Loni (Pashtun tribe)

Luni (also spelled as Loni) is one of the tribes of Pashtuns, mainly living in Pakistan with its minority in Afghanistan.

Main body of Lunis is to be found in Duki District and a minority living at Sibi (Luni, Balochistan) and Afghanistan (Ghazni and Kandahar)

"The Lunis are descended from Miana (Pashtun tribe) and are, therefore, connected with the Jafars of the Musa Khel Tahsil. They designate themselves Durranis, the reason for which may be found in the fact that Miani was a brother of Tarin, the ancestor of the Durranis. Living near the Baloch, and being constantly at feud with them, the Lunis appear to have adopted the arbitrary distribution of their component groups into large clans or divisions, which is common among the former. The tribe was, therefore, divided into the three main clans— Drigzai or Drugzai, Palao and Rakhanwal. According to local accounts the Lunis are descended from Laun, Durrani. Originally they were a pastoral tribe come down from Khurasan to graze their flocks in Baghao ,Rarkan, Kingri, etc., returning to Khurasan for the summer. The eldest son of Laun was Shame, from whom are descended the Shamezais who are the Sardarkhel or chiefs family. After Shame, the chiefs of the tribe were successively Abubakar, Hatang and Haidar. In the time of Ghazi Khan, son of Haidar, a few of the Lunis remained behind in Rarkan, while in the time of his son and successor Muhammad Khan, the migration back to Khurasan entirely ceased. Muhammad Khan founded the village of Kot Khan Muhammad in Kingri. Muhammad Khan had seven sons, of whom Dost Muhammad migrated to Dera Ghazi Khan, and Perag Khan commenced cultivation in Rarkan, RaraSham, etc. The Lunis came into collision with the Musa Khels at Hazargat on the Luni river, and in one of the fights 400 Lunis were killed when the remainder moved to Chamalang and Nath-ki-chap. Perag Khan had two sons— Jalal Khan and Paind Khan — and on the former's death Paind Khan became the chief as Samandar Khan, son of Jalal Khan, was a weak man. Paind Khan collected a force of 800 men, and attacked some Marris who were living with the Khetrans. Babul Khan, Khetran, claimed the restoration of the property looted, but the Lunis declined to give it up. In the fighting which ensued the Lunis were at first successful, but the Khetrans and Marris at length collected in such force that the Lunis were obliged to retire towards Lakhi. Paind Khan was succeeded by Samandar Khan, and on the latter's death in 1893 Sardar Nawab khan became the chief and was given the title of "Khan Bahadur" in 1900. The Lunis are excellent soldiers and fine men. On grand occasions they make a great show of men in armour and of horsemen with tasselled spears. They are not on good terms with the Marris."

“Paind Khan, who was held in great respect by the tribe, was assassinated about 1878 by a Kakar; he had gone to the Kakar country for the purpose of raising an army to co-operate with his own tribe against the Marris. The present Sirdar, Samandar Khan, was Paind Khan's nephew; Paind Khan had no son ; Samandar Khan's father's name was Jalal Khan. About 1879 the Zhob Kakars, under Dost Mahomed Saran, attacked the Lunis, but were driven off with loss.

Luni country (Luni Tehsil Duki District & portions of Musakhail District):

“Generally speaking, the Luni country may be said to extend from the Bori valley and Thal plain to the foot of the main eastern branch of the Sulaiman hills; it thus includes the sources and whole course of the Narechi river, the Chamalang valley, Nath-ki-Chap(Nath Ghar) , Girda Kach, a great portion of the Bagao valley, the Rara and Rarkan Shams, and the Siren valley. The base of the Hinglun and Kala Pahar range limits them in the east, on the south the Rakni plain and the Butur range of hills closes them in, on the west is the Thal township, and the Bori valley on the north; the hills limiting the lakhi plain also separate the Luni from the Hamzazai country; they claim further khan Mahomed Kot at the foot of the Hazargat mountain, but at present, Khan Mahomed Kot is reckoned as in the possession of the Musa Khels; the Musa Khel, Hamzazai and Bori Kakars , with the Tarins and Shadozais of Thal, lie on their north and west, the Bozdars lie on their east, whilst to their south are the Khetrans of Bagao and Rakhni, and the Marris aud Zarkuns of Kohlu . The total area of their nominal territory may be put down as about 1,920 square miles, of which at least one-third is mountains, and the rest plain.”

1895 Luni-Marri case (loralai Gazzete 1907):

"There had been constant disputes and fighting between the Luni and Marri tribes in connection with the grazing on the Chamalang plain, and these culminated in April 1895 in a raid by the Lohárani Marris into the Luni country. when fourteen Lunis were killed. A counter raid was made by the Lunis , which resulted in the death of eight Marris. The case was heard by the Quetta Shahi Jirga, and compensation to the amount of Rs 18,420 was awarded against the Marris and Rs. 8,800 against the Lunis. Four Marris and six Lunis were sentenced to transportation for life, and others of both tribes to shorter terms of imprisonment. The Marri and Luni chiefs were required to furnish heavy securities for their future good behaviour, and the rate of blood money between the tribes was raised from Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,000."

Population

As of 1998 Loni had largest population in the Pashtun tribes.

Notable members

• Sardar Asmat loni Chief of loni
• Sardar Hafeez loni
• Sardar Masood Ali Khan Luni
• Abdul Aziz khan Luni ( head of Sibi Lunis and historian )
• Late Sardar Muhammad Tahir Khan Luni
• Shaheed Arman Khan Luni
• Qadir Looni