Pashto/Pakhtun culture for beginners..
Ok a follow up to my previous post (cheegums attempt at teaching us Sindhi gaaliya not withstanding)
This time I'll cover tribes and pashtunwali as well as some general facts about Pashtuns:
Pashtunwali/Pakhtunwali is the tribal code of honour (nang) practiced by pashtuns. It is not applied in totality in more settled and urbanised areas but it still has a strong influence over pashtuns. I won't go through all the customs ..just the main ones..
NANEWATEI: Under Nanewatei a penitent enemy is forgiven and the feuding factions resume peaceful and friendly relations.
JIRGA: A tribal council in wwhich issues are decided by consensus.
MELMASTIA: Pashtun have been described as one of the most hospitable peoples of the world. They consider Melmastia or generous hospitality as one of the finest virtues and greet their guest warmly with a broad smile on their faces.
BADAL: (Eye for an Eye) Self-respect and sensitivity to insult is another essential trait of Pashtun character. The poorest among them has his own sense of dignity and honor and he vehemently refuses to submit to any insult
Now the tribes, as a rule anyone who can trace descent from a pashtun tribe is a "pathan" irrespective of whether they can speak pashto, but to be considered a pashtun/pakhtun in the eyes of other pashtuns/pakhtuns generally it is the speaking of the language and "to act like a pashtun" which is considered essential.
A list of all the pashtun sub clans would take forever but pashtuns generally can trace their lineage from the following tribes:
In Afghanistan : the Durrani and the Ghilzai. Other major tribes include the Wardak, Jaji, Tani, Jadran, Mangal, Khugiani, Safi, Mohmand and Shinwari.
In Pakistan : Yousafzai, Achakzai, Muhammadzai, Mohmand, Safi, Khattak, Khalil, Arbab, Bangash, Wazir, Afridi, Shinwari, Bannuchi, Mandokhel, Shirani, Bhittani, Kundi, Gandapur (not of pashtun descent but considered pashtun now), Orakzai, Niazi, Lodhi, Gadoon, Tarins, Kakar...
The tribes are usually associated with certain geographical areas, the names of the tribes are usually associated with a story of their origin, e.g., yousafzai means son of yousaf..a well known name in subcontinental history was Ibrahim Lodhi the famous Sultan..the term Lodhi is a corruption of Pashto originally meaning Ibrahim Loy dhay (Ibrahim is a big man) which was corrupted into Lodhi ..
there are many more tribes but those are roughly all I can remember!
The tribes as a whole are distinct from the Baluch tribes or the Feudal groupings of Southern Punjab and Sindh by the fact that there is not one overall authority decisions are usually collectively made and based on a principle that everyone is equal..( this individuality is considered both a curse and blessing!)
Anyway lastly here are a few interesting facts:
contrary to popular belief Peshawar has except till quite recently ever been a Pashtun city ..the city has traditionally been dominated by Hindko speakers and now dari speakers.
The Major pashtun dominated city in Pakistan is probably Quetta while the largest concentration of pashtuns in an urban environment is probably Karachi!
While pashtun society is conservative, historically except for the occassional exception Mullahs have never played a role in the society. In fact till the 2002 elections and events in Pakistan the politics of Sarhad were dominated by leftist parties.
Pashtuns are the only ethnic group in Pakistan divided into 4 parts, The Tribal areas, Sarhad, Baluchistan and sizable numbers in Punjab.
Pashtuns have a unique distinction, despite the history of warfare they have the unqiue distinction of spawning one of the few non violent anticolonial movements in Muslim history.
