Origin of the Burki's of Pakistan

Originally posted by MarcoPolo Im not sure if this topic has been discussed before but I was hoping someone could shed some light on this issue.   In Pakistan we have an ethnic group known as the Burki's, Barakats etc.. who speak a Turkish language (ormari).  I was curious to know where they originated from and in which year they came to settle the mountainous tracts in Pakistan.  Many Burki's are found in Waziristan near Kanigoram but also many have assimiliated into the urban centres of Peshawer, Lahore and in Karachi.  I have heard that Imran Khan, one of Pakistan's newest and most promising politicians is of half Burki lineage.  What else is known about Burki culture, linguistics, customs etc..?   In Pakistan, they are well reknown in the commercial transport industry as it would be almost impossible to stop at any truck shop and not hear a Burki speaking his native tongue which is quite distinct from that spoken by the Wazir/Mahsud (Pashto) whom they often work alongside.   Thanking everyone in advance

Edited by Afghanan - 16-Aug-2008 at 23:45

Hudud al Alam talks about the Burkis, as does CE Bosworths the Ghaznavids.  I'll try to find some online sources for you.

I would like to comment on something over here and that is that nowadays most of the burki's you find are found in punjab...and I am one of them...
Burkis actually originated from North Waziristan and there is still a tribe named the Burkis living there. They have their own language which is the mixture of persian and pashto. Their girls are supposed to be very fare and have red cheeks. Some of those Burkis migrated to Afghanistan and some came to the Sub-Continent after that, around 500 years ago and most of those Burkis have lived in Punjab and after the partition some of them still live in the Punjab of Pakistan.   

Originally posted by Xianpei Can anyone advise of the Burki's ORIGINAL appearance in the past?  Green eyes...yellow hair...or....? Tks!

Some information on Jalandhar Pathans:

The district of Jalandhar was home to well established community of Pashtuns, dating back to at least the 14th Century.^[5] The Burki and Lodhi tribes were closely connected with the district.

• Burki

Traditions of the Burki tribe point settlement in the district in the 16th Century. The earliest settlements were Barikian and Rasta Ikhwand, both in Jalandhar city. After Jalandhar was burnt down by the Gurus of Kartarpur in 1757, Kot Khan Jahan was founded by Khan Jahan. This family was known as the Sadakhel; and other Burki tribes include the Guz, Aliak and Babakhel. Communities of the Burki, in and around the city of Jalandhar were refered to as the basti.

The Babakhel Burki are said to have come from Kaniguram in South Waziristan in 1617, accompaniying Shaikh Darwesh, leader of the Roshaniya (Pir Roshan) sect of Islam. The founded Basti Shaikh, having bought this land from the proprietors of Jalandhar. They are also founded the town of Babakhel.

Basti Guzan was founded in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, by three sons of Musa Khan of Guz tribe.This Musa Khan had come with Shaikh Darwesh from Kaniguram, and had settled initially in Basti Shaikh. Thry afterwards bought land from the Lodhis and Sayyids, and founded Basti Guzan.

Other bastis (villages) founded by the Burki included Basti Ibrahim Khan, Basti Pir Dad Khan and Basti Shah Quli.

• Lodhi

The most important and oldest Pashtun settlement in the district was that of the LodhiMahmud of Ghazna to India, and settled in the region. tribe. Kot Bure Khan, north of the city of Jalandhar, was said to be the orignal settlement of the tribe. According to the Ain-i-Akbari, the Jallandhar Mahal was occupied by the Lodhi who payed a revenue of 14 lakh of dams. The Lodhis of the town of Dhogri, six miles north east of Jalandhar, were among the oldest landowners in the district. Their ancestor Tatar Khan, accompanied, Sultan

The Jalandhar Pathans moved to Pakistan, after the partition of India.

Quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_Pathan