Pashtun diaspora
Encyclopedia
Pashtuns also called Pathans (Urdu: پٹھان) have many communities around the world. Pukhtuns have long history to conquer and colonizing several regions especially the ancient regions of Sub-continent in duration of past few centuries. The Lodhi dynasty of Pukhtun clans is the famous one during India's past history whereof, Bahlul Lodhi, Sikandar Lodhi, and Ibraheem Lodhi are the most notable imperials of the ancient India. Though their homeland is in the Pakhtunkhwa region of South-Central Asia
—a region stretching from south of the Hindu Kush
mountains in Afghanistan
to western Pakistan
—they are also found in India
, the Middle East
, Europe
, North America
, Australia
, Africa
, and in other parts of the globe. According to Ethnologue
, their total number is estimated to be nearly 50 million but some sources give lower or higher numbers.
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan
, comprising 40-50% of the total Afghan population
. Approximately 3 million Afghans continue to live in Pakistan
and Iran
.
From the 3rd century CE to the 20th century, the Pashtuns were known as Afghans, a term now used to describe a citizen of Afghanistan
. Kandahar
is the second largest city in Afghanistan and a stronghold of the Pashtun culture
. Lashkar Gah in the south, Farah
in the west, Jalalabad
in the east, and Kunduz
in the north are also predominantly Pashtun cities of Afghanistan. Kabul
and Ghazni
are 55% Pashtuns, while Herat
in the west and Mazar-i-Sharif in the north are around 20%.
. The Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, comprising 20% of Pakistan's population, with a population of 28 million. They form the majority ethnic group in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, this does not include the Afghan refugees who arrived to the country during the Soviet war in Afghanistan
. The Pashtuns have considerable influence in the Pakistani politics, military, government, business and trade. Peshawar
and Quetta
are Pashtun dominated cities of Pakistan. With close to 1 million Pashtuns by some estimates, the province of Sindh
hosts the largest Pashtun populations in the world outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pashtuns
, originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA
and northern Balochistan, are now the city's second largest ethnic group. By some estimates, there are close to 7 million Pashtuns in Karachi, including approximately 50,000 registered Afghan refugees, Karachi hosts the largest Pashtun population
in the world, Many of these Pashtuns have been resident in Karachi for decades, and as a result, some no longer speak Pashto fluently, and instead primarily speak Urdu or English — especially those from wealthier communities. In addition, a small number of the Muhajir community (such as the Rohilla
community) in Karachi claim to be by origin ethnic Pashtuns.
The following delineates the Pashtun population in the provinces of Pakistan
:
Substantial ethnic Pashtun communities outside of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reside in the districts of Attock
(the Chachi
) and Mianwali
in Punjab
. These and other communities of Pashtun ancestry are often referred to as the Punjabi Pashtun. There are also large communities of Punjabi-Pashtuns in Kasur
, and other larger communities have settled around Multan
which was formerly part of the Durrani Empire
.
In addition to this, a large portion of the Urdu-speaking community in Pakistan trace their ancestry to the ancient pashtun regions of present day Afghanistan and Khyberpakhtunkhawa. A large community identify themselves as Yousefzai Pashtuns, Ghouri and Durrani. The medieval era Afghans forming the Sultanate dynasties
and Mughal Empire
assimilated into the Urdu-speaking community. It is estimated that over 30% of the Urdu-speaking community hold their ancestral roots to Pashtun heritage. Additionally, a significant number of descendants of Rohilla
s migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India.
, as a British colony, once had a large Pashtun population roughly equal to that of Afghanistan, mostly concentrated in what were then the British Indian provinces of the North-West Frontier Province
and Baluchistan
. In Rohilkhand, they made large settlements subsequent to 14th century and prior to the 20th century. In fact, according to Encyclopædia Britannica
, the number of Pashtuns in all of India was nearly 31 million, but the speakers of Pashto numbered less than 14 million. Most of this population was allotted, along with its respective provinces, to Pakistan after the Partition of India
. Today the Pashtuns in India can be divided into those who speak Pashto and those who speak Urdu, the latter group being much larger.
. Although their exact numbers are hard to determine, it is at least in excess of 100,000 for it is known that in 1954 over 100,000 nomadic Pakhtuns living in Kashmir Valley were granted Indian
citizenship. Today jirga
s are frequently held. Those settled and living in the Kashmir Valley speak Pashto, and are found chiefly in the southwest of the valley, where Pashtun colonies have from time to time been founded. The most interesting are the Kukikhel Afridis of Dramghaihama, who retain all the old customs and speak Pashto. They wear colorful dress and carry swords and shields. The Afridi
s and the Machipurians, who belong to the Yusufzai tribe, are liable to military service, in return for which they hold certain villages free of revenue. The Pashtuns chiefly came in under the Durranis, but many were brought by Maharajah Gulab Singh for service on the frontier. Pashto is also spoken in two villages, Dhakki and Changnar (Chaknot), located on the Line of Control
in Kupwara District
. In response to demand by the Pashtun community living in the state, Kashir TV has recently launched a series of Pushto-language programs.
A further small, scattered Pashtun population still exists in some major cities of India with large Muslim populations, with the majority of Pashto-speaking individuals residing in the states of Delhi
and Uttar Pradesh
India; who also have adopted local languages of the respective areas they live in, as their second language. These Pathans, numbering around 14,161, have retained the use of the Pashto language and are still able to speak and understand it. This is partially because until recently, most of these Indian Pashtuns were able to travel to Pakhtunkhwa
, Pakistan.
-era Pashtun population, India still has a large community of Urdu-speaking Muslims who trace their ancestry to ancient Pashtun invaders and settlers. They are often referred by the Hindi-Urdu pronunciation of the word Pashtun, "Pathan". However, because Pashto fluency has been lost, and a large degree of intermarriage with Indian locals has occurred throughout the centuries, such Pathans who are of Pakhtun decent, have however, retained their identity as Khan and are regarded distinguished among themselves as having the Pathan ancestry. The most famous among them are the Bollywood
Khan actors. In addition, several other communities such as the Rajput
Khanzada
of Uttar Pradesh also use the surname Khan, though they are not Pathans. In Rohilkhand
and the Bangash
-dominated areas of Farrukhabad
, the term "Pathan Khanzada" refers to Rajput groups that have been incorporated into the Pashtun communities settled there. In addition to Uttar Pradesh
, the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan
are also home to large communities of ancient Pashtuns settlers.
Major Indian Pathan tribes lived in the following areas. While many persons belonging to these tribes moved to the Afghan-Pakistan border, others chose to stay and thus, descendants of these tribes still reside in the parts of India listed below:
It is significant to note that a large part of above Pathan diaspora have naturalized themselves in the local culture over the centuries.
The term "Pathan" does not refer exclusively and specifically to these Indian Pashtun descendants. Historically the term was used mainly to refer to Pashtuns in general by mainstream Indians Muslims included. Most Pashtuns, however, find the term to be insensitive and prefer to be called by their native label.
Today, around 10,808,000 individuals who claim Pathan descent reside in post-partition India. The following delineates the population of Pathans in the states of India.
Many Pashtuns worked in the Indian independence movement
. While many supported the Muslim League's demand for Pakistan, some Pashtuns opposed it in favor of a united and secular India, especially members of the Indian National Congress. These included Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
, his son Khan Wali Khan
, Indian diplomat Mohammed Yunus
, Pakistani opposition leader Mufti Mahmud
and Balochistan-based Pashtun leader Abdul Samad Achakzai.
Also among the Pashtuns in India are students from Afghanistan
who are in India to obtain a quality education, including President of Afghanistan
Hamid Karzai
and Kabuliwallah
Pashtuns who are doing business in India. In addition, India has a large number of Hindu and Sikh refugees from Afghanistan who are fluent in Pashto, Hindko and Dari
.
, particularly in the United Arab Emirates
, Saudi Arabia
, Qatar
, Kuwait
, Oman
and other Arab countries. Many of them are involved in the transport business, while others are employees of construction companies.
Over 100,000 Pashtuns live in Iran
as citizens of that country and a further sizable number live among the Afghan refugees. The Iranian Pashtuns are mainly concentrated in the Afghan-Iran border, in the South Khorasan Province of Iran.
About 300,000 Pashtuns immigrated to the Gulf Countries from 1976 to 1981, representing 35% of Pakistani immigrants.
to Europe
. The following statistics represent the number of Pashtuns in European countries:
is home to some 100,000 Pashtuns, making it one of the most populous overseas Pashtun communities in the world and the most populous one in the West.
Pashtuns have been present in California
at least since agricultural labor was imported in the early 20th century. Since the late 1970s and onwards, Pashtuns began immigrating to the USA in large numbers and are well established there. Pashtuns in the United States are famous for running top Afghan cuisine restaurants and as owners of the fast-food restaurant chain Kennedy Fried Chicken
that is based in New York City
.
, especially for the operation of camel trains in desert areas. These consisted of men who were not allowed to bring their families with them, many married local Aborigines
and are now known as Ghans. During the 1980s and 90s, Pashtuns began settling in Perth
, Melbourne
, Sydney
and other major cities of Australia.
have been common throughout the provinces. There is even a Thai-Pashtun Friendship Association. Because the Pashtuns are fiercely independent, they often are well treated and respected by the Thai locals. Countries like Cambodia
, Laos
, Indonesia
and Malaysia also have similar cases of Pashtun settlements.
, Taiwan
and Japan
.
and Suriname
claim to be of Afghan descent. Most of them moved to South American countries during the India
n immigration.
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
—a region stretching from south of the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
mountains 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...
to western 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...
—they are also found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and in other parts of the globe. According to Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
, their total number is estimated to be nearly 50 million but some sources give lower or higher numbers.
Afghanistan
Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan
Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
Afghanistan is a multiethnic society. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ethnolinguistic groups. The ethnic groups of the country are as follow: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Arab, Brahui, Pamiri and some others.-Ethnic...
, comprising 40-50% of the total Afghan population
Demography of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
. Approximately 3 million Afghans continue to live in Pakistan
Afghans in Pakistan
Afghans in Pakistan are mostly refugees who fled Afghanistan during the 1980s Soviet war as well as diplomats, traders, businesspersons, workers, exchange students, tourists and other visitors. As of March 2009, some 1.7 million registered Afghan nationals were reported to be living in Pakistan,...
and Iran
Afghans in Iran
Afghans in Iran are mostly refugees who fled Afghanistan during the 1980s Soviet war as well as diplomats, traders, businesspersons, workers, exchange students, tourists and other visitors. As of March 2009, nearly 1 million Afghan nationals were reported to be living in Iran...
.
From the 3rd century CE to the 20th century, the Pashtuns were known as Afghans, a term now used to describe a citizen of Afghanistan
Demography of Afghanistan
The population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...
. Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
is the second largest city in Afghanistan and a stronghold of 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...
. Lashkar Gah in the south, Farah
Farah, Afghanistan
Farah is a city in western Afghanistan, situated at 650 m altitude, and located on the Farah River. It is the capital of Farah Province, and has a population of approximately 109,409....
in the west, Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
in the east, and Kunduz
Kunduz
Kunduz also known as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz is a city in northern Afghanistan, the capital of Kunduz Province. It is linked by highways with Mazari Sharif to the west, Kabul to the south and Tajikistan's border to the north...
in the north are also predominantly Pashtun cities of Afghanistan. Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
and Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
are 55% Pashtuns, while Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
in the west and Mazar-i-Sharif in the north are around 20%.
Pakistan
The largest population of Pashtuns in the world are found in PakistanPakistan
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...
. The Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, comprising 20% of Pakistan's population, with a population of 28 million. They form the majority ethnic group in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, this does not include the Afghan refugees who arrived to the country during the Soviet war in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
. The Pashtuns have considerable influence in the Pakistani politics, military, government, business and trade. 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....
and Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
are Pashtun dominated cities of Pakistan. With close to 1 million Pashtuns by some estimates, the province of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
hosts the largest Pashtun populations in the world outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The Pashtuns
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...
, originally from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA
Fata
The FATA or FC-ATA is a type of computer hard disk drive. FATA is simply the low cost ATA or SATA disk drive equipped with a small external converter, that changes the interface to Fibre Channel...
and northern Balochistan, are now the city's second largest ethnic group. By some estimates, there are close to 7 million Pashtuns in Karachi, including approximately 50,000 registered Afghan refugees, Karachi hosts the largest Pashtun population
Pashtun diaspora
Pashtuns , also called Pathans have many communities around the world. Pukhtuns have long history to conquer and colonizing several regions especially the ancient regions of Sub-continent in duration of past few centuries...
in the world, Many of these Pashtuns have been resident in Karachi for decades, and as a result, some no longer speak Pashto fluently, and instead primarily speak Urdu or English — especially those from wealthier communities. In addition, a small number of the Muhajir community (such as the Rohilla
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
community) in Karachi claim to be by origin ethnic Pashtuns.
The following delineates the Pashtun population in the provinces of Pakistan
Subdivisions of Pakistan
The administrative units of Pakistan consist of four provinces, one federal capital territory, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas...
:
| Province Subdivisions of Pakistan The administrative units of Pakistan consist of four provinces, one federal capital territory, and a group of federally-administered tribal areas... |
Pashtuns |
|---|---|
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 23,906,000 |
 SindhSindh Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can... |
1000,000 |
| Balochistan Balochistan (Pakistan) Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of... |
5,293,000 |
 PunjabPunjab (Pakistan) Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the... |
4,929,000 |
 Azad KashmirAzad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir... |
457,000 |
 Islamabad Capital TerritoryIslamabad Capital Territory The Islamabad Capital Territory is one of the two federal territories of Pakistan. It includes Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and covers an area of 1,165.5 km² of which 906 km² is Islamabad proper... |
55,000 |
 PakistanPakistan 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... |
35,640,000 |
Substantial ethnic Pashtun communities outside of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reside in the districts of Attock
Attock District
Attock District is a district in the north-west Punjab Province of Pakistan.The district was created in April 1904 by the merger of Talagang Tehsil in the Jhelum District with the Pindigheb, Fatehjang and Attock tehsils from Rawalpindi District of the Punjab province of British India.Attock...
(the Chachi
Chhachi (Pashtun)
The Chhachi Pashtuns consist of a variety of Pashtun clans inhabiting the region of Chhachh in the northern half of the Punjab province of Pakistan, which is home a large community of Pashtuns.-Major tribes:...
) and Mianwali
Mianwali District
Mianwali is a district in the northwest of Punjab province, Pakistan. It borders eight districts: Attock District in the north, Chakwal District in the northeast, Khushab District in the east, and Bhakkar District in the south, while Lakki Marwat lies to the west, Kohat and Karak districts to the...
in Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
. These and other communities of Pashtun ancestry are often referred to as the Punjabi Pashtun. There are also large communities of Punjabi-Pashtuns in Kasur
Kasur
Kasur , the capital of Kasur District in Pakistan. Kasur is located adjacent to the border of Ganda Singh Wala between Pakistan and India, and is a tourist attraction because of the daily occurring Flags lowering ceremony...
, and other larger communities have settled around Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
which was formerly part of the Durrani 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...
.
In addition to this, a large portion of the Urdu-speaking community in Pakistan trace their ancestry to the ancient pashtun regions of present day Afghanistan and Khyberpakhtunkhawa. A large community identify themselves as Yousefzai Pashtuns, Ghouri and Durrani. The medieval era Afghans forming the Sultanate dynasties
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...
and Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
assimilated into the Urdu-speaking community. It is estimated that over 30% of the Urdu-speaking community hold their ancestral roots to Pashtun heritage. Additionally, a significant number of descendants of Rohilla
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
s migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India.
India
IndiaBritish 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...
, as a British colony, once had a large Pashtun population roughly equal to that of Afghanistan, mostly concentrated in what were then the British Indian provinces of the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
and Baluchistan
Baluchistan (Chief Commissioners Province)
The Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan was a province of British India located in the northern parts of the modern Balochistan province.- History :...
. In Rohilkhand, they made large settlements subsequent to 14th century and prior to the 20th century. In fact, according to Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time...
, the number of Pashtuns in all of India was nearly 31 million, but the speakers of Pashto numbered less than 14 million. Most of this population was allotted, along with its respective provinces, to Pakistan after the Partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Today the Pashtuns in India can be divided into those who speak Pashto and those who speak Urdu, the latter group being much larger.
Pashto-speaking communities
There are a large number of Pashto-speaking Pakhtuns in the Indian state of Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
. Although their exact numbers are hard to determine, it is at least in excess of 100,000 for it is known that in 1954 over 100,000 nomadic Pakhtuns living in Kashmir Valley were granted Indian
citizenship. Today jirga
Jirga
A jirga is a tribal assembly of elders which takes decisions by consensus, particularly among the Pashtun people but also in other ethnic groups near them; they are most common in Afghanistan and among the Pashtuns in Pakistan near its border with Afghanistan...
s are frequently held. Those settled and living in the Kashmir Valley speak Pashto, and are found chiefly in the southwest of the valley, where Pashtun colonies have from time to time been founded. The most interesting are the Kukikhel Afridis of Dramghaihama, who retain all the old customs and speak Pashto. They wear colorful dress and carry swords and shields. The Afridi
Afridi
Afridi of rough hilly area in the eastern Safed Koh range, west of the Peshawar Valley and east of Torkham, and Maidan in Tirah, which can be accessed by the Kajurhi plains and the valleys of Bara and Churah in Pakistan...
s and the Machipurians, who belong to the Yusufzai tribe, are liable to military service, in return for which they hold certain villages free of revenue. The Pashtuns chiefly came in under the Durranis, but many were brought by Maharajah Gulab Singh for service on the frontier. Pashto is also spoken in two villages, Dhakki and Changnar (Chaknot), located on the Line of Control
Line of Control
The term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which, to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de facto border...
in Kupwara District
Kupwara District
Kupwara District is located in Jammu and Kashmir, India.-Administration:Kupwara district has 3 tehsils: Handwara, Karnah and Kupwara.This district consists of 11 blocks: Sogam, Tangdar, Teetwal, Ramhal, Kupwara, Rajwal, Kralpora, Langate, Wavoora, Trehgam and Kalaroo...
. In response to demand by the Pashtun community living in the state, Kashir TV has recently launched a series of Pushto-language programs.
A further small, scattered Pashtun population still exists in some major cities of India with large Muslim populations, with the majority of Pashto-speaking individuals residing in the states of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
India; who also have adopted local languages of the respective areas they live in, as their second language. These Pathans, numbering around 14,161, have retained the use of the Pashto language and are still able to speak and understand it. This is partially because until recently, most of these Indian Pashtuns were able to travel to Pakhtunkhwa
Pakhtunkhwa
The Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been known by a number of names during its existence. In addition to North-West Frontier Province, the official name by which it was known from 1901 to 2010, other names used or proposed for the province include Afghania, Pakhtunistan, Pashtunistan,...
, Pakistan.
Urdu-speaking communities
The larger number of people claiming Pashtun ancestry in India are Urdu-speaking. Despite the loss of most of the RajBritish 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...
-era Pashtun population, India still has a large community of Urdu-speaking Muslims who trace their ancestry to ancient Pashtun invaders and settlers. They are often referred by the Hindi-Urdu pronunciation of the word Pashtun, "Pathan". However, because Pashto fluency has been lost, and a large degree of intermarriage with Indian locals has occurred throughout the centuries, such Pathans who are of Pakhtun decent, have however, retained their identity as Khan and are regarded distinguished among themselves as having the Pathan ancestry. The most famous among them are the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
Khan actors. In addition, several other communities such as the Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
Khanzada
Khanzada (Awadh)
The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a community of Hindu converted Muslim Rajputs, found in the Awadh region of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. A few are also found in the state of Bihar. This community is distinct from the Rajasthan Khanzadas, who are also a community of Muslim Rajputs. They also...
of Uttar Pradesh also use the surname Khan, though they are not Pathans. In Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
and the Bangash
Bangash
Bangash is the name of a Pashtun clan. The Bangash clan inhabit regions within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas , the Kurram Agency, the Miranzai Valley bordering the Samana Range, Naryab, Tirah, Kohat and Peshawar within the Sarhad province...
-dominated areas of Farrukhabad
Farrukhabad
Farrukhābād , is one of the important cities of Central Doab Region in the State of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. The city was founded in 1717 by Mohammed Bangash who named it after the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar. Farrukhabad is situated on the bank of sacred river Ganges.-Demographics: India...
, the term "Pathan Khanzada" refers to Rajput groups that have been incorporated into the Pashtun communities settled there. In addition to Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
are also home to large communities of ancient Pashtuns settlers.
Major Indian Pathan tribes lived in the following areas. While many persons belonging to these tribes moved to the Afghan-Pakistan border, others chose to stay and thus, descendants of these tribes still reside in the parts of India listed below:
- TareenTareenThe Tareen are a prominent Sarbanri Pashtun tribe residing in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. They are one of the largest Pashtun tribes.-History:...
s or Tarins, properly, in Sarai Tareen, a small town in the city SambhalSambhalSambhal is a town and tehsil and headquarters of Bhimnagar district in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Sambhal is an ancient settlement that was also important during the period of Muslim rule and was one of Sikandar Lodi ’s provincial capitals in the late 15th and early 16th...
of Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity... - RohillaRohillaThe Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...
s in the RohilkhandRohilkhandRohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
region of Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity... - BangashBangashBangash is the name of a Pashtun clan. The Bangash clan inhabit regions within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas , the Kurram Agency, the Miranzai Valley bordering the Samana Range, Naryab, Tirah, Kohat and Peshawar within the Sarhad province...
es in Farrukhabad DistrictFarrukhabad DistrictFarrukhabad district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The town of Fatehgarh is the district headquarters. The district is part of Kanpur Division....
in Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and the towns of KasganjKasganjKasganj is a city and a district headquarters of Kanshi Ram Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Kasganj is located at . It has an average elevation of 177 metres . Situated on the banks of river Kali, the town is in proximity of the Himalayas foothills...
and KaimganjKaimganjKaimganj, also rendered as Qaimganj , is a city in Farrukhabad district in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. Qaimganj is connected to all the villages of north India by roads and Railway network...
of Etah DistrictEtah DistrictEtah district is one of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Etah town is the district headquarters. Etah district is a part of Aligarh Division. It is dominated by Yadavs and Rajputs.-Economy:... - MarwatMarwatMarwat مروت, refers to a Pashtun tribe, located primarily in Lakki Marwat District in the south of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan as well the districts of Tank and Dera Ismail Khan...
s in Aurangabad in MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, AzamgarhAzamgarhAzamgarh is a town in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is headquarters of Azamgarh district and Azamgarh Division.-History:Azamgarh, one of the easternmost districts of the State, once formed a part of the ancient Kosala kingdom, except the north-eastern part of it which was included in the...
in Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and Bhopal - YousafzaiYousafzaiThe Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
s in Baroda in Gujarat, and Bhopal in Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city.... - Tonkia Pathan, a community mainly of YousafzaiYousafzaiThe Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
descent found in TonkTonk, IndiaTonk is a town in Rajasthan state, India. The town of Tonk is situated by road south from Jaipur, near the right bank of the Banas River. It is the administrative headquarters of Tonk District. Tonk was also the capital of the eponymous princely state of British India from 1817 to...
, and other districts of RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with... - SorgarSorgarThe Sorgar are a Muslim community found in the state of Rajasthan in India. Many members of Sorgar community have migrated to Pakistan after independence have settled in Karachi, Sindh.-History and origin:...
community of RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
also claims Pashtun ancestry. - MianaMianaMiana is a community in Pakistan. It is derived from Mian, which is a family name and a title of nobility and used by Muslims in the Punjab region of South Asia.-History and origin:...
s in Southern India - LodhiLodhiLodhi is a Batani Pashtun tribe mainly found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were part of a wave of Pashtuns who pushed east into what is today Pakistan. Often accompanying the Timurids who conquered South Asia, the Lodhi established themselves during the Islamic period as a Muslim ruling class...
s and SurisSuri (Pashtun)Sur or Soor is one of the historical names of the Afghan tribes, they are now found primarily among the Pashtun people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They claim to be descendants of Mohammad Sur, one of the princes of the Ghorids, who left his native Ghor region and settled among the Afghan tribes in...
of North IndiaNorth IndiaNorth India, known natively as Uttar Bhārat or Shumālī Hindustān , is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage... - LodhiLodhiLodhi is a Batani Pashtun tribe mainly found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were part of a wave of Pashtuns who pushed east into what is today Pakistan. Often accompanying the Timurids who conquered South Asia, the Lodhi established themselves during the Islamic period as a Muslim ruling class...
s, YousafzaiYousafzaiThe Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
and SurisSuri (Pashtun)Sur or Soor is one of the historical names of the Afghan tribes, they are now found primarily among the Pashtun people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They claim to be descendants of Mohammad Sur, one of the princes of the Ghorids, who left his native Ghor region and settled among the Afghan tribes in...
of BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.... - Pathans of GujaratPathans of GujaratGujarati Pathans are a group of Pathans. At various times in history, large number of Pashtuns have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati speaking Muslims...
are a distinct community with in the larger community of the Pathans of India. They belonge mainly to the Babi, LohaniLohani (Pashtun)For the Hindu Lohani clan see LohaniLohani are a Pashtun tribe found in Afghanistan , Pakistan and call also be found in other parts of South Asia ....
, YousafzaiYousafzaiThe Yūsufzai is one of the largest Pashtun tribes...
and ZadranZadran tribeThe Zadran or Dzadranr is a tribe within the Pashtun ethnic group, originating in the "Dzadran arc" of Afghanistan, which includes the Wazi Zadran, Shwak and Gerda Serai districts of Paktia, Nika, Zaruk, Gayan and Urgun districts of Paktika, and parts of Qalandar, Nadar Shah Kot and Spira districts...
tribes.
It is significant to note that a large part of above Pathan diaspora have naturalized themselves in the local culture over the centuries.
The term "Pathan" does not refer exclusively and specifically to these Indian Pashtun descendants. Historically the term was used mainly to refer to Pashtuns in general by mainstream Indians Muslims included. Most Pashtuns, however, find the term to be insensitive and prefer to be called by their native label.
Today, around 10,808,000 individuals who claim Pathan descent reside in post-partition India. The following delineates the population of Pathans in the states of India.
- Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
(8,997,000) - MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
(3,123,000) - West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
(3,057,000) - RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
(990,000) - Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
(974,000) - KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
(559,000) - Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
(500,000) - BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
(327,000) - Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
(257,000) - Gujarat (254,000)
Notable Indians of Pashtun ancestry
Amjad Khan, Bollywood film star- Zakir HussainZakir Hussain (politician)Dr. Zakir Hussain , was the third President of India from 13 May 1967 until his death on 3 May 1969. He was the first elected Muslim president of India....
, President of India from 1967 to 1969 - Maulana Mohammad AliMaulana Mohammad AliMaulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar was an Indian Muslim leader, activist, scholar, journalist and poet, and was among the leading figures of the Khilafat Movement....
, one of the leading figures of the Khilafat MovementKhilafat MovementThe Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
in India as well as an activist, a scholar, journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary... - Shahrukh KhanShahrukh KhanShahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
, BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
superstarSuperstarA superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.Superstar or superstars may also refer to:-People:* Warhol Superstar, associates of Andy Warhol* WWE Superstar, the term used to refer to entertainers from the WWE...
in Indian films - Dilip KumarDilip KumarDilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
, born Yusuf Khan, Bollywood film star - Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, Bollywood film star - Aamir KhanAamir KhanAamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....
, Bollywood film star - Feroz KhanFeroz KhanFeroz Khan was an Indian actor, film editor, producer and director in the Hindi film industry...
, Bollywood film star - Fardeen KhanFardeen KhanFardeen Khan is an Indian Bollywood actor.-Early life:Fardeen Khan was born to actor turned director Feroz Khan and mother Sundari. Grandson of Sadiq Ali Khan and Fatima Khan. He is the nephew of actors Sanjay Khan and Akbar Khan. He is the cousin of Suzanne Khan and actor Zayed Khan. He lived in...
, Bollywood film star - Kader KhanKader KhanKader Khan is an Indian film actor, comedian, script and dialogue writer. He graduated from Ismail Yusuf College affiliated to Mumbai University .-Early life:...
, Bollywood film star - Saif Ali KhanSaif Ali KhanSaif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
, Bollywood film star (half Bengali) - Salman KhanSalman KhanSalman Khan is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi with Rekha in a lead role, had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya , for which he won a Filmfare Award for...
, Bollywood film star (half Marathi) - Irfan PathanIrfan PathanIrfan Pathan is an Indian cricketer who made his debut for India in late-2003 and was a core member of the national team until a decline in form set in during 2006, forcing him out of the team...
, cricket player for India national cricket team - Yusuf PathanYusuf PathanYusuf Pathan is an Indian cricketer. Pathan made his debut in first-class cricket in 2001/02. He is a powerful and aggressive batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler. His brother Irfan Pathan is also an Indian cricketer...
, cricket player for India national cricket team, brother of Irfan Pathan - Iftikhar Ali Khan PataudiIftikhar Ali Khan PataudiIftikhar Ali Khan , sometimes I.A.K. Pataudi was the 8th Nawab of Pataudi and captain of the Indian cricket team. He was one of few cricketers to have played for two countries, having also played for the English Test side...
, cricket player for India national cricket team - Mansoor Ali Khan PataudiMansoor Ali Khan PataudiMansoor Ali Khan or Mansur Ali Khan , sometimes M.A.K. Pataudi , nicknamed Tiger Pataudi, was an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team...
, cricket player for India national cricket team - Zaheer KhanZaheer KhanZaheer Khan is an Indian cricketer who has been a member of the Indian cricket team since 2000. A left arm fast bowler considered as the best of the Indian fast bowling attack, Zaheer is known for his ability to swing the ball both ways, and as a batsman also holds the record for the highest Test...
, cricket player who helped India to win the Cricket World Cup, 2011 - Khan Bahadur Khan RohillaKhan Bahadur Khan RohillaKhan Badur Khan Rohilla was the grandson of Hafiz Rahmat Khan. He formed his own government in Bareilly in 1857 Indian revolt against British. When the Indian Rebellion of 1857 failed Bareilly, too, was subjugated. Khan Bahadur Khan was sentenced to death and hanged in the Kotwali on February 24,...
- Bakht KhanBakht KhanBakht Khan Rohilla was nominal commander-in-chief of Indian rebel forces in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the East India Company.-Background:...
- Khan Fateh Khan BarechKhan Fateh Khan BarechFateh Khan Barech was the son of Aslam Khan, the ruler of Qila Bust, also known as Kalabus, in the modern Helmand Province of Afghanistan. After political differences with his father, he started his journey toward India with sixty companions....
Many Pashtuns worked in the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
. While many supported the Muslim League's demand for Pakistan, some Pashtuns opposed it in favor of a united and secular India, especially members of the Indian National Congress. These included Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was an Afghan, Pashtun political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition to British Rule in India...
, his son Khan Wali Khan
Khan Wali Khan
Khan Abdul Wali Khan was Pakistani democratic socialist and Pashtun leader who also served as President of National Awami Party. Son of the prominent Pashtun Bacha Khan, Wali Khan was an activist and a writer against the British India like his father.His early years were marked by his involvement...
, Indian diplomat Mohammed Yunus
Mohammad Yunus (diplomat)
Mohammad Yunus was a close associate and advisor to Indira Gandhi. As a member of the foreign service he served as India’s ambassador to Turkey, Indonesia, Iraq and Spain.He promoted Trade between India and the rest of the world through regular Trade Fairs and the establishment of the Pragati...
, Pakistani opposition leader Mufti Mahmud
Mufti Mahmud
Maulana Mufti Mahmud , an ethnic Marwat Pashtun hailing from Abdul Khel, was born in January 1919 in Paniala, Dera Ismail Khan District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, province of Pakistan. He was an Islamic scholar and political activist. Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman is his son and was the leader of opposition in...
and Balochistan-based Pashtun leader Abdul Samad Achakzai.
Also among the Pashtuns in India are students from 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...
who are in India to obtain a quality education, including President of Afghanistan
President of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has only been a republic between 1973 and 1992 and from 2001 onwards. Before 1973, it was a monarchy that was governed by a variety of kings, emirs or shahs...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
and Kabuliwallah
Kabuliwala
Kabuliwala ) is a 1957 Bengali film directed by Tapan Sinha and based on the eponymous story by the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.-Plot:...
Pashtuns who are doing business in India. In addition, India has a large number of Hindu and Sikh refugees from Afghanistan who are fluent in Pashto, Hindko and Dari
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
.
Notable Pakistanis of Pashtun ancestry
- Abdur Rab NishtarAbdur Rab NishtarSardar Abdur Rab Nishtar was a Muslim League stalwart, Pakistan movement activist and later Pakistani politician.-Education:...
, Pakistan Independent Movement Activist and Later Pakistani Politician - Ghulam Muhammad, Governor-General of PakistanGovernor-General of PakistanThe Governor-General of Pakistan was the representative in Pakistan of the Crown from the country's independence in 1947. When Pakistan was proclaimed a republic in 1956 the connection with the British monarchy ended, and the office of Governor-General was abolished.-History:Pakistan gained...
from 1951 to 1955 - Ayub Khan, President of PakistanPresident of PakistanThe President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
from 1958 to 1969 - Ghulam Ishaq KhanGhulam Ishaq KhanGhulam Ishaq Khan , abbreviated as GIK, was the seventh President of Pakistan from August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993 and a career statesman from the start to the end of cold war...
, President of PakistanPresident of PakistanThe President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993 - Gohar Ayub KhanGohar Ayub KhanGohar Ayub Khan is a Pakistani politician and a son of the late Pakistani dictator, President General Ayub Khan. A Tareen/Tarin Afghan/Pathan, he was born in village Rehana, Haripur, Hazara region. Khan studied at Army Burn Hall College, Abbottabad, and Saint Mary's Academy, Rawalpindi,...
, Son of Ayub Khan and Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan - Sahabzada Yaqub KhanSahabzada Yaqub KhanLieutenant-General Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan is a retired 3 star rank general in the Pakistan Army who the was the international face of Pakistan for three decades. He served as Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 1982 to 1991 during the dying days of Cold War and then caretaker Foreign Minister...
, Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 1982 to 1991 - Khurshid Mahmud KasuriKhurshid Mahmud KasuriMian Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is a Pakistani politician and diplomat. He was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.- Family background :Khurshid M. Kasuri belongs to one of the old political families of Pakistan...
, Foreign Minister of PakistanForeign Minister of PakistanThe Foreign Minister of Pakistan heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current Foreign Minister is Hina Rabbani Khar who took office as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on 11 February 2011, and as full Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20 July, 2011...
from 2002 to 2007 - Qazi Hussain AhmadQazi Hussain AhmadQazi Hussain Ahmad was the third president of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami, a major political party in Pakistan...
, the third president (1987–2009) of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami - Ishaq Khan KhakwaniIshaq Khan KhakwaniIshaq Khan Khakwani was born in Multan, Punjab province of Pakistan in April 1949. The former Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunications Division and Railways.-School and College:...
, The former Pakistan Minister of State - Qamar ZamanQamar ZamanQamar Zaman is a former squash player from Pakistan. He was one of the leading players in the game in the 1970s and 1980s. His biggest triumph was winning the British Open in 1975....
, Famous Squash Player - Imran KhanImran KhanImran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Famous Cricketer and Politician of Pakistan - Shahid AfridiShahid AfridiSahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi , popularly known as Shahid Afridi , is a Pakistani cricketer. Between 1996 and 2011, Afridi played 27 Tests, 325 One Day Internationals, and 43 Twenty20 Internationals for the Pakistani national team...
, Cricketer - Misbah-ul-HaqMisbah-ul-HaqMisbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi is a Pakistani cricketer and the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team for s and s...
, Cricketer - Abdul Wahid DurraniAbdul Wahid DurraniAbdul Wahid Khan Durrani born in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan on 30 June 1917, was a former Pakistani international footballer.He has had an illustrious and exemplary career as one of the greatest footballers of the South Asia...
, Pakistani international footballer - Jamal ShahJamal ShahJamal Shah is an actor, a director, a painter, and a social worker. He was born in 1956 in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.-Education and career:...
, Famous Actor - Karnal Sher KhanKarnal Sher KhanKarnal Sher Khan was a pashtun Pakistani Army officer and one of only 10 recipients of Pakistan's highest gallantry award. He was a Captain in the 12 Northern Light Infantry and, previously in 27 Sindh Regiment of the Pakistan.-Name:Captain Sher Khan was born in Nawan Killi, a village in Swabi...
, Famous soldier who received Nishan-e-HaiderNishan-e-HaiderNishan-e-Haider or Nishan-e-Hyder is the highest military decoration given by Pakistan . It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a Republic, however, it was instituted retrospectively from Independence in 1947...
during Kargil WarKargil WarThe Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control... - Naseerullah BabarNaseerullah BabarMajor-General Naseerullah Khan Babar , SJ, HJ, was a retired 2-star rank general officer in the Pakistan Army, and later career military officer-turned statesman from the leftist democratic soclialist, the Pakistan Peoples Party...
, 2-star rank Major-General in the Pakistan Army, and the federal Interior Minister of Pakistan between 1993 and 1996 - Raheem ShahRaheem ShahRahim Shah is a leading Pashto pop singer. He started from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and is currently based in Karachi, Pakistan. He sings in Pashto, Urdu and Punjabi. He is an ethnic Pashtun.-Early life:...
, Singer - Younis KhanYounis KhanMohammad Younus Khan is a Pakistani cricketer and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Younus' name is often spelled Younis Khan, but he has been quoted as saying, "My name is Younus Khan...
, Cricketer - Jansher KhanJansher KhanJansher Khan is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest squash players of all time. During his career he won the World Open a record eight times, and the British Open six times.Jansher is of Peshwari ethnicity. He came from...
, Former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan - Jahangir KhanJahangir KhanJahangir Khan, HI, is a former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan, who is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of the game. During his career he won the World Open six times and the British Open a record ten times...
, Former World No. 1 professional squash player from Pakistan
Pashtuns in the Middle East
Hundreds of thousands of Pasthuns serving as migrant workers reside in the Middle EastMiddle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, particularly in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
and other Arab countries. Many of them are involved in the transport business, while others are employees of construction companies.
Over 100,000 Pashtuns live in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
as citizens of that country and a further sizable number live among the Afghan refugees. The Iranian Pashtuns are mainly concentrated in the Afghan-Iran border, in the South Khorasan Province of Iran.
About 300,000 Pashtuns immigrated to the Gulf Countries from 1976 to 1981, representing 35% of Pakistani immigrants.
Pashtuns in Europe
Many Pashtuns have migrated from their homeland in Central AsiaCentral Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The following statistics represent the number of Pashtuns in European countries:
- GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(55,000) - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(33,000) - AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(71,000) - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(26,000)
United Kingdom
The United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is home to some 100,000 Pashtuns, making it one of the most populous overseas Pashtun communities in the world and the most populous one in the West.
United States
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at least since agricultural labor was imported in the early 20th century. Since the late 1970s and onwards, Pashtuns began immigrating to the USA in large numbers and are well established there. Pashtuns in the United States are famous for running top Afghan cuisine restaurants and as owners of the fast-food restaurant chain Kennedy Fried Chicken
Kennedy Fried Chicken
Kennedy Fried Chicken, also known as Crown Fried Chicken, is a common restaurant name primarily in the New York-New Jersey area, but many other similar establishments are found in nearby smaller cities or towns along the Northeastern United States...
that is based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Canada
1,690 persons characterised their ethnicity as "Pashtun" in Canada's 2006 census.Australia
Large numbers of Afghans were recruited in the 19th century during the initial British development of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, especially for the operation of camel trains in desert areas. These consisted of men who were not allowed to bring their families with them, many married local Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
and are now known as Ghans. During the 1980s and 90s, Pashtuns began settling in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and other major cities of Australia.
Southeast Asia
Since the early 1900s there have been many generations of Pashtuns who migrated from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Pashtun settlements in ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
have been common throughout the provinces. There is even a Thai-Pashtun Friendship Association. Because the Pashtuns are fiercely independent, they often are well treated and respected by the Thai locals. Countries like Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia also have similar cases of Pashtun settlements.
East Asia
There may be some Pashtun communities living in parts of ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Guyana and Suriname
Some people living in GuyanaGuyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
claim to be of Afghan descent. Most of them moved to South American countries during the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n immigration.
See also
- Pathans of GujaratPathans of GujaratGujarati Pathans are a group of Pathans. At various times in history, large number of Pashtuns have settled in the region of Gujarat in western India. They now form a distinct community of Gujarati speaking Muslims...
- Pathans of Punjab
- Pathans of Rajasthan
- Pashtun peoplePashtun peoplePashtuns 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...
- Pashtun tribesPashtun tribesThe Pashtun people are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Pashtun, tribes are divided into four supertribal confederacies: the Arbanee , Betanee , Gharghasht, and Karlanee .Traditionally, according to folklore, all Pashtuns are said to have descended, at...
- Pashtun culturePashtun culturePashtun 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...
- PashtunistanPashtunistanPakhtunistan 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...
- PakhtunkhwaPakhtunkhwaThe Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been known by a number of names during its existence. In addition to North-West Frontier Province, the official name by which it was known from 1901 to 2010, other names used or proposed for the province include Afghania, Pakhtunistan, Pashtunistan,...
- RohilkhandRohilkhandRohilkhand is a region of northwestern Uttar Pradesh state of India.Rohilkhand lies on the upper Ganges alluvial plain and has an area of about 25,000 km²/10,000 square miles...
- RohillaRohillaThe Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...