| Ghilji | |
|---|---|
 Ghilji chieftains in Kabul (c. 1880) | |
| Ethnicity | Pashtuns |
| Location | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
| Branches | Ahmadzai, Akakhel, Andar, Hotak, Ibrahimkhel, Ibrahimzai, Kharoti, Lodi, Nasar, Stanikzai, Sakzai, Sulaimankhel, Tarakai, Tokhi |
| Language | Pashto |
| Religion |  Islam |
The Ghiljī (Pashto: غلجي, pronounced [ɣəlˈd͡ʒi];[a] Persian: خیلجی, romanized: Xelji) also spelled Khilji, Khalji, or Ghilzai and Ghilzay (غلزی), are one of the largest Pashtun tribes. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Qalati Ghilji in Afghanistan but they have also settled in other regions throughout the Afghanistan-Pakistan Pashtun belt.[1][2] The modern nomadic Kochi people are predominantly made up of Ghilji tribes.[3] The Ghilji make up around 20–25% of Afghanistan's total population.[4]
They mostly speak the central dialect of Pashto with transitional features between the southern and northern varieties of Pashto.[citation needed]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Frye, R.N. (1999). "GHALZAY". Encyclopaedia of Islam (CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0 ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.
- ^ Lee, Jonathan (12 November 2018). Afghanistan, A History From 1260 To The Present Day. New Zealand: Reaktion Books. p. 52. ISBN 9781789140101.
- ^ "Khaljies are Afghan". Abdul Hai Habibi. alamahabibi.com. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ^ "Ghilzai Tribe". www.afghan-bios.info. September 2021.