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== Pashtuns in South Asia ==
== Pashtuns in South Asia ==
=== Afghanistan ===
=== Afghanistan ===
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in [[Afghanistan]], comprising around 60% of the total population,<ref name="CIA">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html CIA World Factbook]</ref><ref name="survey">''"A survey of the Afghan people - Afghanistan in 2006"'', ''The Asia Foundation'', technical assistance by the ''Centre for the Study of Developing Societies'' (CSDS; India) and ''Afghan Center for Socio-economic and Opinion Research'' (ACSOR), Kabul, 2006, [http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/AG-survey06.pdf PDF]</ref> and about 1.5 million continue to live as [[Afghan refugees|refugees]] in Pakistan. The term Pashtun is historically synonymous with ''Afghan'', a term now used to describe any citizen of Afghanistan. [[Kandahar]] is the second major city in Afghanistan and a stronghold of the Pashtun culture.
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in [[Afghanistan]], comprising around 60% of the total population,<ref name="CIA">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html CIA World Factbook]</ref><ref name="survey">''"A survey of the Afghan people - Afghanistan in 2006"'', ''The Asia Foundation'', technical assistance by the ''Centre for the Study of Developing Societies'' (CSDS; India) and ''Afghan Center for Socio-economic and Opinion Research'' (ACSOR), Kabul, 2006, [http://www.asiafoundation.org/pdf/AG-survey06.pdf PDF]</ref> and about 2.3 million continue to live as [[Afghan refugees|refugees]] in Pakistan. The term Pashtun is historically synonymous with ''Afghan'', a term now used to describe any citizen of Afghanistan. [[Kandahar]] is the second major city in Afghanistan and a stronghold of the Pashtun culture.


=== Pakistan ===
=== Pakistan ===

Revision as of 23:54, 26 March 2010

Part of a series on
Pashtuns
Empires and dynasties

Pashtuns (Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn or پختون Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns), also called Pathans (Urdu: پٹھان, Hindi: पठान Paṭhān) have many communities around the world. Though their homeland is in the Pakhtunkhwa region of South-Central Asia—a region stretching from southern and eastern Afghanistan to western and southern Pakistan—they are also found in India, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Australia, Africa, and in other parts of the globe.

Pashtuns in South Asia

Afghanistan

Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising around 60% of the total population,[1][2] and about 2.3 million continue to live as refugees in Pakistan. The term Pashtun is historically synonymous with Afghan, a term now used to describe any citizen of Afghanistan. Kandahar is the second major city in Afghanistan and a stronghold of the Pashtun culture.

Pakistan

Main articles: North-West Frontier Province, Punjabi Pathan, and Pakistani diaspora

The Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, comprising 15% of Pakistan's population, with a population of 28 million.[3] However, this does not include the Afghan refugees who migrated to the country during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The Pashtuns have considerable influence in the Pakistani politics, military, government, business and trade.[4] Peshawar and Quetta are Pakistani cities with significant numbers[quantify] of Pashtuns. With close to 7 million Pashtuns by some estimates,[5] Karachi hosts one of the largest Pashtun populations in the world.

The following delineates the population of Pashtun in the provinces of Pakistan:[citation needed]

Province Pashtuns
North-West Frontier 24,586,000
File:Balochistanflag.png Balochistan 5,293,000
File:Flag of Sindh.PNG Sindh 7,500,000
Punjab 4,929,000
Azad Kashmir 457,000
Islamabad Capital Territory 55,000
Pakistan 42,820,000

Substantial ethnic Pashtun communities outside of the North-West Frontier reside in the cities of Attock and Mianwali in Punjab. These and other communities of Pashtun ancestry are referred to as the Punjabi Pashtun. There are large communities of Punjabi Pashtun in Kasur, and other larger communities have settled around Multan which was formerly part of the Durrani Empire.[6]

In addition to this, a large portion of the Urdu-speaking community in Pakistan claim to be ethnically Pashtun. A large community identify themselves as Yousefzai Pashtuns. The Afghans settling in the Sultanate dynasties and Mughal Empire assimilated into the Urdu-speaking community. It is estimated that over 25% of the Urdu-speaking community claims Pashtun heritage. Additionally, a significant number of descendants of Rohillas migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India.

India

India, as a British colony, once had a large Pashtun population roughly equal to that of Afghanistan, mostly concentrated in what were then the British Indian provinces of the North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan. In fact, according to Encyclopædia Britannica, the number of Pashtuns in all of India was nearly 31 million, but the speakers of Pashto numbered less than 14 million.[7] Most of this population was allotted, along with its respective provinces, to Pakistan after the Partition of India. Today the Pashtuns in India can be divided into those who speak Pashto and those who speak Urdu, the latter group being much larger.

Pashto-speaking communities

There are a large number of Pashto-speaking Pakhtoons living in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.[8] Although their exact numbers are hard to determine, it is at least in excess of 100,000 for it is known that in 1954 over 100,000 nomadic Pakhtoons living in Kashmir Valley were granted Indian citizenship.[9] Today jirgas are frequently held.[10] Those settled and living in the Kashmir Valley speak Pashto, and are found chiefly in the southwest of the valley, where Pashtun colonies have from time to time been founded. The most interesting are the Kukikhel Afridis of Dramghaihama, who retain all the old customs and speak Pashto. They wear colorful dress and carry swords and shields. The Afridis and the Machipurians, who belong to the Yusufzai tribe, are liable to military service, in return for which they hold certain villages free of revenue. The Pashtuns chiefly came in under the Durranis, but many were brought by Maharajah Gulab Singh for service on the frontier.[11] Pashto is also spoken in two villages, Dhakki and Changnar (Chaknot), located on the Line of Control in Kupwara District.[12]. In response to demand by the Pashtun community living in the state, Kashir TV has recently launched a series of Pushto-language programs. [13]

A further small, scattered Pashtun population still exists in some major cities of India with large Muslim populations, with the majority of Pashto-speaking individuals residing in the states of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.[14][15] These Pathans, numbering around 14,161,[16][17] have retained the use of the Pashto language and are still able to speak and understand it. This is partially because until recently, most of these Indian Pashtuns were able to travel to Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.[18]

Urdu-speaking communities

The larger number of people claiming Pashtun ancestry in India are Urdu-speaking. Despite the loss of most of the Raj-era Pashtun population, India still has a large community of Urdu-speaking Muslims who trace their ancestry to Pashtun invaders and settlers. They are often referred by the Hindi-Urdu pronunciation of the word Pashtun, "Pathan". However, because Pashto fluency has been lost, and a large degree of intermarriage with Indian locals has occurred throughout the centuries, such Pathans are rarely regarded by Pashtuns in Pakistan and Afghanistan as being truly Pashtun—with the exception of the Bollywood Khan actors, and the legendary Kapoors, who are a source of pride for Pashtuns. The surname Khan among Urdu-speaking communities does not in itself indicate Pashtun ancestry; several other communities such as the Rajput Khanzada of Uttar Pradesh also use the surname Khan. In Rohilkhand and the Bangash-dominated areas of Farrukhabad, the term "Pathan Khanzada" refers to Rajput groups that have been incorporated into the Pashtun communities settled there.[19]

Major Indian Pathan tribes lived in the following areas. While many persons belonging to these tribes moved to the Afghan-Pakistan border, others chose to stay and thus, descendants of these tribes still reside in the parts of India listed below:[20]

The term "Pathan" does not refer exclusively and specifically to these Indian Pashtun descendants. Historically the term was used to refer to Pashtuns in general by mainstream Indians, Muslims included. Most Pashtuns, however, find the term to be insensitive and prefer to be called by their native label.

Today around 10,808,000 individuals who claim Pathan descent reside in post-partition India.[21] The following delineates the population of Pathans in the states of India.[18]

Notable Indian Pathans


Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan regard the wildly popular Kapoor family as being Pashtun, despite being Hindu—perhaps the only instance of non-Muslims being regarded as Pashtun.

Also among the Pashtuns in India are students from Afghanistan who are in India to obtain a quality education, including President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai[25] and Kabuliwallah Pashtuns who are doing business in India.[26] In addition, India has a large number of Hindu and Sikh refugees from Afghanistan who are fluent in Pashto, Hindko and Dari.[27]

Pashtuns in the Middle East

A significant population [quantify] of Pasthuns serving as migrant workers reside in the Middle East, particularly in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and other Arab countries. Many of them are involved in the transport business, while others are employees of construction companies.

About 300,000 Pashtuns immigrated to the Gulf Countries during 1976-1981, representing 35% of Pakistani immigrants.[29]

Pashtuns in Europe

Many Pashtuns have migrated from their homeland in South Asia to Europe. The following statistics represent the number of Pashtuns in European countries:[citation needed]

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is home to some 100,000 Pashtuns,[30] making it one of the most populous overseas Pashtun communities in the world and the most populous one in the West.[31] (See also: Afghan British and Pakistani British.)

Pashtuns in other parts of the world

United States

Pashtuns in the US by state

Pashtuns have been present in California at least since agricultural labor was imported in the early 20th century. Since the late 1970s and onwards, Pashtuns began immigrating to the USA in large numbers and are well established there. Pashtuns in the United States are famous for running top Afghan cuisine restaurants[32][33][34] and as owners of the fast-food restaurant chain Kennedy Fried Chicken that is based in New York City.

Canada

1,690 persons characterised their ethnicity as "Pashtun" in Canada's 2006 census.[35]

Australia

Large numbers of Afghans were recruited in the 19th century during the initial British development of Australia, especially for the operation of camel trains in desert areas. These consisted of men who were not allowed to bring their families with them, many married local Aborigines and are now known as Ghans.[36] During the 1980s and 90s, Pashtuns began settling in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and other major cities of Australia.

Southeast Asia

Since the early 1900s there have been many generations of Pashtuns who migrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan (North-West Frontier Province). Pashtun settlements in Thailand have been common throughout the provinces. There is even a Thai-Pashtun Friendship Association. Because the Pashtuns are fiercely independent, they often are well treated and respected by the Thai locals. Countries like Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and Malaysia also have similar cases of Pashtun settlements.

East Asia

There are Pashtun communities living in parts of China, Taiwan and Japan.

Guyana and Suriname

Some people living in Guyana and Suriname claim to be of Afghan descent. Most of them moved to South American countries during the Indian immigration.[37]

See also

References

  1. ^ CIA World Factbook
  2. ^ "A survey of the Afghan people - Afghanistan in 2006", The Asia Foundation, technical assistance by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS; India) and Afghan Center for Socio-economic and Opinion Research (ACSOR), Kabul, 2006, PDF
  3. ^ Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan - Population by Mother Tongue
  4. ^ CIA - The World Factbook - Afghanistan
  5. ^ http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/rough/2009/07/karachis_invisi.html
  6. ^ Punjabi Musalmans, by J. M. Wikely.
  7. ^ "Pathan". Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  8. ^ "Special focus on Gujjars, Paharis: CM". Daily Excelsior. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  9. ^ "Pakhtoons in Kashmir". The Hindu. July 20, 1954. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  10. ^ "Justice rolls in Kashmir, Afghan-style". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  11. ^ "Saiyids, Mughals, Pashtuns and Galawans". OPF. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  12. ^ "A First Look at the Language of Kundal Shahi in Azad Kashmir" (PDF). SIL International. Retrieved 2009–06–11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001207/j&k.htm
  14. ^ "Pathan". Isa-Masih in Lucknow. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  15. ^ "Rampur". Christopher Buyers. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  16. ^ "Phonemic Inventory of Pashto" (PDF). CRULP. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  17. ^ Abstract of speakers’ strength of languages and mother tongues – 2001, Census of India (retrieved 17 March 2008)
  18. ^ a b "Study of the Pathan Communities in four States of India". Khyber. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  19. ^ Hindustani Musalmans and Musalman of East Punjab by W. Bourne, page 35.
  20. ^ "Pashto Language & Identity Formation". Contemporary South Asia, July 1995, Vol 4, Issue 2, p151,20 (Khyber). Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  21. ^ "Pashtun, Northern of India". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  22. ^ "Dr. Zakir Hussain". Glorious India. Retrieved 2006-06-05.
  23. ^ "The Rediff Interview / Shah Rukh Khan". Rediff. Retrieved 2006-06-05.
  24. ^ "Shahrukh Khan is Afghan". Afghan Buzz. Retrieved 2009–06–07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  25. ^ "Afghan students have special attraction towards Himachal University". Indians in Thailand. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  26. ^ "The Kabuliwallahs of Ballimaran". The Hindu. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  27. ^ "No Place to Turn: Afghan Refugees in New Delhi". Human Rights Documentation Centre. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
  28. ^ Ethnologue report for Southern Pashto: Iran (1993)
  29. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=I2avL3aZzSEC&pg=PA27&dq=Pakhtuns+35%25+of+the+Pakistanis
  30. ^ http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-40220620090610
  31. ^ "The Other Languages of England", British Journal of Educational Studies, Vol. 34, No. 3 (October 1986), pp. 288-289.
  32. ^ Helmand - Baltimore, Maryland
  33. ^ Helmand - San Francisco, California
  34. ^ Helmand - Cambridge, Massachusetts
  35. ^ 2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations
  36. ^ "Afghan histories in Australia." Dulwich Centre. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  37. ^ Afghans of Guyana, Afghanland.com (retrieved 18 January 2007)

Bibliography

  • Ahwalay Riyasatay Rampur (Tarikhi wa Maashrati Pusmanzar) by Syed Asghar and Ali Shadami, compiled and edited by Rizwanullah Khan Enayati and Tanzim Ahbab Rampur
  • Nichols, Robert. 2008. A History of Pashtun Migration.1775 - 2006. Oxford University Press, Pakistan
  • Weinreich, Matthias. 2008. We Are Here to Stay. Pashtun Migrants in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Klaus Schwarz Verlag Berlin. (Islamkundliche Untersuchungen 285)
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