The word “Kakay” or “Kaka” means younger/little boy and/or Paternal Uncle [1] and “Zai” means “offspring/children of”[2] in Pashto. So, “Kakay Zai” or “Kakazai” literally translates into English as “offspring/children/sons of little or younger” boy/brother and/or Paternal Uncle.
The Kakazai (Pashto: کَکا زی / کَکے زی, Urdu, Persian: کَکا زَئی / کَکے زَئی), also known as Loye Mamund (Urdu: لو ئے مَاموند), are an Afghan/Pashtun (پشتون / پختون) Tribe [3][4] which hailed from Laghman (لغمان), Afghanistan.[5] They came to subcontinent (today’s Pakistan, India and Bangladesh) with the Afghan invading armies like Mehmood/Mahmud Ghaznavi[6][7][8] and later on settled in various parts of subcontinent.
Famous Afghan/Pathan historian Khan Roshan Khan has provided some background of Kakazai/Kakezai/Kakay Zai/Kakayzai Afghan/Pathan tribe in his famous book “Tazkara.” (Pages 176 – 181)
 Read Page 180-181 in Urdu |
 Read Page 178-179 in Urdu |
 Read Page 176-177 in Urdu |
During independence of subcontinent, Kakazai tribesmen/villagers from Gurdaspur, East Punjab (settled in twelve villages, Babal Chak, Faizullah Chak, Sut Kohiah/Satkoha, Wazir Chak .etc near Dahriwal,[9] who used to cultivate land, but also considerable number of their young men fought in two world wars) fought bravely to aggressors. Though, initially, they were informed that their area is going to be in Pakistan making them quite relaxed, but in August 1947, they learned that their area would be a part of India.[10] They were caught unprepared and had to face one of the biggest tragedies of the history.[11]
Today, the majority of the Kakazai reside in Pakistan and Afghanistan (Marawara, Barkanai and Shortan areas of Kunar and some areas of Laghman), in the areas of Dara Kakazai (Valley of Watlai), Bajaur Agency (Lagharai, Kalozai, Kaga, Mukha, Maina and Ghakhi areas of Tehsil Mamund), Lahore, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Sialkot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Quetta, Karachi, Kashmir, Jehlum, Bhalwal, Sargodha, Chakwal, Isa Khel, Musa Khel, and Killi Kakazai (Pishin, Baluchistan). Consequently, their spoken languages include but not limited to Pashto, Punjabi, Siriaki, Balochi .etc
Some Kakazai Pashtuns may also like to add “Malik” with their first or last name.
Famous Kakazai Pashtuns include Navab Bahadur Yar Jang and Abdullah Malik.
Other combination of spellings may include:
- Kakezai
- Kakayzai
- Kakazai
- Kakay Zai
- Kaka Zai
Sub-divisions of Kakazai Pashtun Tribe
- Daulat Khel (دولت خیل)
- Khulozai (خلو زئی)
- Mahsud Khel (محسود خیل)
- Maghdud Khel (مغدود خیل)
- Mahmud Khel (محمود خیل)
- Umar Khel (عمر خیل)
- Yusaf Khel (یوسف خیل)
Notes:
[1]. http://www.khyber.org/culture/names/boynames.shtml
[2]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yousafzai
[3]. http://fatabajaur.blogspot.com/2011/06/tarkanri-tarkalani-or-tarkani-tribe-of.html
http://www.afghanan.net/pashto/pashtunwali/retrospect.htm
[4]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Pashtun
[5]. http://www.answers.com/topic/laghman-province
[6]. http://www.cyberistan.org/misub28294445.pdf
[7]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmud_Ghaznavi
[8]. http://www.punjabonline.com/servlet/library.history?Action=History
[9]. http://www.mypind.com/vlgurd.htm
[10]. http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/archives_roll/2002_01-03/
chester_partition/chester_partition.html
[11]. http://zararshaheedtrust.org/incident/inside/zarar.html
Sources:
Various
Related Link:
“Non-Pashto Speaking Kakazai/Kakay Zai Afghan/Pathans and Pashto-Speaking ‘Real’ Afghan/Pathans”
by Ali Khan
http://www.kakazai.com/2005/07/22/non-pashto-speaking-aghanpathans-
aghanpathans-and-pashto-speaking-real-afghanpathans/
Written by:
by Ali Khan
http://www.AliKhan.org