Twilight of the Sultanate c19.s3.2

c19.s3.2

LODI IN THE Afghan tongue signifies the great, the grown up, the elder.¹ According to Muslim chronicles², in the eighteenth generation from Adam was born Ibrāhīm, the beloved friend of God. His son Yaqūb had twelve sons who together were the progenitors of the tribes known as the Israelites. One of the descendants of Yaqūb, in the seventh generation after him, was Talut or Saul. Talut had two sons, one of whom was named Irmiya or Jeremiah. Irmiya had a son named Afghan, who is supposed to have given the name to the Afghan people.³ Qais, a descendant of Afghan, in the thirty-fifth generation from him, with many of his kinsmen or Bani Israel had settled in Ghor. They repaired to the Prophet's standard on an invitation from Khalik bin Walīd one of Prophet Muhammad's companions, and were converted to Islam. Qais was given the name of 'Abdur Rashīd and with the help of his kinsmen, the Bani Israel, waged many wars on the Prophet's behalf. The Prophet was so pleased with Qais that he called him Malik (king) and Pehtan (keel or rudder of a ship) for showing his people the path of true religion. This explains how the Afghans and Pathans (changed from Pehtan) came into being and how they all love the title of Malik.