Who are Pashtuns?

About Pashtuns:

• Pashtuns—also known as “Pathans” and “Pakhtuns”—are an ethnic group of people found throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• They reside primarily in the region that lies between the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan and the northern stretch of the Indus River in Pakistan.
• The Pashtuns in Pakistan were separated from those in Afghanistan by the ‘Durand Line’, which divided the region between British India and Afghanistan in the late 19th century.
• The Pashtun constitute the largest ethnic group of the population of Afghanistan (40-50 percent of the population) and bore the exclusive name of Afghan before that name came to denote any native of the present land area of Afghanistan.
• The Pashtun are united primarily by a common language, Pashto (an official language of Afghanistan).

• They are generally able to speak Farsi (Persian), when necessary, often relying on the language in the context of trade dealings in the region. 

• Other commonalities include Sunni Islam and a common social code (Pashtunwali) that governs both ethical behaviour and custom.
• Kinship is the basis of Pashtun society. 

• Each tribe, consisting of kinsmen who trace descent in the male bloodline from a common tribal ancestor, is divided into clans, subclans, and patriarchal families.

• Occupation: 

• Most Pashtun are sedentary farmers, combining cultivation with animal husbandry. Some are migratory herders and caravaners. 
• Many Pashtuns serve in the military. Smaller numbers hold political posts.