Afghana


Afghana or Avagana is a tribal chief or prince in Pashtun, said to be of Bani Israel origin, who is traditionally considered the progenitor of modern-day Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and second largest in Pakistan. The ethnonym "Afghan" is believed to derive from his name.

House of King Saul

According to the Tanakh, King Saul was the son of Kish, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel. Saul married Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz and had four sons and two daughters. The sons were Jonathan, Abinadab, Malchishua and Ish-bosheth. Saul's daughters were named Merab and Michal.
Pashtun folklore and some historians suggest that King Saul had five sons instead of four, the fifth was named Irmia.
The legend describes Malak Afghana as the son of Irmia and grandson of King Saul. This name is mentioned in the form of Abgan in the 3rd century CE by the Sassanians and as Avagana in the 6th century CE by Indian astronomer Varahamihira.
It is mentioned that Afghana was orphaned at a young age, and brought up by King David. When Solomon became the king, Afghana was made commander-in-chief of the army. Malak Afghana is also credited with the building of the first temple in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, known later in Arabic as the Haram al-Sharif :
According to Tadhkirat al-Muluk, Malak Afghana migrated to the place known as Takht-i-Sulaiman and generations later Qais Abdur Rashid, a descendant of Malak Afghana, embraced Islam.

Death

According to legend, after his death he was buried in what is now Zhob Sulaiman Mountains in Pakistan. In other folklore however, Qais Abdur Rashid in his old age, when he felt his time was near, asked his sons to bury him in the vicinity of Zhob at the location where his ancestor Afghana was buried.