'Abdali

'Abdali
'Abdali. Original name of the Durrani, the royal Pashtun tribe, located in the Kandahar area of Afghanistan.  They claim descent from Tarin and his youngest son Bar Tarin, or 'Abdal, hence their name 'Abdali.   The Abdalis were first mentioned in history in 1589 when the Safavid shah appointed Sado as their chief, entrusting him with the safe passage of long-distance trade from India.  The 'Abdalis remained in the Safavid orbit until 1717 when they declared themselves independent in Herat.  Defeated by Nadir Shah Afshar in 1732, the 'Abdalis were incorporated into his army and moved to Kandahar.  Upon Nadir Shah’s death in 1747, the 'Abdalis founded the Afghan state.  Later, in 1747, Pir Sabir Shah, a sufi shaikh, proclaimed Ahmad Khan of the 'Abdali tribe Badshah, Durr-i Dauran (“King, the Pearl of the Age”), which Ahmad Shah later changed to Durr-i Durran (“Pearl of Pearls”).  His 'Abdali tribe thereafter became known as the Durrani. 

The 'Abdalis (Durranis) have been prominent leaders, as the royal family of Afghanistan is derived from the tribe, and a substantial number of Durrani Pashtuns are bureaucrats and public officials, as well as businessmen and merchants.  The Durranis, like most Pashtuns, are of the Hanafi Sunni Muslim sect and continue to follow the Pashtun honor code known as Pashtunwali.
Durrani see 'Abdali.