Pashtun
The
Pashtun (also
Pushtun,
Pakhtun, or
ethnic Afghan; in referring to the period of the
British Raj or earlier, sometimes
Pathan) are an ethnic/religious group of people, living primarily in
Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and
India who follow
Pashtunwali. The Pashtuns are the world's largest patriarchal tribal group in existence. The total population of the group is estimated at 42,000,000
History
The Pashto culture can date back as far as Zoroastrian times, and is often associated with what are believed to have been Aryan tribes of Central Asia, and the Bnai Israel which was deported to Khorasan by the Assyrians. Ethnic Pashtuns, correctly understood as ethnic Afghans, are the predominant ethnic group of Afghanistan and the region of Pakistan known to the Pashtuns as "Pashtoonistan", or the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). There are different theories about the origins of the Pashtun. It is widely beleived they are a mixture of ethnic groups and cultures.
The word for the language itself, Pashto or Pashtun, has been historically synonymous with the word Afghan. Because of this etymology, the Pashtuns are often referred to as "ethnic Afghans". In fact, just as Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan and other countries were named for their historical majority ethnic group, it can be said that Afghanistan was also named after its largest ethnic majority.
The Pashtuns are intimately tied up with the history of modern-era Afghanistan. The country's founder, Ahmad Shah Durrani, was a Pashtun. He founded the country, as we know it today, in 1747 and the Pashtuns would rule it for the next 200 years.
Culture
Throughout Pashtun history the warrior has been the most revered member of society. The term 'Pakhto' or 'Pashto' from which they derive their name is not merely the name of their language, but the name of an honour code and religion. The main tenets of 'Pakhto' or formally known as Pashtunwali are:
- Hospitality and asylum to all guests seeking help.\n# Justice: Ancient Israelite Moses' Law, Tooth for a Tooth.\n# Defense of 'Zan, Zar and Zameen' i.e Women/Family, Treasury and Property.\n# 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.
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.
Major Pashtun tribes include:
External links
Category:Ethnic groups\n