Pashtuns
Total population:	c. 40-42 million (est.)[1]
Significant populations in:	Pakistan: 28,000,000[2] Afghanistan: 12,500,000[3] Iran:    500,000 United Arab Emirates:    126,000 United Kingdom:    88,000 Turkey:    54,000 United States:    44,000 India:    40,000 Germany:    35,000 France:    33,000 Austria:    31,000 Tajikistan:    26,000 Netherlands:    26,000 Image File history File links Pashtuns. ...
Language:	Pashto
Religion:	Islam, Judaism, small groups of agnostic/atheists
Related ethnic groups:	Indo-European   Iranian Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... Over at least the last two thousand years, Judaism has not been monolithic in practice, and has not had any centralized authority or binding dogma. ... The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Nontheism. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ...

The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group consisting mainly of eastern Iranian stock living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and the North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. Large additional colonies can be found in the Northern Areas, Azad Kashmir, and the cities of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan as well as throughout other parts of Afghanistan. There are smaller communities in Iran and India, and a large migrant worker community in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their language, their pre-Islamic indigenous code of honor and culture Pashtunwali, and adherence to Islam. North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is geographically the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. ... Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are areas of Pakistan outside any of the four provinces, comprising a region of some 27,220 km² (10,507 mi²). Neighbouring regions are: Afghanistan to the west with the border marked by the Durand Line, North-West Frontier to the north, Punjab to the... Baluchistan (or Balochistan), also known as Greater Baluchistan is an arid region of south Asia, presently split between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Pakistan Administered Kashmir Capital Muzaffarabad Status Disputed Territory Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Karachi (كراچى) is the largest city in Pakistan and the capital of the province of Sindh. ... Islamabad (Urdu: ‏اسلام آباد, population 955,629) is the capital city of Pakistan, located in the Potwar Plateau, north-east of the country. ... South section of the Hazuri Bagh, looking south towards the Roshnai Gate The Minar-e-Pakistan, south-side view Lahore (لاھور) is a major city in Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Pashtunwali is the indigenous pre-Islamic honor code (which some believe is a religion) of the ethnic Afghan people, otherwise known as the Pashtun people. ... Islām is described as a dÄ«n, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ...

The Pashtuns are the world's largest segmentary lineage (patriarchal) tribal group in existence. The total population of the group is estimated to be over 40 million, but an accurate count remains difficult to verify as there has not been an official census in Afghanistan since the 1970s, while in Pakistan, due to the migratory nature of many Pashtun tribes as well as the practice of secluding women, exact figures are to hard to attain. A segmentary lineage society is characterized by the organization of the society into segments. ...

History and Origins

Main areas populated by Pashtuns including overlapping regions

Pashtun culture is ancient and much of it is yet to be recorded in contemporary times. There are many conflicting theories, some contemporary and some ancient, about the origins of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (966x1233, 369 KB) Summary http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (966x1233, 369 KB) Summary http://www. ...

Ancient references

Herodotus and several other Greek and Roman historians had mentioned a people called 'Pactyan' living on the eastern frontier of Iran as early as the first millennium CE. It has been conjectured that these may be the ancestors of today's Pashtuns, but there is no specific evidence for this. In addition, the Rig-Veda mentions a tribe called the 'Pakhat' as inhabiting present-day Afghanistan and some have speculated that they may have been early ancestors of the Pashtuns, but this remains unproven. The Bactrians appear to have spoken a related Eastern Iranian language and it is conceivable that the Pashtuns are at least partially descended from them, especially Pashtuns in the Kabul and Peshawar regions. Bust of Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: Ἡροδοτος, Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ... The Rig Veda ऋग्वेद (Sanskrit á¹›gveda from á¹›c praise + veda knowledge) is a collection of hymns(each hymn is called a Rucha.) counted among the four Hindu religious scriptures known as the Vedas, and contains the oldest texts preserved in any Indo-Iranian language. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh). ... Kabul Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... Peshāwar (translates to City on the Frontier from Persian; known as Pai-khawar in Pashto; in ancient times known as Purushapura in Sanskrit) is a city in Pakistans North-West Frontier Province (pop. ...

The Pashtuns most likely were living near somewhere in the vicinity of the city of Kandahar and the Suleiman Mountains and began expanding millennia ago. Due to their geographic location, they have often been in close contact with the Persians, while religiously most Pashtuns, according to archaeological evidence, were most likely Buddhist and Zoroastrian with small minorities of pagans, Hindus, and Jews prior to the coming of Arab Muslim invaders in the 8th century CE. Kandahār (or Qandahār) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. ... Satellite image of a part of the Sulaiman Range. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Zoroastrianism was adapted from an earlier, polytheistic faith by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) in Persia very roughly around 1000 BC (although, in the absence of written records, some scholars estimates are as late as 600 BC). ... Paganism (from Latin paganus) and Heathenry are catch-all terms which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions. ... A Hindu (also spelt Hindoo) is an adherent of philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, also known as Sanatan (सनातन) Dharma, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal and the island of Bali A popular name for India is Hindustan, or Land of the Hindus. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large and heterogenous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also spelled Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ...

According to the writer W.K. Fraser Tytler writing in his book Afghanistan (1950), "The word Afghan… first appears in history in the Hudud-al-Alam, a work by an unknown Arab geographer who wrote in 982 CE." Until the advent of the modern Afghan state in the 18th century, the word Afghan had been synonymous with Pashtun.

"The supposition that the Pathans are any different from the Afghans is not borne out either by the legendary accounts associated with the origin of this people or by historical or ethnological data." (Afghan Immigration in the Early Middle Ages, by K.S Lal).

From the 1st century BCE to the 5th century CE the regions where the Pashtuns lived saw immense migrations of Eurasian peoples including the Aryans, Persians, Sakas, Scythians, Kushans, Huns, and Greeks. Later invaders would include Muslim Arabs and Central Asian Turkic tribes as well as the devastating assaults by the Mongols. The term Iranian may refer to: the inhabitants of the modern nation of Iran, which includes several ethnolinguistic groups. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Indo-Aryans known as the Scythians. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Many historians consider the Huns (meaning person in Mongolian language) the first Mongolian and Turkic people mentioned in European history. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large and heterogenous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... Turkic peoples are Northern and Central Eurasian peoples who speak languages belonging to the Turkic family, and who, in varying degrees, share certain cultural and historical traits. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Anthropological and linguistic evidence

According to most anthropologists, Pashto-speaking Pashtuns appear to be primarily of Iranian origin (as well as being modified by various other invaders and migrants over the centuries) and are very similar to the Persians, Kurds, Tajiks and Baluchis. These anthropologists believe the Pashtuns have eastern Iranian origins as the Pashto language is classified as an eastern Iranian tongue distantly related to Ossetic among other Iranian languages (see Ethnologue for further details). Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... The Baluch (alternative spelling Baloch) are an ethnic group of Iranian origin. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics), a Christian linguistic service organization which studies lesser-known languages primarily to provide the speakers with native language biblical texts. ...

The Pashto-speaking Pashtuns refer to themselves as Pashtuns or Pukhtuns depending upon whether they are speakers of the southern dialect or northern dialect respectively. These Pashtuns compose the core of ethnic Pashtuns who are predominantly an Iranian people and found in southern and eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan. Many Pashto-speaking Pashtuns have however intermingled with various invaders, neighboring groups, and migrants (as have the other Iranian peoples) including possibly the Ghilzai who may have mingled with Turkic tribes, the Durrani who have interacted considerably with the Tajiks (another Iranian people), and Pashtun tribes north of Peshawar who have mingled with Dardic groups. In terms of phenotype, the Pashto-speaking Pashtuns overall are predominantly a Caucasoid people with Mediterranean features, but blonde hair and blue and green eyes are not uncommon, especially amongst remote mountain tribes. The Ghilzais (also known as Khiljis or Ghaljis) are one of two largest groups of Pashtuns, along with the Durrani tribe, found in Afghanistan with a large group also found in neighboring Pakistan. ... Turkic peoples are Northern and Central Eurasian peoples who speak languages belonging to the Turkic family, and who, in varying degrees, share certain cultural and historical traits. ... The Durrani or Abdali tribe is one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and are also found in large numbers in western Pakistan. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... Peshāwar (translates to City on the Frontier from Persian; known as Pai-khawar in Pashto; in ancient times known as Purushapura in Sanskrit) is a city in Pakistans North-West Frontier Province (pop. ... The Dardic languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages. ... Typical Caucasoid Skull Caucasoid is a racial classification usually used as part of a system also including Australoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and sometimes others such as Capoid. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

Transitional groups

In terms of language use, various transitional groups of Pashtuns show varying degrees of overlap with neighboring populations. A prime example are the 'Punjabi Pathans' who appear to be of mixed Pashtun and Punjabi origin and tend to be bilingual in Pashto and Hindko and can be found mainly in northern Pakistan. In addition, many Durrani in Afghanistan tend to be bilingual in Pashto and Dari or sometimes simply speak Dari. Punjabis are an Indo-Aryan people native to the Punjab region located in the north west corner of the Indian subcontinent. ... Hindko is an ancient language spoken in the Indian subcontinent. ... The term Dari derives from Fârsi-e Darbâri which means Persian of the (royal) courts. It developed at the royal courts of the Samanids (980 AD) in Central Asia and became the major language of Persia. ...

Claimants of Pashtun descent

There are also various groups which claim Pashtun descent and are largely found amongst other groups in Afghanistan and South Asia and generally do not speak Pashto and are often considered either overlapping groups or are simply assigned to the ethno-linguistic group that fits their geographic location and their mother tongue. Some groups who claim Pashtun descent and yet generally do not speak Pashto include the Hazaragi Pashtuns who are of mixed Pashtun and Hazara ancestry as well as some persianized tribes in Afghanistan. Many claimants of Pashtun heritage in India have mixed with local Indian populations and refer to themselves (and Pashto-speaking Pashtuns and often Afghans in general) in the Urdu variant Pathan rather than Pashtun or Pukhtun. These populations are usually only part-Pashtun, to varying degrees, and often trace their Pashtun ancestry through a paternal lineage, and are not universally viewed as ethnic Pashtuns (see section below on 'Who is a Pashtun' for further analysis). These groups with partial Pashtun heritage sometimes show traces of Mongol ancestry such as the Hazaragi Pashtuns while Pathans in India often display many phenotype similarities to Indian groups Composite satellite image of South Asia Map of South Asia. ... Hazaragi is a dialect of the Persian language, with a significant deviation from it to be on the borderline of being a separate language. ... The Hazara ethnic group resides mainly in the central Afghanistan mountain region called Hazarajat. They make up anywhere between 9-20% of Afghanistans population, but an accurate census has not been taken in decades so there is little information to verify at present. ... Urdu (اردو) is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family which developed under Persian, Turkish, and Arabic influence in the South Asia during the time of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1200-1800). ... Honorary guard of Mongolia. ...

Indigenous oral tradition of Pashtun origins

In addition, some anthropologists lend credence to the oral traditions of the elder Pashtun tribes themselves. For example, according to the Encyclopedia of Islam, the Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites is traced to Maghzan-e-Afghani who compiled a history for Khan-e-Jehan Lodhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in the 16th century CE. Another book, Taaqati-Nasiri, states that in the 7th century a people called the Bani Israel settled in Ghor, southeast of Herat, Afghanistan and then migrated south and east. This account corresponds with most Pashtun historical records as to where some tribes resided before migrating towards modern day Pakistan and India. These Bani Israel references are in line with the commonly held view by Pashtuns that when the twelve tribes of Israel were dispersed (see Israel and Judah, Lost Ten Tribes), the tribe of Joseph among other Hebrew tribes settled in the region. Hence the term 'Yusef Zai' in Pashto translates to the 'sons of Joseph'. The Afridis also claim through oral tradition that they are descendents of the Bani Israel tribe of Ephraim. The Encyclopedia of Islam (EI) is a scholarly encyclopedia covering all aspects of Islamic civilization and history. ... The theory that the Pashtun or ethnic Afghans are descended from the ancient Israelites—more precisely, from the perspective of Jewish history the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel— has a longstanding basis as a tradition among the Pashtun themselves, was widely accepted by 19th century British scholars, and has... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... Nuruddin Jahangir (August 31, 1569 - October 28, 1627) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until 1627. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... In compiling the history of ancient Israel and Judah, there are many available sources, including the Jewish Tanakh (the Old Testament of the Christian Bible), other Jewish texts such as the Talmud, the Ethiopian book of history known as the Kebra Nagast, the writings of historians such as Nicolaus of... Lost Ten Tribes, also referenced as the Ten Lost Tribes or the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, usually refers to the tribes of the ancient Kingdom of Israel that disappear from the Biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was totally destroyed, enslaved and exiled by ancient Assyria. ... Joseph is a given name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, and Tiberian Hebrew YôsÄ“pÌ„. In Arabic, including in the Quran, the name is spelt يوسف or YÅ«suf. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ...

Other Pashtun tribes claim descent from Arabs including some even claiming to be descendents of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. The partial Arab descent for some tribes may be possible as small groups of Arab tribes did settle amongst the Pashtuns tribes during the rise of Islam. Some groups such as the Afridis also claim to be descended from Alexander the Great's Greeks. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ... Afridi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ...

Maghzan-e-Afghani's Bani-Israel theory has largely been debunked due to historical and linguistic inconsistencies. The oral tradition is a myth that grew out of a political and cultural struggle between Pashtuns and Mughals. http://www.afghanology.com/BaniIsraeli.html explains the historical backdrop for the creation of the myth, the inconsistencies of the myth, and the lingistical research that refutes any Semitic origins.

Genetic insights into the origins of the Pashtuns

Research into human DNA has emerged as a new and innovative tool being used to explore the genetic make-up of various populations in order to ascertain historical population movements. According to some recent genetic research (the source of which is disclosed under the references section below regarding random sampling of Pashtun populations in western Pakistan) the anthropological evidence that the Pashto-speaking Pashtuns are an Indo-European people related to other Iranian groups as well as speakers of Dardic languages such as the Kalasha and the Nuristanis appears very probable but is not by any means conclusive at this time. The testing, though still in its initial phases, has not shown any substantial connection between the general Pashtun population sampled to the genetic markers found amongst most Greeks, Jews, or Arabs. What may be the case is that the Pashtuns have been slightly modified over time by various invaders, while maintaining their eastern Iranian base genetically overall. Ultimately, more research and a wider sampling of DNA will be required before the findings can be deemed conclusive and generally representative of Pashto-speaking Pashtuns. Space-filling model of a section of DNA molecule Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life (and most viruses). ... Genetic testing allows the genetic diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases, and can also be used to determine a persons ancestry. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... The Dardic languages form a subfamily of the Indo-Iranian languages. ... A Kalasha girl in everyday traditional dress The Kalash people live in three isolated mountain valleys, Bumboret, Rumbur and Birir, which are located at 35° 44′ 09″ N, 71° 46′ 04″ E. The Kalash people speak the Kalasha language. ... The Nuristani are an ethnic/religious group in the Nurestan Province of Afghanistan. ...

Pashtuns in the modern era

The Pashtuns are intimately tied to the history of modern-era Afghanistan stretching back to the Durrani Empire. The country's founder, Ahmad Shah Durrani, was an Abdali (Durrani) Pashtun and formerly a high-ranking military official under the Turko-Iranian ruler Nadir Shah in Iran. He founded the empire of Greater Afghanistan which covered all of what is today Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir and a portion of Iranian Mashad in 1747 and the Pashtuns would rule this empire for the next 80 years, while truncated Afghanistan emerged following conflicts with the Sikhs (see also Ranjit Singh) and the British. The Pashtuns/Afghans fought the British to a standstill and kept the Russians at bay during the Great Game during which Afghanistan managed to remain an independent state that played the two large empires against each other to maintain some semblance of autonomy. However, the British annexed the Pashtun majority regions that now comprise western Pakistan following the demarcation of the Durand Line and this would lead to the Pashtunistan dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the 20th century, Pashtun troops enlisted in the British Indian army and fought in World War II and became an important component of the Frontier Scouts and the Pakistan army as well as the modern Afghan military and were active in the opposition against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. More recently the Pashtuns became known for being the primary ethnic group that comprised the Taliban, whose ideological basis began in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and their activity was centered around the city of Peshawar and at the Madarassa-e-Haqqania in Akora, Khattak. Map of the Afghan Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire was a state in present day Afghanistan. ... See Ahmad Shah Qajar for the Persian ruler (1909-1925). ... The Durrani or Abdali tribe is one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and are also found in large numbers in western Pakistan. ... Tomb of Nadir Shah, a popular tourist attraction in Mashhad Nadir Shah (Nadir Qoli Beg, also Tahmasp-Qoli Khan) (October 22, 1688 - June, 1747) ruled as shah of Iran (1736–47) and was the founder of the short-lived Afsharid dynasty. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Imam Reza Shrine Tomb of Nader Shah Afshar, a popular tourist attraction in Mashad. ... A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... Maharaja Ranjit Singh (called The Lion of the Punjab) (1780-1839) was a Sikh ruler of the Punjab. ... The Great Game is a term, usually attributed to Arthur Connolly, used to describe the rivalry and strategic conflict between the British Empire and the Tsarist Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. ... The Durand line is a term for the poorly marked 2,640 kilometer (1,610 mile) border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... Pashtunistan as envisioned by proponents in Pakistan Pashtunistan, sometimes also referd to as Pakhtoonistan, is what many Pashtun nationalists call the Afghan-dominated areas of Pakistan. ... Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistan Military responsible for land based military operations. ... President Karzai reviews the first soldiers of the Afghan National Army. ... A Soviet soldier on guard in Afghanistan in 1988. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ... Peshāwar (translates to City on the Frontier from Persian; known as Pai-khawar in Pashto; in ancient times known as Purushapura in Sanskrit) is a city in Pakistans North-West Frontier Province (pop. ... The Khattak are a famous tribe of the Pashtun nation, originating from the region currently known as the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) of Pakistan. ...

In addition to Peshawar, the cities of Kandahar and Kabul figure quite prominently in Pashtun culture and the city of Quetta in Baluchistan also has a Pashtun majority population. Peshāwar (translates to City on the Frontier from Persian; known as Pai-khawar in Pashto; in ancient times known as Purushapura in Sanskrit) is a city in Pakistans North-West Frontier Province (pop. ... Kandahār (or Qandahār) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. ... Kabul Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... Quetta is the capital of the province Balochistan in Pakistan. ... Baluchistan (or Balochistan), also known as Greater Baluchistan is an arid region of south Asia, presently split between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. ...

Many prominent Pashtuns have played an important role in the region. The current President of Afghanistan is an ethnic Pashtun, Hamid Karzai, while in neighboring Pakistan another ethnic Pashtun also attained the Presidency in the 1950s and 1960s, Ayub Khan. The Afghan royal family now represented by Muhammad Zahir Shah is also of ethnic Pashtun origin. Other prominent Pashtuns include the 17th century warrior poet Khushal Khan Khattak, Afghan "Iron" Emir Abdur Rahman Khan and in modern times Pakistani cricketer turned politician Imran Khan and US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad among many others. Hamid Karzai (Pushtu: حامد کرزي, Dari: حامد کرزی) (born December 24, 1957) is the current and first democratically elected President of Afghanistan (since December 7, 2004). ... Muhammad Ayub Khan (May 14, 1907 – April 19, 1974) was a Field Marshal during the mid-1960s, and the political leader of Pakistan from 1958 to 1969. ... Mohammed Zahir Shah (born October 16, 1914) was the last King of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973. ... Khushal Khan Khattak Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1690) wrote in Pashtu during the reign of the Mughal (Mongol) emperors in the seventeenth century. ... Amir Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan (c. ... Imran Khan (Muhammad Imran Khan Niazi; born November 25, 1952) is a Pakistani former cricketer turned politician. ... Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad with George W. Bush in the Oval Office. ...

Who is a Pashtun?

Amongst historians, anthropologists, and the Pashtuns themselves, there is some debate as to who exactly is a Pashtun. The most prominent views are (1) that Pashtuns are predominantly an Eastern Iranian people who are speakers of the Pashto language and live in a contiguous geographic location (this is the generally accepted academic view) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, (2) Pashtuns, in addition to being Pashto-speakers and meeting other criteria, are also Muslim and follow Pashtunwali and thus Jews, Christians, or atheists would be excluded, (3) to define the Pashtuns in terms of patrilineal descent going back to legendary times in accordance with the legend of Qais Abdur Rashid who is seen as the progenitor of the Pashtun people. We may call these the ethno-linguistic definition, religious-cultural definition, and the patrilineal definition. Iranian peoples are peoples who speak an Iranian language and/or belong to the Iranian stock. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) (sometimes also spelled Moslem) is an adherent of Islam. ... Pashtunwali is the indigenous pre-Islamic honor code (which some believe is a religion) of the ethnic Afghan people, otherwise known as the Pashtun people. ... Qias Abdur Rashid is thought, among Pashtoons, to be the first Pashtoon who traveled to Mecca and Madina during the early days of Islam. ...

Ethnic definition

The ethno-linguistic definition is the most prominent and accepted view as to who is and is not a Pashtun. Generally, this most common view holds that Pashtuns are defined within the parameters of having mainly eastern Iranian ethnic origins, sharing a common language, culture and history, living in relatively close geographic proximity to each other, and acknowledging each other as kinsmen. Thus, tribes that speak even disparate yet mutually intelligible dialects of Pashto will acknowledge each other as ethnic Pashtuns and even subscribe to certain dialects as 'proper' such as the Pukhtu spoken by the Yousafzai and the Pashto spoken by the Durrani. These criteria tend to be used by most Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan as the basis for who can be counted as a Pashtun. Yousafzai or Yusufzai is a Pashtun tribe. ... The Durrani or Abdali tribe is one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and are also found in large numbers in western Pakistan. ...

Cultural definition

The religious and cultural definition is more stringent and requires Pashtuns to be Muslim and adherants of the Pashtunwali code. This is the most prevalent view amongst the more orthodox and conservative tribesmen who do not view Pashtuns of the Jewish faith as actual Pashtuns even if they themselves might claim to be of Hebrew ancestry depending upon which tribe is in question. The religious definition for Pashtuns is partially based upon the laws of Pashtunwali, and that those who are Pashtun must follow and honor Pashtunwali. This notion of religion fused with ethnicity is found amongst various other groups as well such as the Armenians who, for example, also identify themselves as Armenian only if there is adherence to the Christian faith. Even amongst predominantly Sunni Muslim Pashtuns, there is a Shia minority amongst the Pashtuns. In addition, the Pashtun Jewish population (once numbering in the thousands) has largely relocated to Israel. Overall, more flexibility can be found amongst Pashtun intellectuals and academics who sometimes simply define who is and is not a Pashtun based upon other criteria that often excludes religion. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... Jews have lived in Afghanistan for at least 2,000 years, but the community has been reduced greatly because of persecution and emigration. ...

Ancestral definition

The patrilineal definition is based on an important orthodox law of Pashtunwali and tradition of Pashtun society. It states simply that if your father is not a Pashtun, neither are you. This law has kept the immemorial trait of the Pashtuns being an exclusively patriarchal tribe intact. Under this definition there is less regard as to what language you speak (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, etc.), while more emphasis is placed upon one's father in order to be an ethnic Pashtun. Thus, the Pathans in India, for example, who have lost both the language and presumably many of the ways of their ancestors, can, by being able to trace their fathers' ethnic heritage back to the Pashtun tribes (who some believe are descendants of the four grandsons of Qais Abdur Rashid, a possible legendary progenitor of the Pashtuns), remain 'Pashtun'. The legend states that Qais, after having heard of the new religion of Islam, travelled to meet the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in Medina and returned to Afghanistan a Muslim. Qais, in turn, purportedly had many children and one son, Afghana, had in turn had up to four sons who set out towards the east including one son who went towards Swat, another towards Lahore and India, another to Multan, and finally one to Quetta. This legend is one of many traditional tales amongst the Pashtuns regarding their disparate origins. Thus, under the patrilineal definition language is not in itself a defining issue. Qias Abdur Rashid is thought, among Pashtoons, to be the first Pashtoon who traveled to Mecca and Madina during the early days of Islam. ... Muhammad is a common Muslim male name. ... This article is about the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. ... SWAT officers SWAT (an acronym for Special Weapons And Tactics; originally Special Weapons Assault Team) is a specialized paramilitary police unit in major United States city police departments, which is trained to perform dangerous operations. ... South section of the Hazuri Bagh, looking south towards the Roshnai Gate The Minar-e-Pakistan, south-side view Lahore (لاھور) is a major city in Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab. ... Multan ملتان is a city in south central Punjab province, in Pakistan and capital of Multan District in the Punjab Province. ... Quetta is the capital of the province Balochistan in Pakistan. ...

Culture

Throughout Pashtun history poets, prophets, kings and warriors have been the most revered members of society. The term 'Pakhto' or 'Pashto' from which they derive their name is not merely the name of their language, but synonymous with an honour code and religion known as Pashtunwali. The main tenets of 'Pakhto' or formally known as Pashtunwali are: Pashtunwali is the indigenous pre-Islamic honor code (which some believe is a religion) of the ethnic Afghan people, otherwise known as the Pashtun people. ...

1. Hospitality and asylum to all guests seeking help.
2. Justice: Ancient Israelite Moses' Law, Tooth for a Tooth.
3. Defense of 'Zan, Zar and Zameen' (Women/Family, Treasury and Property).
4. Personal Independence. Pashtuns are fiercely independent and there is a lot of internal competition.

Most decisions in tribal life are made by a 'Jirga' or 'Senate' of elected elders and wise men. However, Pashtun society is also marked by its matriarchal tendencies. Folktales involving reverence for Pashtun mothers and matriarchs are common and are passed down from parent to child, as most Pashtun heritage, through a rich oral tradition. A jirga (occasionally jirgah) is a tribal assembly which takes decisions by consensus. ... An elder can refer to various topics: Elder (administrative title) Elder (religious) Elder - person of knowledge or high degree Elderberry plant (Sambucus) Box-elder plant (maple) Box elder bug (Leptocoris trivittatus or Boisea trivittatus) Elderly person - see: Old age William Henry Elder bishop and Archbishop of Cincinnati Joycelyn Elders Elder... A matriarchy is a tradition (and by extension a form of government) in which community power lies with the eldest mother of a community. ... Oral tradition or oral culture is a way of transmitting history, literature or law from one generation to the next in a civilization without a writing system. ...

As noted above, some historians believe that the name Pakhtun has its origin in Pactyan, the name of an ancient Iranian tribe that lived in the Persian Satrapy Arachosia, and reported by Herodotus and contemporaries. This identification is uncertain. The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Satrap (Greek σατράπης satrápēs, from Old Persian xšaθrapā(van), i. ... Arachosia is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to the southern part of today s Afghanistan, around the city of Kandahar. ... Bust of Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: Ἡροδοτος, Herodotos) was a historian who lived in the 5th century BC (484 BC-ca. ...

Institutions

The Pashtuns are predominantly a tribal people, however, increasing numbers now dwell in cities and urban settlements. Many still identify themselves with various clans. A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ...

More precisely, there are several levels of organization: the tabar (tribe) is subdivided into kinship groups each of which is a khel. The khel in turn is divided into smaller groups (pllarina or plarganey), each of which consists of several extended families or kahols. [Wardak, 2003, p. 7] "A large tribe often has dozens of sub-tribes whose members may see themselves as belonging to each, some, or all of the sub-tribes in different social situations (co-operative, competitive, confrontational) and identify with each accordingly." [ibid., p. 10]

Established Pashtun tribes

Pashtun tribes are divided into four tribal groups: Sarbans, Batans, Ghurghusht and Karans. This article is on the social structure. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... The Afridi are a Pashtun tribe. ... Alizai Pakistan is a village located in the tribal belt near the Afghan border. ... Awan was an Elamite dynasty of Iran. ... Bangash is a Pashtun Tribe. ... Chamkanni is the name of a small Pathan tribe of Afghanistan. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Durrani or Abdali tribe is one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and are also found in large numbers in western Pakistan. ... Edo-Khel is a Pashtun tribe whom inhabit the mountainous and vallied regions of south-eastern Afghanistan; mainly Wardak and Logar. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... The Ghilzais (also known as Khiljis or Ghaljis) are one of two largest groups of Pashtuns, along with the Durrani tribe, found in Afghanistan with a large group also found in neighboring Pakistan. ... Jadoon is a Pashtun tribe. ... Kakar is a Pashtun tribe located in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Kuchis are an ethnic group of nomads in Afghanistan. ... Kundi is a Pashtun tribe that lives in the Tank District in North West Frontier Province, Pakistan. ... Kharoti is a Pashtun tribe. ... The Khattak are a famous tribe of the Pashtun nation, originating from the region currently known as the North-West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) of Pakistan. ... THE LODHI DYNASTY / TRIBE THE LODHI DYNASTY The Afghan Lodhi dynasty ruled over the Delhi Sultanate and included the prominent ruler Ibrahim Lodi. ... Mamunds (12,000 ; Bajaur, principally in Watelai valley, but they own villages on both sides of the Durand Line) - One of the four clans of Tarkanis. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... The Mashwani (also Moshwani, Mishwani, Miswani) are a tribal group, living predominantly in Pakistan and Afghanistan. ... Marwat is a famous pashtun tribe. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Mohmand is one of the strongest Pashtun tribes and a true Afghan tribe, living in Afghanistan and western North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. ... Musakhel (fort) is a district in the north west of Balochistan province of Pakistan. ... In the Book of Genesis, Naphtali (נַפְתָּלִי My wrestling, Standard Hebrew Naftali, Tiberian Hebrew Nap̄tālî) is the sixth son of Jacob and the founder of the tribe of Naphtali. ... Niazi is a famous Pashtun tribe with a extremely rich history & culture. ... Noorzai are one of the major tribes of Pushtun. ... Popalzay or Popalzai is the name of the Pashtun clan that is part of the larger Durrani tribe from which the first king of Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Durrani originated. ... Safi has several meanings: Safi is a city in Morocco. ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ... Swati is a famous Pashtun tribe that lives in District Battagram and Mansehra of N.W-F.P of Pakistan. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Suri is the name of a sedentary pastoral Nubian tribe and its Nilo-Saharan language in southwest Ethiopia, near the Sudan border. ... Tanolis claim they migrated from a place named Tanubal River in Afghanistan. ... Tarkani (or Tarkalanri 36,000) - The name of the tribe inhabiting the whole of Bajaur. ... Tareen is an important tribe of Pashtuns. ... A tor is a large hill, usually topped with rocks. ... This article contains information that has not been verified. ... Flag of Waziristan Waziristan is a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² (4,473 mi²). ... This article needs copyediting (checking for proper English spelling, grammar, usage, tone, style, and voice). ... Yousafzai or Yusufzai is a Pashtun tribe. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Sarbans are a tribal group of Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ...

Social conditions

The Pashtuns today are a diverse population with widely varying lifestyles and perspectives. The effects of globalization have led to the proliferation of so-called 'Western' ideas as well as the infilitration of Saudi-style Wahhabist Islam. Though many Pashtuns remain tribal and illiterate, others have become urbanized and highly educated. The ravages of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the Afghan wars leading up to the rise and fall of the Taliban have caused substantial misery amongst the Pashtuns. Currently, Afghanistan is in a rebuilding phase, while Pashtuns in Pakistan have grown in numbers and influence. Stability remains elusive for Pashtuns who have had to balance a practical necessity to survive with a desire to work hard and seek out opportunity. However, changes amongst the Pashtuns have not come without difficulty.

Pashtun women

Sharbat Gula as seen in the photo used for the 1985 issue of National Geographic

Pashtun women greatly vary from the traditional housewives who live in seclusion to urban workers some of whom seek (and have attained) parity with men. Image File history File links Sharbat_Gula. ... Image File history File links Sharbat_Gula. ... Sharbat Gula as seen in the photo used for the 1985 issue of National Geographic Sharbat Gula (born c. ...

Social obstacles

Due to numerous social hurdles, the literacy rate for Pashtun women remains considerably lower than that of males. Abuse against women is also widespread and yet is increasingly being challenged by women's rights organizations who find themselves struggling with conservative religious groups as well as government officials in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to researcher Benedicte Grima's book Performance of Emotion Among Paxtun Women, "a powerful ethic of forbearance severely limits traditional Pashtun women's ability to mitigate the suffering they acknowledge in their lives."

Pashtun women often have their legal rights curtailed in favor of their husbands or male relatives as well. For example, though women are technically allowed to vote in Afghanistan and Pakistan, many have been kept away from ballot boxes by males.[4] Traditionally, Pashtun women have few inheritance rights and are often charged with taking care of large extended families of their spouses.[5]

Positive changes

In-spite of obstacles, many Pashtun women have begun a process of slow change. Some Pashtun women in cities in Pakistan have abandoned the burqa and often either use the chador or do not cover their heads at all. Others have joined men in business and finance. While most Pashtun women are illiterate a rich oral tradition and resurgence of poetry has sparked some interest on the part of both men and women and given hope to many Pashtun women seeking to learn to read and write.[6] In addition, numerous Pashtun women have attained high political office in both Pakistan and, following recent elections, in Afghanistan where female representatives compose one of the highest percentages in the world.[7] Substantial work remains though for Pashtun women who hope to gain equal rights with Pashtun men who remain disproportionately dominant in most aspects of Pashtun society. Human rights organizations including the Afghan Women's Network continue to struggle for greater women's rights as does the Aurat Foundation in Pakistan which often attempts to safeguard women from domestic abuse.

References

• Ahmad, Aisha and Boase, Roger. 2003. "Pashtun Tales from the Pakistan-Afghan Frontier: From the Pakistan-Afghan Frontier." Saqi Books (March 1, 2003). [8].
• Ahmed, Akbar S. 1976. Millennium and Charisma among Pathans: A Critical Essay in Social Anthropology. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
• Ahmed, Akbar S. 1980. Pukhtun economy and society. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
• Banuazizi, Ali and Myron Weiner (eds.). 1994. "The Politics of Social Transformation in Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East)." Syracuse University Press. [9].
• Banuazizi, Ali and Myron Weiner (eds.). 1988. "The State, Religion, and Ethnic Politics: Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East)." Syracuse University Press. [10].
• Caroe, Olaf. 1984. "The Pathans: 500 B.C.-A.D. 1957 (Oxford in Asia Historical Reprints)". Oxford University Press. [11]
• Dani, Ahmad Hasan. 1985. "Peshawar: Historic city of the Frontier." Sang-e-Meel Publications (1995). [12].
• Dupree, Louis. 1997. "Afghanistan." Oxford University Press. [13].
• Elphinstone, Mountstuart. 1815. "An account of the Kingdom of Caubul and its dependencies in Persia, Tartary, and India,: comprising a view of the Afghaun nation." Akadem. Druck- u. Verlagsanst (1969). [14].
• Habibi, Abdul Hai. 2003. "Afghanistan: An Abridged History." Fenestra Books. [15].
• Hopkirk, Peter. 1984. "The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia." Kodansha Globe; Reprint edition. [16].
• Wardak, Ali "Jirga - A Traditional Mechanism of Conflict Resolution in Afghanistan", 2003, online at UNPAN (the United Nations Online Network in Public Administration and Finance).
• A Study of the Greek Ancestry of Northern Pakistani Ethnic Groups Using 115 Microsatellite Markers. A. Mansoor, Q. Ayub, et al.Am. J. Human Genetics, Oct 2001 v69 i4 p399.
• Y-Chromosomal DNA Variation in Pakistan [17].
• Where west meets east: the complex mtDNA landscape of the southwest and Central Asian corridor. [18].

Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ...

See also

• Pashtunistan
• Iranian peoples
• Iranian languages
• Afghan people
• Bactrian language
• Kambojas
• Pan-Iranism
• Sakas
• Bnai Israel
• Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites

Pashtunistan as envisioned by proponents in Pakistan Pashtunistan, sometimes also referd to as Pakhtoonistan, is what many Pashtun nationalists call the Afghan-dominated areas of Pakistan. ... The Iranian peoples are the ethno-linguistic descendants of the Iranian branch of the ancient Indo-Iranian Aryans. ... The Iranian languages are a part of the Indo-European language family with estimated 150-200 million native speakers. ... An Afghan or an Afghani is the name used to describe a person from the country of Afghanistan. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies The Bactrian language is an extinct language which was spoken in the Central Asian region of Bactria, also called Tocharistan, in northern Afghanistan. ... Kambojas are a very ancient people of north-western parts of ancient India, frequently mentioned in ancient texts, although not in the Rig Veda. ... Pan-Iranism is an ideology that advocates solidarity and reunification of the peoples living in the Iranian plateau (Falaat-e Iran), including Azeris, Baluchis, Ironians (Ossetians), Kurds, Qizilbash, Hazaras, Pashtuns and Tajiks. ... Saka is also the name of a town in Hiroshima, Japan; for information on this town, see Saka, Hiroshima. ... The Children of Israel (Hebrew: בני ישראל Bnai Yisrael or Bnei Yisrael or Bnei Yisroel) is a Biblical term for the Israelites. ... The theory that the Pashtun or ethnic Afghans are descended from the ancient Israelites—more precisely, from the perspective of Jewish history the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel— has a longstanding basis as a tradition among the Pashtun themselves, was widely accepted by 19th century British scholars, and has...

External links

• Studies of the Pashtun family
• Afghan Women's Network
• A Nation Displaced: The world's largest refugee population
• Ethnologue Pashto
• Pathan/Pashtun population geographic distribution and statistics
• UNHCR “BETRAYED AND ABANDONED” AFGHAN REFUGEES: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
• Afghan refugees in Iran