The Pathans' Homeland
The word 'Pathan' is the Indian version of the plural form of
Pashtun, in which various in in its spelling (Pushtun, Pukhtun,
Pakhtun), is a common ethnic designation for people on both sides
of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The homeland of the Pukhtuns
covers approximate one third of the Afghanistan's 250 000 square
miles territory, and a little more than 39 000 square miles of
Pakistan, North West Frontier Province. On the east is the Indus
River and the North is the Hindu Kuch mountains. The scatter populated
desert region on the East dividing Iran from Afghanistan and the
Province of Buluchistan on the South.
History
The Pukhtuns are the resistant tribal peoples of the famous Khyber
Pass region of Pakistan and Afghanistan. History shows that they
have withstood invasions by Alexander the Great, the Moghul Emperors,
the Russians and the British. In the late 1890's the British drew
up the Durrand line between Afghanistan and the North West Frontier
on India (now Pakistan). This effectively divided the Pukhtun
tribes in half, the line running at times through existing villages.
British policy was to divide and rule, to subdue the warlike Pukhtuns
to impose a limit on Afghanistan and to firm up a border zone
against encroaching Russian Empire.
North West Frontier Province
The majority of Pakistani Pukhtuns live in the North West Frontier
Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. The terrain is mostly desert in the
south, mountainous in the west and north, with fertile plains
in the center. The mountains reach as high as 7,690 metres.
This Province was created by the British in 1901, with its various
tribal territories governed from Delhi, India. The British never
had full control of the NWFP, and the border area tended to be
in control of tribes with the Government represented by a political
agent. This system transferred to Pakistan control after Partition
in 1947
Pakistan today does not and cannot police the tribal Agencies,
although it has outposts there. The Pukhtuns have proved to be
a law unto themselves, violently resisting road building by the
Pakistan government which threatens their independence and poppy/drug
trade.
Population
There is a lack of census figures on the population of the Pukhtun
in Pakistan. Thus the estimated total Pukhtu speaking population
in North West Frontier Province are about 12 million. Out migration
of Pukhtun both to urban and abroad is very substantial. There
is said to be about 2.5 million Pukhtuns in Karachi. Their main
occuptaion are taxi driver, night watchman and trader. There may
be another 1 million in the Middle Eastern countries in mostly
labor related jobs.
Language:
Pukhtu is an Indo Iranian language related to Farsi and Baluchi
Dialects of Pukhtu vary from region to region. There are three
main dialects : In the North East around Peshawar, people call
themselves Pukhtuns. Further South the 'kh' sound becomes more
like a 'sh', so there they call themselves Pashtuns. Qandahari
Pashtu, sometimes called the soft Pashtus spoken in Southern
Afghanistan around the city of Qandahar, certain parts of NWFP,
and around Quetta in the Baluchistan.
Religion :
Nearly the entire group of Pukhtun embrace Islam. In this respect
they have much in common with the rest of the Provinces in Pakistan
where 96.7% are Muslim. Most of the Pukhtuns are adherent of the
Sunni Sect of Islam. Most of them are illiterate and non urbanized,
and their cultures display strong traces of nomadic and warrior
traditions. Hence their devotion to Islam, while considerable
(on occasion even fanatical), is typically simple and unadorned
and their understanding of it limit and riddled with superstition.
Social Organization and Cultural Values
Inspite of strong push towards modernization, Pukhtuns are quite
successful in preserving their traditional cultural values and
forms of social organization. One of the reasons is that they
are geographically isolated from the rest. But nevertheless, they
have been absorbed into the modern state system which emphasis
on centrality of authority and a political and economic integration.
Pukhtuns are most unlikely to escape the profound of social and
cultural transformation.
Social structure of the Pukhtuns are highly segment into tribes,
clans and sub clans. Pukhtuns are characterically decentralized
and clan headmen must compete for followers in a cultural milieu
in which make individuality is valued above all else. Among the
tribesmen they still have strong emphasis on paying their loyalty
to their clan and tribe. This act as a bond to unify among themselves
and this force also act as a brake on the unity basis on Islam.
A man is a Pukhtun not because of is enrollment but his ability
to manifest behavioral conformity to traditional Pukhtun customs.
As a Pukhtun says, one must not merely speak Pukhtu, one must
do Pukhtu. The future leaders must live up their standard of bravery
and risk taking defense of honor responsibility and aggressiveness.
They must exercise hospitality regardless of expanse and must
extend protection to tier guests at whatever peril to their personal
safety.
Pukhtun Ethos
Pukhtuns live strictly by the Pukhtunwali (code) which is sometimes
at odds with the Islamic Sura. It is unwritten and undefined code,
under the jurisdiction of the Pukhtun council(jirga). It contains
some basic principles which must be adhered to in order to do
Pukhto.
Badal - revenge, feud. 'He is not a Pukhtun who does not give a blow for a punch.'
Melmistia - hospitality. This concept is very important. Guests must be treated lavishly, and their protection guaranteed at whatever cost to the host.
Jirga - assembly of elders in which all issues are dealt
with.
The ability to defend his property and dominate his wife and household is vital to the Pukhtun's honor.
Their way of dealing with offenders in their own society is ruthless. Pukhtuns say that they must take "the law into their own hand" because violators of Pukhtun custom and tribal rules will not be punished any other way. One's honor must be left untarnished .... even at the cost of death.
'Even though a weapon is a burden, it is necessary' says a Pukhto proverb. Pukhtuns are well armed in order to protect domestic property, but also to deter outside aggressors .... often their own cousins, with whom they have a blood feud over land rights or water management.
Typically fairer skinned and taller than other Pakistanis, Pukhtuns find it easy to quarrel and fight amongst themselves - until someone from a different ethnic or religious background enters the scene and challenges their world view, Pukhtuns quote the proverb 'dogs fight amongst themselves from house to house, but when someone comes down the road from another neighborhood, they stand united against him.'
Leadership is often based on personalities rather than systems and the Pukhtun jealously guards this personal authority and freedom. Khans (leaders of individual clans) must prove themselves brave, aggressive, honorable and worthy to be followed.
Culture
The Pukhtuns are mainy tenant farmers. There is a small landlord
class, though Pukhtuns Pukhtuns theoretically hold to the equality
of all Pukhtuns. About 75% of the people work on small portions
of the land. The tenant farmer generally keeps about half the
proceeds of the sale of crops. Because of tis inclination to farming,
there is a lot of Pukhtun culture that revolves around the land.
The production of drug is a lucrative business, therefore, poppy
farming is very common. In fact, in the tribal area, it is famous
for thier heroin production. According to narotics control officaials
50% of Pakistan's heroin production is done in the mountain of
the North West Frontier Province within 10 miles of the Afghan
border.
One such cultural trait is the way the Pukhtuns might treat other
Pukhtuns if there is a land dispute or a water canal use dispute.
In the event that a Pukhtun feels cheated over land or water,
he might as quickly pick up his gun and threaten to kill ( or
actually kill ) the perceived offender, as call the police. Pukhtuns
do not have a lot of faith in the police department - at least
to do their job fairly wihout bribes.
Another grave offense, possibly punishable by quick execution,
is flirting with Pukhtun woman of one's family.
On the other hand, people are quick to suggest that "if"
a Pukhtun is an enemy , look out, but if a friend, he will be
a faithful friend." In the culture of the Pukhtun, it is
of highest prioirty to be a faithful friend to death. In the words
of the famous Pukhtun soldier poet of centuries ago, Khusal Khan
Khattack : "That friend who is not faithful is no friend
at all and that act that is temporary is no work at all."
So the most highly esteemed cultural values center around the
call to be jealously loyal to one's friend and to maintain family
and friends' respect. Pukhtun have a greatly elevated view of
hospitality, protection of guests and blood revenge of those who
have offended one's family friends or honour as a Pukhutn
It is interesting and significant that Pukhtun appears to continuously
take the law in their own hands instead of giving the Islamic
teaching of forgiveness as a preferred course of action in many
cases. This stubbornness of self respect and self protection has
likely predated the advent of Islam by centuries, and show no
sign of letting up. Ironically, it seems to have a hold on the
people like Islam does in purely religious matters that do not
effect enemies of one's family. It seems Pukhtuns can imagine
no other alternative.
Food
To be Pukhtun and not be able to eat the foot wide and 1/2 inch
thin "Do-Die" )mud oven baked bread) is almost unthinkable.
Pukhtuns love to take a tablespoon of curried meat or vegetables
in each inch square piece of bread.
Tea is generally a creamy milk type make by boiling up pot o wate,
adding a couple teaspoons of tea leaves, then adding milk and
sugar to taste. Still in many villages brown sugar cane balls
are used in place of sugar. It is important for Pukhtuns tobe
bale to have a cup of tea abot 5 times a day. Green teas is used
by some after the meals.
Music
The rebab is a 12 stringed guitar instrument, and the sitar, a
4 stringed instrument larger than a guitar are classic instruments
of the village Pukhtun. The flute also is used by some, especially
as a romantic song device. The strict religious mullahs look down
on the modern musci that comes out of the provincial radio. It
is apparently suggestive enough to be considered immodest tby
the religious. But there seems to be an increasing in that type
of music.
National Consciouness
Islam is heavily promoted on TV and radio. Islam is the norm in
the thinking of the Pukhtuns and generally it may be assumed that
to be a good Pakistani one must be a good Muslim. There is animosity.
though towards the heavily populated Punjab province among some
educaated people. The 75% of the people who work the land for
little income think little about other parts of the country and
are likely caught up in the village life and problems.
Islam in the Pukhtun tribe.
Because the Pukhtun believe that "to be a Pukhtun is to be
a Muslim" there is generally a quick negative reaction to
anything un-orthodox. However, there may be an accompanying lack
of conviction in mnay of the standard Islamic arguments aganist
other beliefs. Muslim religious priests are often accused of not
practicinig what they preach, and being relatively uneducated.
Pukhtuns admit to generally being unable to understand their
holy book in its religious language, so they are more ready to
read other books in a language they can understand.
ITEMS FOR PRAYER