Yusufzai

The Yusufzai, also spelled Yousafzai, are a prominent Pashtun tribe primarily located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and in eastern Afghanistan. The name means "descendants of Yusuf" and reflects a common Pashtun naming practice in which zai or zai denotes lineage.

They are generally considered part of the broader Pashtun ethnolinguistic group, with some genealogies linking them to the Karlani branch. The Yusufzai speak Pashto, and the Yusufzai dialect is common in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas. Their main settlements cluster in the Swat district and nearby districts such as Mardan, Sawabi, Buner, and Dir, with smaller communities across the border in eastern Afghanistan.

Historically, the Yusufzai settled in the Swat region and developed social and political structures that influenced Pashtun regional dynamics. The area has long been a crossroads of trade and migration, and Yusufzai communities have interacted with neighboring tribes, empires, and later the states of Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the frontier region experienced significant political and social changes, shaping contemporary identities. In recent decades, socio-economic developments and displacement associated with conflict in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area have affected Yusufzai communities, with many relocating to urban centers and abroad.

Notable individuals from the Yusufzai/Yousafzai community include Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2014, whose advocacy for girls’ education has brought international attention to the region.