The earliest record of
Afghans in India is
during the late 13th century when they began migrating during the
Khalji dynasty who formed an empire in
Northern India. It was founded by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji and became the second Muslim dynasty to rule the Delhi sultanate of India. The
Lodi dynasty ruled Northern India until the invasion of
Babur in 1526, at which point the
Mughal Empire was created. During this period Afghans from
Kabulistan began arriving to India for business and pleasure. The
Sur Empire replaced the Mughal Empire from 1540 to 1557. Other Pashtuns began invading India until the
Sikh Empire came to power. This formed a barrier between Afghanistan (
Durrani Empire) and British India. Afghans were required visas to enter India after this period. The distinguished military general and eminent Sufi saint,
Malik Ibrahim Bayu of
Ghazni, came to Delhi in the early 14th century to serve under the tutelage of Sultan
Muhammad bin Tughlaq, becoming commander-in-chief in 1324 AD. As a general, he was sent by The Sultan to punish the Raja Bithal, the Governor (
Subedar) of
Bihar, due to several complaints he had received against the governor, and furthermore, because of his tyranny and rebellious nature towards The Sultan of Delhi. After a fierce battle, the Raja was killed and his army was defeated. The conquest of Bihar was a brilliant achievement, and on this occasion, the Sultan conferred upon Syed Ibrahim Malik the title of "Madarul Mulk" means Malik or Saif-o-Daulat (Administrator and King of Sword and Wealth). Following Syed Ibrahim Malik's remarkable conquest, he was appointed the Governor of the State of Bihar, after which he chose to settle with his family and relatives in
Bihar Sharif. He served as the governor of Bihar and general for a few years, from 1351 to 1353 AD, and during his time as general in Bihar, led many expeditions such as Deora and Khatangi, along with others. When the fighting had finally stopped, Syed Ibrahim Malik established law and order in the region. After peace prevailed, one night, when Syed Ibrahim Malik Baya headed out of the fort, he was assassinated by a group of enemy soldiers, hidden in the darkness outside. Syed Ibrahim Malik died on Sunday, 13th Dul Hajj 753 AH/20 January 1353 AD. His body was brought to
Bihar Sharif for burial, where he had lived nearly his entire life with his family, relatives, and kinsmen. The
Pashtun ruler of Bihar
Sher Shah Suri (Farid Khan) defeated the
Mughal emperor Humayun in 1540. After his accidental death in 1545, his son
Islam Shah became his successor. He first served as a private before rising to become a commander in the Mughal army under
Babur and then as the governor of Bihar. In 1537, when Babur's son
Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah overran the state of Bengal and established the
Sur Dynasty. A brilliant strategist, Sher Shah proved himself a gifted administrator as well as a capable general. His reorganization of the empire laid the foundations for the later Mughal emperors, notably
Akbar, son of Humayun. He extended the Grand Trunk Road from Chittagong in the frontiers of the province of Bengal in near eastern India to Kabul in Afghanistan in the far northwest of the country. During the 19th century, many Afghans migrated to India. Prominent among them were the families of
Nawab of Sardhana and the
Qizilbashi Agha family of
Srinagar,
Kashmir. Both the families had martial lineage and belonged to the feudal aristocracy.
Partition of India and the arrival of Afghan refugees actor and director
Feroz Khan in 2005 Before and after the
partition of India in 1947, a number of Afghans left their native areas in order to take permanent residency in major Indian cities such as
Mumbai and
Bangalore. Some of those immigrants got involved in the
Bollywood film industry, which had already been dominated by people originating from the
Pashtunistan region. Some of the well-known Indian actors and producers of Afghan heritage are
Feroz Khan,
Salim Khan and
Kader Khan. All of the early Afghans have acquired citizenship of India in accordance with Indian law. As such, they are widely recognized as Indians. After the start of the
Soviet–Afghan War in 1979, approximately 60,000
Afghans took temporary residency in India, most of them being Hindu and Sikh Afghans. Many of them have subsequently immigrated to countries in
Europe,
North America and
Oceania. Some have returned to their native areas in Afghanistan after the formation of the
Karzai administration in late 2001. Those that remained in India have applied for
citizenship of India. According to UNHCR, India currently hosts at least 15,806
Afghan refugees within its borders. Religiously, they include
Hindus,
Sikhs,
Muslims, and
Christians The majority of them reside in the capital
Delhi, specifically in the neighborhoods of
Lajpat Nagar,
Bhogal and
Malviya Nagar. In addition to the refugees, thousands of Afghan students study in
Indian universities.
Afghan citizens use India as a temporary place of residence until they are
firmly settled in countries of Europe, North America or Oceania. Those who are denied admission into those countries can either remain in India, travel to another country, or return to Afghanistan. In 2021, following the end of the latest
war in Afghanistan, India offered an emergency visa (the 'e-Emergency X-Misc Visa') to some Afghan nationals. == Pashto-speaking communities in India ==