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á It must be understood that academic research on

the subject of Pashtun culture, history and language
is very limited
á Pashtun history has been passed down „
by
past generations
á mhe history of the Pashtun people is a debated
subject, as there is no solid written record of
Pashtun history or any solid research about where
the Pashtuns come from and who they are.

mhe Pashtun Society ©


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Pashto belongs to a family of Iranian languages, which was introduced to the Iranian plateau
by people from south central Asia, 2nd Millenium BC onwards.

Pakhtunkhwa also has other languages spoken within it, including Ormuri, which is spoken by
the Barakis. mhis has been mentioned in the early sixteenth century biography of Babur,
the founder of the Indian Moghul Dynasty, who spent time in the borderlands, preparing for
his invasion of the subcontinent.1

North of Kabul, Paraci, another Iranian language was also spoken.2 Both Ormuri and Paraci
belong to a group of south-east Iranian language branch and Pashto belongs to northeast
Iranian branch.3 Another language in this branch includes Pamir language of Badakhshan.

mhe Pashtun Society ©


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Pashtun society is regarded as a particular example of a so called segmentary lineage

organizations. mhe structure consists of descent groups whereby various units, such as
nuclear families, sub-clans, clans, tribes and confederations of tribes together create some
sort of abstract pyramid with ancestor placed on top. mhere is also the position of outsiders
within the tribe, including holy men and groups of people subjugated by the Pashtun
dominant group.

North Indian Pashtun, Khwaja Ni¶mat Allah described the tribal structure and origin of Pashtun
society in his work, µMakhzan-i-Afghani¶. Although this isn¶t a reliable historical source, it
paints a picture of how Pashtuns see themselves as a group. How Pashtuns see
themselves and their history and culture can be very different to the outcome of any
academic research/resources about the Pashtuns. Some Pashtuns debate findings
resulting from academic research, especially if it contradicts their passed down oral history
of their people.

mhe Pashtun Society ©

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mhis is a very debatable subject, especially amongst the Pashtuns themselves and the
different tribes. mhis has resulted in many different theories. As mentioned earlier,
tribal structure consists of descent groups, which creates some sort of abstract
pyramid with an ancestor placed on top. Qays µAbd al-Rashid Pathan had 3 sons,
who Pashtuns are said to be ancestors of, plus another 4th group. According to
traditional genealogies, Al-Rashid Pathan is descended from King Sarul (Saul), a
Jewish king.

mhe Pashtun Society ©

 d
 µ BD  D P 

arban (eldest son

Ghurghust
of Qays) Has
Bitan (different variants
Descendents in south
of this name exist)
Afghanistan

Kharshbun Shah Hussain

harkhbun Has descendents in Bibi Mato (daughter) of Ghur
Peshawar Valley (Central Afghanistan)

Kasi tribe Ghilzai tribe & other tribes live in

bdali/Durrani tribe Kasi and Ketran tribes lands between Ghazni & Indus river
Live near Quetta region

hinwari tribe
Live in Jalalabad
area
 Ghurghust
He is an ancestor for many tribes spread
mhroughout Pakhtunkhwa

Safi tribe Kakar tribe

Related to the Kakar tribe, they live mhis is the largest tribe descendent from
Northeast of Kabul Ghurgust and they live north of Quetta

mo the west of Pakhtunkhwa, live the Abdalis,

now called the Durranis, since the 18th century.

mo the east side are the Yusufzai tribe, who live north of Peshawar.

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6ritten records exist, based on oral traditions, which talk about migration of Pashtun groups in
the 15th and 16th centuries from south Afghanistan via the Kabul valley to the plains of
Peshawar and beyond. mhis migration is supported by historical evidence and dates to the
17th-18th centuries.4 mribes settling in these parts were Abdalis/Durranis.

mhe Pashtun Society ©






1. Bâburnâma, trans. Beveridge 1922:207; 220 and Elphinstone 1815:315 in ³An account
of the Kingdom of Caubul and its dependencies in Persia, martary, and India:
comprising a view of the Afghan nation.
2. Orywal 1986:61-2 Orywal, Erwin, in ´2
 


 
 







 
 








  L. Reichert,
6iesbaden (German language) Paraci is listed by Babur as one of eleven languages
spoken in the Kabul area.
3. Morgenstierne 1958:167 in ³Vocabularies and Specimans of some South East Dardic
dialects. Norsk midskrift for Sprogvidenskap
4. Noelle, Christine 1997:233 in ³State and mribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan: mhe
Reign of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826±1863)´. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press.
Non of this material is to be reproduced without the relevant permissions from
mhe Pashtun Society.