Tribal Organisation & Code

Tribal Organization :

The family unit, called Khanadan (in Pushtu) is the smallest in the tribal structure. Closely related families join together to form a clan. The clan joins with other clans to form a sub-tribe, which, in its turn, unites with other sub-tribes to for a tribe-called kheyl.

The leader of the tribe is the khan, usually a member of the most aristocratic family group in the khan kheyl. Many tribes have an hereditary chieftainship within the family. In other tribes the men are very independent and exercise their right to settle all important issues, including who shall lead the tribe, in a tribal council or assemble (jirga). but formally acclaimend as the will of the tribe.

The khan is responsible for the protection and prosperity of his people, as well as for settling disputes and carrying out decisions of the jirga. The Khan is automatically an individual whose tribe holds him in high regard. He is respected for qualities of leadership, wisdom, piety, valor, and hospitability. Learning and renowned ancestry are also important.

Tribal Code :

Tribal law in this part of the world is as old as way of life itself. It is more than a set evolved over the centuries by nomadic peoples living in desert climates all the way from the Mediterranean to far Mongolia, It recognizes the need for an established authority to maintain the unity of the tribe, and it defines the rules of behaviour in the tribesmen's relations with each other.

Although the Afghans come from a number of ethnic backgrounds, most of them have a fairly similar outlook on life, which is based on their Moslem religion and their tribal tradition.