Sur (Pashtun tribe)


Sur, also known as Suri, Zur and Zuri, are a historical Pashtun tribe living primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They supposedly trace their descent to the Ghorids, a dynasty originating from Mandesh in the Ghor region of modern-day central Afghanistan. The founder of the Suri Empire who ruled parts of India, Sher Shah Suri, belonged to the Sur tribe of the Pashtuns. They ruled the Suri Empire from 1540 until they were removed from power in 1555 after the Battle of Sirhind by Humayun and the Persian army, who re-established the Mughal Empire.
Today, the Sur are part of the Pashtun tribal system, and identify with the Lodi Bettani confederacy. The Sur are also related to the Ghilji, another Bettani tribal confederacy but it is also believed that Suri is the sub-tribe of Kakar Pashtun.

History

Amir Suri

was a Buddhist king from the ancient Ghorid dynasty in the 9th and 10th century. He was a descendant of the Ghorid king Amir Banji Baharan whose rule was legitimized by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid after a peace treaty. Amir Suri was defeated in war with the Saffarid ruler Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar.

Amir Muhammad ibn Suri

, despite his name, was also a Buddhist king of the Ghorid dynasty from the 10th century to 1011. He fought against Mahmud of Ghazni. According to Minhaju-S Siraj, ibn Suri was defeated and captured by Mahmud of Ghazni, made prisoner along with his son Abu Ali and taken to Ghazni, where ibn Suri died by poisoning himself.
Ibn Suri's son Abu Ali ibn Muhammad later converted to Islam, and constructed mosques and Islamic schools in Ghor.

Conversion to Islam

According to tradition, Surs are descended from the Ghori tribe. Several books by Islamic historians including Tarikh-I-Guzida of Hamdu-lla-Mustaufi, Towareekh Yumny, as well as Ferishta record that besides Muslim Surs there were also Non-Muslim Hindu and Buddhist, pagan Surs, who were attacked by Mahmud of Ghazni and converted to Islam by him.
Ferishta states that the rulers of Ghor belonged to the Sur tribe, with Tarikh Yamini saying that Ghor was only converted after attacks of Mahmud while Tabaqat-i Nasiri claims they were converted even before him.

Other famous Surs

Another Sur king, Amir Banji Baharan, was appointed by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid as the king of Ghor after he signed a peace treaty.
The most famous Sur in history was Sher Shah Suri of Sasaram, Bihar, who ruled the Sur Empire which covered a large northern territory of the Indian subcontinent, with Delhi serving as its capital.