ameer Muhammad Akram (RA) |website=Silsala Naqshbandia Owaisia |access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>
*[[Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi]] – Islamic scholar, [[Faqīh|jurist]] and [[Hadith studies|muhaddith]].<ref>Ustad-e-Punjab (teacher of Punjab), in [[Urdu|Urdu Language]], by Maulana Majeed Sohadravi, Darussalam Pakistan/Muslim Publication, [[Lahore]]. page 41</ref>{{better source|date=May 2022}}
*[[Dilip Kumar]] – An actor in [[Hindi cinema]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Web Team|first=WION|date=July 8, 2021|title=Pakistan mourns the loss of legendary Indian star Dilip Kumar, prayers offered outside ancestral home|work=WION|location=New Delhi, India|url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pakistan-mourns-the-loss-of-legendary-indian-star-dilip-kumar-prayers-offered-outside-ancestral-home-396784|access-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref>


==See also==
*[[Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau]]
*[[Ahmed Gul Khel]]
*[[Awan Patti]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation|last=Qadeer|first=Mohammad|publisher=Taylor & Francis|date=22 November 2006|isbn=1134186177|page=71}}

{{Castes and Tribes of the Punjab}}

[[Category:Punjabi tribes|*]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]

Awan (tribe)

2026-07-31T12:40:36Z

39.62.179.228:

{{short description|A tribe in Pakistan}}

The Awan (Urdu: lgel; Hindko/Punjabi: are a prominent agrarian and land-owning tribe native to the northern, central, and western regions of Pakistan. Primarily concentrated in the Pothohar Plateau, the Salt Range, Hazara, and the Indus valley, the Awans have historically maintained a strong presence in regional politics, agriculture, and the armed forces.

==History==

==Genetic studies on Awan==
Centre for Human Genetics of [[Edith Cowan University]], [[Australia]], [[Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (Pakistan)|Armed Forces Institute of Pathology]], [[Pakistan]] and Institute of General Genetics of [[Russian Academy of Science]], [[Russia]] conducted different genetic studies on Awan and its neighbouring tribes, namely [[Khattar (clan)|Khattar]] and [[Rajput]], which concluded that Awans are genetically isolated, endogamous and very different from its neighbouring tribes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=W. Wang|last2=S. G. Sullivan|last3=S. Ahmed|last4=D. Chandler|last5=L. A. Zhivotovsky|last6=A. H. Bittles|date=2000|title=A genome-based study of consanguinity in three co-resident endogamous Pakistan communities|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|journal=Annals of Human Genetics|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|volume=64|issue=Pt 1|pages=41–49|doi=10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|pmid=11246460|s2cid=21493970|quote=There was a reduction in heterozygosity and high average inbreeding effects (''FIS'' and/or ''HS''), particularly in the Awan, indicating genetic isolation and a high cumulative level of autozygosity.}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted a dental morphology and DNA analysis of major tribes in [[Northern Pakistan]] which recorded that [[Haplogroup T-L206 (Y-DNA)|haplogroup T1]] (originated in [[Israel]]<ref name="Lazaridis16">{{cite journal |last1=Lazaridis |first1=Iosif |display-authors=etal |year=2016 |title=Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East |journal=Nature |volume=536 |issue=7617 |pages=419–424 |bibcode=2016Natur.536..419L |biorxiv=10.1101/059311 |doi=10.1038/nature19310 |pmc=5003663 |pmid=27459054}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2022 |title=Haplogroup T-M184 |url=http://www.owlapps.net/owlapps_apps/articles?id=9238638&lang=en |quote=It appears to have originated somewhere around the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, perhaps somewhere between Israel to the Jordan Valley.}}</ref>) is only found in Awans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nazia |date=2014 |title=GENETIC ANALYSES OF THE MAJOR TRIBES OF ABBOTTABAD AND MANSEHRA DISTRICTS THROUGH DENTAL MORPHOLOGY AND DNA ANALYSES |url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2751/1/2908S.pdf |journal=Department of Genetics Hazara University Mansehra |pages=92}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]], Department of Anthropology of [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]], [[USA]] and Center for Human Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted different studies in which hypervariable segment I (HVSI) from mtDNA was analyzed to establish the genetic lineage of the populations living in [[Northern Pakistan]]. A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 was clearly observed in Awans and they fall in the same genetic cluster as Arab tribe of [[Sayyid|Syeds]] because of their similarity.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=N. Akbar |author2=H. Ahmad |author3=M.S. Nadeem |author4=B.E. Hemphill |author5=K. Muhammad |author6=W. Ahmad |author7=M. Ilyas |date=June 24, 2016 |title=HVSI polymorphism indicates multiple origins of mtDNA in the Hazarewal population of Northern Pakistan |url=http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2016/vol15-2/pdf/gmr7167.pdf |journal=Genetics and Molecular Research |volume=15 |issue=2 |doi=10.4238/gmr.15027167 |pmid=27420957 |access-date=November 28, 2020 |quote=HVSI sequence homology showed that Hazarewal populations fall into three major clusters: Syeds and Awans sorted out into cluster I, ... A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 observed in the ethnic Awan population residing in Mansehra. |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A latest study conducted by [[Zoological Society of Pakistan]] concluded that Awans are genetically identical to [[Pashtuns]], specifically [[Daudzai]] and [[Khalil (Pashtun tribe)|Khalils]] sub-tribes of [[Ghoryakhel tribe]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zubair |first1=Muhammad |last2=Ahmad |first2=Habib |last3=Hemphill |first3=Brian E. |last4=Tariq |first4=Muhammad |last5=Shah |first5=Muzaffar |title=Identification of Genetic Lineage of Peshawar and Nowshera Tribes through Dental Morphology |journal=[[Pakistan Journal of Zoology]] |date=June 2021 |volume=53 |issue=3 |doi=10.17582/journal.pjz/20190927080941 |issn=00309923}}</ref>

==Notable people==

[[File:Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Amir Mohammad khan.jpeg|thumb|150px|[[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]], former [[Nawab]] of Kalabagh, Chief of the Awan tribe, [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966]]
[[File: Noor khan.jpg|thumb|150px|Air Marshal [[Nur Khan]], Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70]]

* [[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]] – Former [[Nawab]] of [[Kalabagh]], Chief of the Awan tribe and [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pakistan Leadership Challenges|last=Khan|first=Jahan Dad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MjZuAAAAMAAJ|page=72|isbn=0195795873}}</ref>
* [[Nur Khan|Air Marshal Nur Khan]] – [[Commander-in-chief]] of the [[Pakistan Air Force]], 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70, and recipient of the [[Hilal-i-Jurat]], the second-highest military award of [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Papers: Secret and Confidential India-Pakistan-Bangladesh Documents, 1965-1973|last=Khan|first=Roedad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxpuAAAAMAAJ|page=265|isbn=0195791908}}</ref>
* [[Mir Sultan Khan]] – A [[chess master]] also believed by some to be the greatest natural [[chess]] player of modern times.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sultan|first1=Ather|last2=Sultan|first2=Atiyab|date=17 May 2020|title=CHESS:The Wrath of Khan|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1557393|work=Dawn|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref>
* [[Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi]] – [[Urdu]] poet, journalist, [[literary critic]], dramatist, short story author, recipient of the [[Pride of Performance]] and [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]], the third-highest civil award of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Flower on a Grave: Poems from Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi|first=Daud |last=Kamal|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|url=http://global.oup.com/academic/product/flower-on-a-grave-9780195474978|isbn=9780195474978}}</ref>
* [[Sultan Bahu]] – A [[Sufi]] [[mysticism|mystic]], [[poet]], [[scholar]] and founder of [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Sarwari Qadiri]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan|first=Jürgen Wasim |last=Frembgen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wzzYAAAAMAAJ|page=103|quote= ... Sultan Bahu (d. 1691) whose real name was Sultan Muhammad. Born into an Awan Family in Shorkot (District Jhang), ... |isbn=0195470060}}</ref>
* [[Khadim Hussain Rizvi]] – A Pakistani [[Islamic scholar]] and the founder of [[Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Warraich |first= Suhail |date=10 December 2017 |title=A Barelvi revival? |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/564518-barelvi-revival |work= The News International |location= Islamabad|access-date=24 January 2021}}</ref>
* [[Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan]] – [[Islamic scholar]] and [[Sheikh#Sufi term|spiritual leader]] of the [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Naqshbandia Owaisiah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.naqshbandiaowaisiah.org/hazrat-ameer-muhammad-akram-awan-ra.html |title=Hazrat Ameer Muhammad Akram (RA) |website=Silsala Naqshbandia Owaisia |access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>
*[[Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi]] – Islamic scholar, [[Faqīh|jurist]] and [[Hadith studies|muhaddith]].<ref>Ustad-e-Punjab (teacher of Punjab), in [[Urdu|Urdu Language]], by Maulana Majeed Sohadravi, Darussalam Pakistan/Muslim Publication, [[Lahore]]. page 41</ref>{{better source|date=May 2022}}
*[[Dilip Kumar]] – An actor in [[Hindi cinema]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Web Team|first=WION|date=July 8, 2021|title=Pakistan mourns the loss of legendary Indian star Dilip Kumar, prayers offered outside ancestral home|work=WION|location=New Delhi, India|url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pakistan-mourns-the-loss-of-legendary-indian-star-dilip-kumar-prayers-offered-outside-ancestral-home-396784|access-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref>


==See also==
*[[Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau]]
*[[Ahmed Gul Khel]]
*[[Awan Patti]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation|last=Qadeer|first=Mohammad|publisher=Taylor & Francis|date=22 November 2006|isbn=1134186177|page=71}}

{{Castes and Tribes of the Punjab}}

[[Category:Punjabi tribes|*]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]

Awan (tribe)

2026-07-31T12:38:58Z

39.62.179.228:

{{short description|A tribe in Pakistan}}

The Awan (Urdu: lgel; Hindko/Punjabi: are a prominent agrarian and land-owning tribe native to the northern, central, and western regions of Pakistan. Primarily concentrated in the Pothohar Plateau, the Salt Range, Hazara, and the Indus valley, the Awans have historically maintained a strong presence in regional politics, agriculture, and the armed forces.

==History==
[[Jamal J. Elias]] notes that the Awans believe themselves to be of Arab origin, descended from [[Ali ibn Abu Talib]] and that the claim of Arab descent gives them "high status in the Indian Muslim environment".<ref>{{cite book|title=Death Before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu|last=J. Elias|first=Jamal|author-link=Jamal J. Elias|publisher=University of California Press|date=1998|page=12|isbn=978-0-52021-242-8}}</ref>

[[Christophe Jaffrelot]] says: {{quote|The Awan deserve close attention, because of their historical importance and, above all, because they settled in the west, right up to the edge of [[Baloch people|Baluchi]] and [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] territory. Legend has it that their origins go back to Imam Ali and his second wife, Hanafiya. Historians describe them as valiant warriors and farmers who imposed their supremacy on the [[Janjua]] in part of the [[Salt Range]] and established large colonies all along the [[Indus River|Indus]] to [[Sindh|Sind]], and a densely populated center not far from [[Lahore]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Pakistan and Its Origins |first=Christophe |last=Jaffrelot |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot |edition=Reprinted |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2004 |page=205 |isbn=978-1-84331-149-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9sI_Y2CKAcC}}</ref>}}

People of the Awan community have a strong presence in the [[Pakistani Army]]<ref>{{cite book|title=The Pakistan People's Party: Rise to Power|last=Jones|first=Philip Edward|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xliNAAAAMAAJ|page=61|quote=This [Awan] tribe is perhaps the most heavily recruited tribe in the [Pakistan] Army.|isbn=0195799666}}</ref> and a notable martial tradition.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ali |first=Imran |year=1998 |title=Punjab under Imperialism, 1885–1947 |publisher=Princeton University Press|page=114 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MgUABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA114|isbn=1400859581}}</ref> They were listed as an "agricultural tribe" by the British Raj in 1925, a term that was then synonymous with classification as a "[[martial race]]".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O4Wop9vwS9sC |title=The Indian Army and the Making of Punjab |first=Rajit K. |last=Mazumder |page=105 |publisher=Orient Longman |year=2003|isbn=9788178240596 }}</ref>

==Genetic studies on Awan==
Centre for Human Genetics of [[Edith Cowan University]], [[Australia]], [[Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (Pakistan)|Armed Forces Institute of Pathology]], [[Pakistan]] and Institute of General Genetics of [[Russian Academy of Science]], [[Russia]] conducted different genetic studies on Awan and its neighbouring tribes, namely [[Khattar (clan)|Khattar]] and [[Rajput]], which concluded that Awans are genetically isolated, endogamous and very different from its neighbouring tribes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=W. Wang|last2=S. G. Sullivan|last3=S. Ahmed|last4=D. Chandler|last5=L. A. Zhivotovsky|last6=A. H. Bittles|date=2000|title=A genome-based study of consanguinity in three co-resident endogamous Pakistan communities|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|journal=Annals of Human Genetics|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|volume=64|issue=Pt 1|pages=41–49|doi=10.1046/j.1469-1809.2000.6410041.x|pmid=11246460|s2cid=21493970|quote=There was a reduction in heterozygosity and high average inbreeding effects (''FIS'' and/or ''HS''), particularly in the Awan, indicating genetic isolation and a high cumulative level of autozygosity.}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted a dental morphology and DNA analysis of major tribes in [[Northern Pakistan]] which recorded that [[Haplogroup T-L206 (Y-DNA)|haplogroup T1]] (originated in [[Israel]]<ref name="Lazaridis16">{{cite journal |last1=Lazaridis |first1=Iosif |display-authors=etal |year=2016 |title=Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East |journal=Nature |volume=536 |issue=7617 |pages=419–424 |bibcode=2016Natur.536..419L |biorxiv=10.1101/059311 |doi=10.1038/nature19310 |pmc=5003663 |pmid=27459054}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2022 |title=Haplogroup T-M184 |url=http://www.owlapps.net/owlapps_apps/articles?id=9238638&lang=en |quote=It appears to have originated somewhere around the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, perhaps somewhere between Israel to the Jordan Valley.}}</ref>) is only found in Awans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nazia |date=2014 |title=GENETIC ANALYSES OF THE MAJOR TRIBES OF ABBOTTABAD AND MANSEHRA DISTRICTS THROUGH DENTAL MORPHOLOGY AND DNA ANALYSES |url=http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/2751/1/2908S.pdf |journal=Department of Genetics Hazara University Mansehra |pages=92}}</ref>

Department of Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]], Department of Anthropology of [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]], [[USA]] and Center for Human Genetics of [[Hazara University]], [[Pakistan]] conducted different studies in which hypervariable segment I (HVSI) from mtDNA was analyzed to establish the genetic lineage of the populations living in [[Northern Pakistan]]. A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 was clearly observed in Awans and they fall in the same genetic cluster as Arab tribe of [[Sayyid|Syeds]] because of their similarity.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=N. Akbar |author2=H. Ahmad |author3=M.S. Nadeem |author4=B.E. Hemphill |author5=K. Muhammad |author6=W. Ahmad |author7=M. Ilyas |date=June 24, 2016 |title=HVSI polymorphism indicates multiple origins of mtDNA in the Hazarewal population of Northern Pakistan |url=http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2016/vol15-2/pdf/gmr7167.pdf |journal=Genetics and Molecular Research |volume=15 |issue=2 |doi=10.4238/gmr.15027167 |pmid=27420957 |access-date=November 28, 2020 |quote=HVSI sequence homology showed that Hazarewal populations fall into three major clusters: Syeds and Awans sorted out into cluster I, ... A three-cytosine deletion (CCC) at position 16191-16193 observed in the ethnic Awan population residing in Mansehra. |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A latest study conducted by [[Zoological Society of Pakistan]] concluded that Awans are genetically identical to [[Pashtuns]], specifically [[Daudzai]] and [[Khalil (Pashtun tribe)|Khalils]] sub-tribes of [[Ghoryakhel tribe]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zubair |first1=Muhammad |last2=Ahmad |first2=Habib |last3=Hemphill |first3=Brian E. |last4=Tariq |first4=Muhammad |last5=Shah |first5=Muzaffar |title=Identification of Genetic Lineage of Peshawar and Nowshera Tribes through Dental Morphology |journal=[[Pakistan Journal of Zoology]] |date=June 2021 |volume=53 |issue=3 |doi=10.17582/journal.pjz/20190927080941 |issn=00309923}}</ref>

==Notable people==

[[File:Nawab of Kalabagh Malik Amir Mohammad khan.jpeg|thumb|150px|[[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]], former [[Nawab]] of Kalabagh, Chief of the Awan tribe, [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966]]
[[File: Noor khan.jpg|thumb|150px|Air Marshal [[Nur Khan]], Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force, 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70]]

* [[Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan]] – Former [[Nawab]] of [[Kalabagh]], Chief of the Awan tribe and [[Governor]] of [[West Pakistan]] from 1960 to 1966.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pakistan Leadership Challenges|last=Khan|first=Jahan Dad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MjZuAAAAMAAJ|page=72|isbn=0195795873}}</ref>
* [[Nur Khan|Air Marshal Nur Khan]] – [[Commander-in-chief]] of the [[Pakistan Air Force]], 1965–69, Governor of West Pakistan, 1969–70, and recipient of the [[Hilal-i-Jurat]], the second-highest military award of [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Papers: Secret and Confidential India-Pakistan-Bangladesh Documents, 1965-1973|last=Khan|first=Roedad|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxpuAAAAMAAJ|page=265|isbn=0195791908}}</ref>
* [[Mir Sultan Khan]] – A [[chess master]] also believed by some to be the greatest natural [[chess]] player of modern times.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sultan|first1=Ather|last2=Sultan|first2=Atiyab|date=17 May 2020|title=CHESS:The Wrath of Khan|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1557393|work=Dawn|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref>
* [[Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi]] – [[Urdu]] poet, journalist, [[literary critic]], dramatist, short story author, recipient of the [[Pride of Performance]] and [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]], the third-highest civil award of Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=Flower on a Grave: Poems from Ahmad Nadeem Qasimi|first=Daud |last=Kamal|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|url=http://global.oup.com/academic/product/flower-on-a-grave-9780195474978|isbn=9780195474978}}</ref>
* [[Sultan Bahu]] – A [[Sufi]] [[mysticism|mystic]], [[poet]], [[scholar]] and founder of [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Sarwari Qadiri]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Friends of God: Sufi Saints in Islam, Popular Poster Art from Pakistan|first=Jürgen Wasim |last=Frembgen|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wzzYAAAAMAAJ|page=103|quote= ... Sultan Bahu (d. 1691) whose real name was Sultan Muhammad. Born into an Awan Family in Shorkot (District Jhang), ... |isbn=0195470060}}</ref>
* [[Khadim Hussain Rizvi]] – A Pakistani [[Islamic scholar]] and the founder of [[Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite news |last= Warraich |first= Suhail |date=10 December 2017 |title=A Barelvi revival? |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/564518-barelvi-revival |work= The News International |location= Islamabad|access-date=24 January 2021}}</ref>
* [[Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan]] – [[Islamic scholar]] and [[Sheikh#Sufi term|spiritual leader]] of the [[Sufism|mystic tradition]] known as [[Naqshbandia Owaisiah]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.naqshbandiaowaisiah.org/hazrat-ameer-muhammad-akram-awan-ra.html |title=Hazrat Ameer Muhammad Akram (RA) |website=Silsala Naqshbandia Owaisia |access-date=3 January 2021}}</ref>
*[[Abdul Mannan Wazirabadi]] – Islamic scholar, [[Faqīh|jurist]] and [[Hadith studies|muhaddith]].<ref>Ustad-e-Punjab (teacher of Punjab), in [[Urdu|Urdu Language]], by Maulana Majeed Sohadravi, Darussalam Pakistan/Muslim Publication, [[Lahore]]. page 41</ref>{{better source|date=May 2022}}
*[[Dilip Kumar]] – An actor in [[Hindi cinema]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Web Team|first=WION|date=July 8, 2021|title=Pakistan mourns the loss of legendary Indian star Dilip Kumar, prayers offered outside ancestral home|work=WION|location=New Delhi, India|url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/pakistan-mourns-the-loss-of-legendary-indian-star-dilip-kumar-prayers-offered-outside-ancestral-home-396784|access-date=July 13, 2021}}</ref>


==See also==
*[[Tribes and clans of the Pothohar Plateau]]
*[[Ahmed Gul Khel]]
*[[Awan Patti]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation|last=Qadeer|first=Mohammad|publisher=Taylor & Francis|date=22 November 2006|isbn=1134186177|page=71}}

{{Castes and Tribes of the Punjab}}

[[Category:Punjabi tribes|*]]
[[Category:Social groups of Pakistan]]