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Afghanistan, Treasure Trove of Ethnicities

Published on October 25th, 2024

Written by Rahim Rostayee

Photo Credit: Hafiz Rafat

Introduction

Afghanistan is a country home to over 50 ethnic groups and 30 languages and dialects, earning it the title of ‘treasure trove of ethnicities.’ Studying these ethnic groups, their ancestral roots, social structures, and cultural values is crucial because each group not only enriches Afghanistan’s overall cultural diversity but also plays a decisive role in shaping its political, social, cultural, and economic life. Understanding the ontological nature of these groups helps us accurately grasp the overall policies of Afghan governments, past and present, and analyze and explain their relationship with the various peoples, ethnic groups, and nations within the country.

Broadly speaking, the ethnic groups in Afghanistan can be classified into four major categories: 

  1. Indo-European: This group includes Pashtuns, Tajiks, Balochs, Nuristanis, Pashai, and people of Indian origin (Sikhs, Hindus, Gujaratis, and Kashmiris). 
  2. Turkic and Mongolic: This includes Turkic and Mongol ethnic groups and their subgroups such as Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Imaqs or Chahar Imaqs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Qizilbash, and smaller tribes like Tatars, Mongols, and Chagatais. 
  3. Dravidian: This group includes the Brahui people, who are of Indian origin and reside in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. 
  4. Semitic: This group encompasses peoples in west Asia and Africa including  modern day Arabs, Tigrayans, Amhara, as well as ancient Akkadians, Canaanites, Hebrews, and Aramaeans.  

This article provides a concise overview of the most significant and populous ethnic groups in Afghanistan. 

Pashtuns

The Pashtuns are one of Afghanistan’s largest ethnic groups. Given their significant role in the country’s history and governance, it is essential to examine their origins, geographical distribution, social and tribal structures, language and literature, culture and values, religion and beliefs, and political involvement. 

The Historical Origin of the Pashtuns: The exact origins of the Pashtun people in Afghanistan remain uncertain. Various theories have been proposed regarding their historical background: 

  1. Aryan Origins Theory: This theory is based on the comparison of the words ‘Pashtun,’ ‘Pakhtun,’ and ‘Pakhtana’ with the terms ‘Paktha,’ ‘Pakhat,’ and ‘ Pâktues’ found in Herodotus’ histories. Christen Lassen was the first scholar to equate ‘Pashtun’ with ‘Paktyois’ or ‘Pakhat’ in the Rig Veda. He argued that the word ‘Afghan/Pashtun’ is derived from ‘Ashvaka.’ Professor Dorn and Professor Gardon also trace the Pashtuns back to the ‘ Pâktues.’ Scholars such as J.W. McCrindle, M.V. Desheng Martin, A. Reichel, Professor Gardon, Trumpp, Grierson, as well as Ali Ahmad Kohzad and Abdul Hai Habibi from the ‘Afghan Historical Society’ support this view. However, other scholars reject this idea, arguing that the word ‘Pashto’ or ‘Pakhto’ is derived from Old Persian. Siddiq Rahpu Tarzi suggests that the use of the word ‘Pashto’ dates to the 20th century and that ‘Pashto’ and ‘Pashtun’ are synonymous with ‘Patan.’ Indians refer to Afghans living in ‘Patna,’ India, as ‘Patan’.
  2. The Arab Origin Theory of Pashtuns: This theory draws parallels between the Pashtuns and Arabs, suggesting that the Pashtuns share similar tribal structures and social values such as hospitality, vengeance, independence, bravery, patience, the role of the tribal chief, the jirga (council), and the gathering place (hujra/darul-andow). Azim Afridi, a Pashtun from Pakistan, strongly advocates for this theory, dismissing other theories such as Coptic or Armenian origins for the Pashtuns.
  3. The Israelite Origin Theory of Pashtuns: This theory posits that the Pashtuns are descendants of ‘Afghana/Afaghana,’ the son of Jeremiah, the commander of Solomon, son of Saul (Talut), the King of Israel. According to historians, the Israelites rebelled against Solomon. God gave power to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, who defeated them and scattered them to Ghor and Arabia. Proponents of this theory cite the following evidence to support their claim: Pashtun genealogies, particularly the ‘Makhzan-e Afghani’; oral traditions among the Pashtuns identifying themselves as Israelites; physical and tribal similarities to Jews; confirmations by Muslim historians; endorsements by European scholars from the 19th century onwards; the existence of the Torah and other Jewish religious texts among the Pashtuns; the existence of place names such as Suleimani, Khaldi, Dashte Yahud, Qala-e Yahud, Koh-e Suleiman, and the Khyber Pass; and genetic and DNA similarities between Pashtuns and Jews. Islamic sources such as ‘Makhzan-e Afghani,’ the works of Khwaja Nematullah Herawi (1021 AH), Tarikh-e Fereshteh by Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah (1015 AH), Tarikh-e Rahmat Khani by Hafiz Muhammad Sadiq (1031 AH), Mirat al-Alam by Muhammad Bakhtawar (1087 AH), Khulasat al-Ansab by Shir Mohammad Gandapur Ibrahimzai (1311 AH), Ansab-e Afaghina by Fariduddin Ahmad, Bani Israil ya Afghane by Syed Abdul Jabbar Stanawi, as well as European sources such as Alexander Burnes’ ‘Travels to Bokhara’ (1835), Mountstuart Elphinstone (1779-1859), William Moorcroft, Sir William Jones, J.B. Fraser, and Joseph Pierre Ferrier, have all presented compelling arguments supporting the Israelite origins of the Pashtuns. 


In general, a majority of Muslim scholars, historians, and writers, along with numerous Western Orientalists, have supported the theory of Pashtun Israelite origins. Beyond the compelling evidence presented above, they cite the genetic link between Pashtuns and Israelites as clear proof of their claim. According to a 2010 report in the British newspaper The Guardian, the numerous similarities between Pashtuns and Jews, such as naming conventions, traditions, clothing styles, food, and shared diseases, all point to the Pashtuns being among the ten lost tribes of Israel. Research conducted on Pashtun DNA between 1983 and 2004 also shows that 43% of the Pashtuns tested have a close genetic relationship with Ashkenazi Jews.* Therefore, the theory of Pashtun Israelite origins remains strong, and no other definitive scientific or historical evidence can overshadow it. 

Among European scholars, only Bernard Dorn, Vartan Gregorian, and George Morgen Stierne have expressed opposition to the theory of Pashtun Israelite origins, but they have not provided compelling arguments against it. Afghan historians such as Mir Ghulam Muhammad Ghubar, Ahmad Ali Kohzad, and Mir Muhammad Siddiq Farhang have dismissed this theory as a myth and falsehood, instead supporting the theory of Aryan origins for the Pashtuns. They argue that equating Pashtuns with Israelites contradicts the text of the Torah and that this connection is purely political.


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