The Utmankhel (; ) are a Pashtun tribe primarily inhabiting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, with smaller populations in Afghanistan. They are members of the Karlani tribal confederacy and are concentrated in the Bajaur District, Malakand District, Mohmand District (specifically the Prang Ghar sub-division), and Lower Dir District. Significant numbers also reside in Mardan, Swabi, and Peshawar.
According to tribal tradition, the Utmankhel are descendants of Baba Utman, a follower of Mahmud of Ghazni. They are believed to have migrated from the Sulaiman Mountains near Tank and the Gomal River in the early 14th century, eventually settling in their current territories between the Swat River and Bajaur during the 16th centuryâÂÂthe same period the Yousafzai occupied Swat.
Historically, the Utmankhel maintained a reputation for independence, frequently resisting both Mughal and British authority. During the British Raj, colonial administrators classified the Utmankhel as a "warlike" people and included them among the Martial Races due to their fierce resistance in regions like Prang Ghar and the Malakand Pass.
The Utmankhel speak the Northeastern (Yousafzai) dialect of Pashto. While they have largely assimilated the dress and general customs of their neighbors in Bajaur and Swat, they maintain a distinct tribal constitution known as Utmankheli, a set of unwritten laws passed through the Jirga system that governs their lifestyle and dispute resolution.