Pashayi people
 Pashai boy with flower hat | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Laghman, Kapisa and Nangarhar | |
| Languages | |
| Pashai language Pashto also spoken as second language[1] | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Pashtuns, Kalash, Nuristani and Kashmiris |
Pashayi or Pashai (Persian: مردم پشهای) are a Dardic ethno-linguistic group living primarily in eastern Afghanistan. Their total population is estimated to be 500,000.[1] They are mainly concentrated in the northern parts of Laghman, Nangarhar, Kunar, Kapisa, Kabul, Baghlan, Nuristan, and also in Ghazni. Some believe the Pashai are descendants of ancient Gāndhārī.[2][3] Many Pashai consider themselves Pashtuns speaking a special language,[4] and many are bilingual in Pashto.[1] Pashai communities can also be found in the Chitral district of northwestern Pakistan. The majority of Pashai are Sunni Muslims and are often referred to as Kohistani,[4] while a minority are Nizari Ismaili Muslims.
Pashae, or Pashie or ("Padshahi") are attributive plural forms, meaning of the ("Kingdom" Padshahi"'). The Pashai are still found by that name in the Bamian and Lughman districts in the southern valleys[5]
Notable individuals
- Northern Alliance commander Hazrat Ali
See also
References
- ^ a b c d http://www.sil.org/asia/ldc/parallel_papers/ju-hong_yun.pdf
- ^ Pashai. Everyculture.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.
- ^ M. Longworth Dames; G. Morgenstierne; R. Ghirshman (1999). "AFGHĀNISTĀN". Encyclopaedia of Islam (CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0 ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter|last-author-amp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Pashai, Ethnic identity in Afghanistan, on nps.edu
- ^ Henry Walter Bellew An Inquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan; p. 143
External links
Media related to Pashai people at Wikimedia Commons
| Ethnic groups | ||
|---|---|---|
| Foreign nationals | ||
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