Pashtun

The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group of eastern Iranian stock, living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, the NWFP Province and Baluchistan with large colonies found in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore in Pakistan. 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, Muslim religion, and their pre-Islamic indigenous code of honor and culture, Pashtunwali. The Pashtuns are the world's largest segmentary lineage (patriarchal) tribal group in existence. The total population of the group is estimated to be about 40 million, but may be much higher as accurate census counts often prove difficult given the migratory nature of many Pashtun tribes as well as the practice of secluding women.

Who is a Pashtun

Among historians, anthropologists, and the Pashtun themselves, there is controversy as to exactly who is a Pashtun. The three most prominent views are (1) to define the Pashtun in terms of patrilineal descent going back to legendary times, (2) to consider Pashtun any tribes who have for hundreds of years lived in the relevant geographic area and who speak Pashto and live in an essentially similar manner though may not have a patrilieal descent connection, and (3) only those who follow Pashtunwali regardless of language or ethnicity. We may call these the patrilineal definition, cultural definition, and religious definition respectively.

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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 it does not matter which language you speak (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, English, etc.), but that your father be an ethnic Pashtun. Thus the Afridis and Yousafzai of Bhopal, India have lost both the language and presumably many of the ways of their ancestors, but by being able to trace their fathers' ethnic heritage back to the Pashtun tribes, who some believe are descendants of the four sons of a Qais Abdur Rashid, a possible progenitor of the Pashtun, they remain "Pashtun". Thus, under the patrilineal definition language is not in itself a defining point. This patrilineal law is rooted in Pashtunwali.

Related Topics:
Afridi - Yousafzai - Bhopal - India - Qais Abdur Rashid

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The cultural definition would include all Pashto speakers and those tribes and communities who have assimilated into Pashtun tradition, who, however, may not have a patrilineal connection. A prime example of this are the Arab tribes who settled amongst and intermingled with the Pashtuns after the Arab invasions of Afghanistan and Sindh during the rise of Islam. These same tribes today are considered Pashtun by most due to their cultural assimilation of Pashtun culture and likely intermarriage with Pashtuns. Additionally, some feel that this cultural definition excludes those whose connection is merely ancestral- though of this there is great debate and historical precedent. Taking this idea further, the cultural definition would exclude the Afridis and Yousafzai of Bhopal, India who are in fact ethnic Pashtuns, but would include some tribal groups that do not share the specific patriarchal ethnic descent required by the patrilineal definition, notably the Swatis, who claim patrilineal descent from Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

Related Topics:
Swati - Muhammad - Islam

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The social definition for Pashtuns is partially based upon the laws of Pashtunwali, and that those who are Pashtun adhere to them. In addition, for many Pashtuns religion is of great importance and being a Muslim is also one of the basic precepts that define a Pashtun, especially from the point of view of other Pashtuns. 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 the Islamic population, there is a Shia minority amongst the Pashtuns, while the majority are of the Sunni sect. In addition, there was a small Pashto-speaking Jewish population that left for 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 excludes religion.

Related Topics:
Armenians - Shia - Sunni - Jewish

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