Pashtunization
Encyclopedia
Pashtunization is a process of cultural or linguistic
change in which something non-Pashtun becomes Pashtun
(or non-Afghan becomes Afghan
; see Afghan (name).
People usually become Pashtunized when they settle in the Pashtun dominated areas
and assimilate
to the Pashtun culture
or absorb the Pashto language
. Pashtunization is a specific form of cultural assimilation
and has been taking place in Afghanistan
and Pashtun-dominated regions of Pakistan
since the original influx of Pashtuns into the area.
The Khilji
were originally Turkic tribes who had long domiciled in Afghanistan and gradually adopted the Pashtun culture
. Some of them left during the Mongol invasion of Central Asia
to South Asia, where they built empires such as the Khilji dynasty
, Lodi dynasty, and Suri dynasty of Delhi
. All of these are considered by historians as Afghans (Pashtuns).
Pashtunization may also refer to the settling of Pashtun tribes onto lands where non-Pashtun tribes live or more broadly the erosion of the customs, traditions and language of non-Pashtun peoples due to the political power of the Pashtuns in Afghanistan. This occurred in the Peshawar
sub-region in the early sixteenth century, during the period of the Suri dynasty of Delhi. It intensified in the mid-18th century under Ahmad Shah Durrani
, when he conquered a huge swath of non-Pashtun land and established his Pashtun dominated Afghan Empire
to ruler over it. However, most of the land was lost by 1893 when the Durand Line
was established by the British
which divided the Pashtun tribes. Today, this line forms the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; this not only separated the Pashtuns but also helped made many of them become Persianized and Urdu
-speaking (Persian being the other official language of Afghanistan apart from Pashto and Urdu being the national language of the state of Pakistan respectively). Others cite the reign of Abdur Rahman Khan
(in 19th century), and has continued up to the present.
Some Pashtunization attempts were made in the early part of the 20th century by the Musahiban
or more recently by the Taliban. On the other hand, some non-Pashtun Afghans or Pakistanis who live in close proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali
on their own.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
change in which something non-Pashtun becomes Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
(or non-Afghan becomes Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
; see Afghan (name).
People usually become Pashtunized when they settle in the Pashtun dominated areas
Pashtunistan
Pakhtunistan or Pashtunistan, meaning the "land of Pakhtuns" or "land of Pashtuns", is a modern term used for the historical region inhabited by the native Afghans or Pashtun since at least the 1st millennium BC...
and assimilate
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
to the Pashtun culture
Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow. Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as "Pathanwali". Its meaning may also be interpreted as "the way of the Pashtuns" or "the code of...
or absorb the Pashto language
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
. Pashtunization is a specific form of cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
and has been taking place in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pashtun-dominated regions of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
since the original influx of Pashtuns into the area.
The Khilji
Khilji
Khilji may refer to:*Khilji dynasty*Khilji, Nepalas added to the page to prevent it being listed on Special:Shortpages. It and the accompanying monitoring template were generated via Template:Longcomment. Please do not remove the monitor template without removing the comment as well....
were originally Turkic tribes who had long domiciled in Afghanistan and gradually adopted the Pashtun culture
Pashtun culture
Pashtun culture is based on Pashtunwali, which is an ancient way of life, as well as speaking of the Pashto language and wearing Pashtun dress. The culture of the Pashtun people is highlighted since at least the time of Herodotus or Alexander the Great, when he explored the Afghanistan and...
. Some of them left during the Mongol invasion of Central Asia
Mongol invasion of Central Asia
The Mongol invasion of Central Asia occurred after the unification of the Mongol and Turkic tribes on Mongolian plateau in 1206. It finally completed when Genghis Khan conquered the Khwarizmian Empire in 1221....
to South Asia, where they built empires such as the Khilji dynasty
Khilji dynasty
The Khilji Sultanate was a dynasty of Turko-Afghan Khalaj origin who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320. They were the second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India...
, Lodi dynasty, and Suri dynasty of Delhi
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
. All of these are considered by historians as Afghans (Pashtuns).
Pashtunization may also refer to the settling of Pashtun tribes onto lands where non-Pashtun tribes live or more broadly the erosion of the customs, traditions and language of non-Pashtun peoples due to the political power of the Pashtuns in Afghanistan. This occurred in the Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
sub-region in the early sixteenth century, during the period of the Suri dynasty of Delhi. It intensified in the mid-18th century under Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
, when he conquered a huge swath of non-Pashtun land and established his Pashtun dominated Afghan Empire
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire was a Pashtun dynasty centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan, and northwestern India. It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief...
to ruler over it. However, most of the land was lost by 1893 when the Durand Line
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
was established by the British
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
which divided the Pashtun tribes. Today, this line forms the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; this not only separated the Pashtuns but also helped made many of them become Persianized and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
-speaking (Persian being the other official language of Afghanistan apart from Pashto and Urdu being the national language of the state of Pakistan respectively). Others cite the reign of Abdur Rahman Khan
Abdur Rahman Khan
Abdur Rahman Khan was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901.The third son of Mohammad Afzal Khan, and grandson of Dost Mohammad Khan, Abdur Rahman Khan was considered a strong ruler who re-established the writ of the Afghan government in Kabul after the disarray that followed the second...
(in 19th century), and has continued up to the present.
Some Pashtunization attempts were made in the early part of the 20th century by the Musahiban
Mohammed Nadir Shah
Mohammed Nadir Shah was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in 1933. Previously, he served as Minister of War, Afghan Ambassador to France, and as a general in the military of Afghanistan...
or more recently by the Taliban. On the other hand, some non-Pashtun Afghans or Pakistanis who live in close proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali
Pashtunwali or Pakhtunwali is a non-written ethical code and traditional lifestyle which the indigenous Pashtun people from Afghanistan and Pakistan follow. Some in the Indian subcontinent refer to it as "Pathanwali". Its meaning may also be interpreted as "the way of the Pashtuns" or "the code of...
on their own.