- Also spelled:
- Pushtun or Pakhtun
- Hindustani:
- Pathan
- Persian:
- Afghan
- Key People:
- Abdul Ghaffar Khan
- On the Web:
- Yale University - eHRAF World Cultures - Pashtun (Oct. 21, 2026)
Pashtun
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Who are the Pashtun people?
The Pashtun are an ethnolinguistic group primarily residing between the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan and the northern Indus River stretch in Pakistan. They constitute Afghanistan's largest ethnic group and were once known exclusively as Afghan before the term denoted any native of modern Afghanistan.
They are united by the Pashto language, Sunni Islam, and the Pashtunwali social code, which governs ethical behavior and customs. Pashtun society is kinship-based, with tribes divided into clans and families tracing male lineage to a common ancestor. Tribal genealogies determine inheritance rights, land use, and participation in tribal councils or jirgas.
In the early 21st century, there were approximately 11 million Pashtun in Afghanistan and 25 million in Pakistan, comprising about 60 tribes, each occupying specific territories.
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Where do most Pashtun people live?
Pashtun people primarily reside in the region between northeastern Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountains and Pakistan's northern Indus River stretch. They form Afghanistan's largest ethnic group and were once exclusively known as Afghans.
In the early 21st century, estimates placed around 11 million Pashtuns in Afghanistan and 25 million in Pakistan. In Afghanistan, they are the predominant ethnic group. The main Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan include the Durrānī south of Kabul and the Ghilzay east of Kabul. In Pakistan, they predominate north of Quetta, between the Sulaiman Range and the Indus River.
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What language do the Pashtun people speak?
The Pashtun people are primarily united by the Pashto language, an Iranian language spoken by over 35 million people. Pashto became the national language of Afghanistan in 1936, and most Pashto speakers reside in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with smaller communities in Iran, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The dialects of Pashto fall into two main divisions: the southern, which preserves the ancient /sh/ and /zh/ sounds, and the northern, which uses /kh/ and /gh/ sounds instead.
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What are some important customs or traditions of Pashtun people?
The Pashtun people share unifying traits such as the Pashto language, adherence to Sunni Islam, and the Pashtunwali social code, which guides ethical behavior and customs. Kinship is key to Pashtun society, with tribes divided into clans and families tracing male lineage to a common ancestor. Tribal genealogies determine inheritance rights, land use, and participation in tribal councils, known as jirgas. These councils, or jirgas, settle disputes over property, women, and injuries to prevent blood feuds between families and clans. Another council, the Loya Jirga, is a specially convened national assembly that has the power to amend and interpret the constitution, declare war, and adopt decisions on the most critical national issues.
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How has the history of the region affected the Pashtun people?
The history of the region has significantly impacted the Pashtun people, who primarily reside between northeastern Afghanistan and the northern Indus River in Pakistan. A pivotal event was the 1893 Durand Line Agreement, which demarcated the border between British India and Afghanistan, dividing Pashtun areas and creating future tensions. This division disregarded tribal allegiances that spanned both sides of the border.
After the partition of British India in 1947, Pakistan inherited the Durand agreement, but Afghanistan rejected the border, leading to calls for Pashtun independence and the establishment of Pashtunistan. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 further complicated the situation, with Pashtuns recruited from Pakistan to fight against the Soviet government. The Durand Line remains a contentious issue between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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What role do the Pashtun people play in the countries where they live today?
The Pashtun people play significant roles in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, where they primarily reside. In Afghanistan, they constitute the largest ethnic group, comprising about two-fifths of the population, and have historically formed the social and political elite. In Pakistan, Pashtuns account for nearly one-fifth of the population and are divided into numerous tribal orders inhabiting the mountainous region along the Afghan frontier.
Many Pashtuns are sedentary farmers, while others are migratory herders. They also serve in the military and hold political posts in both countries. Pashtun identity is strongly tied to the Pashto language and the Pashtunwali code, which governs ethical behavior and customs. They are a significant cultural and ethnic group in the region.
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Pashtun, ethnolinguistic group residing primarily in the region that lies between the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan and the northern stretch of the Indus River in Pakistan. The Pashtun constitute the largest ethnic group of the population of Afghanistan and bore the exclusive name of Afghan before that name came to denote any native of the present land area of Afghanistan.
The Pashtun are united primarily by a common language, Pashto. Other commonalities include Sunni Islam and a common social code (Pashtunwali) that governs both ethical behaviour and custom. The origins of the Pashtun are debated, including among the Pashtun themselves. One Pashtun tradition asserts that they are descended from Afghana, grandson of King Saul of Israel. Several Pashtun tribes are known to have moved from Afghanistan to Pakistan between the 13th and 16th centuries, and many Pashtun moved to northern Afghanistan after the formation of the modern Afghan state in the late 19th century.
Most Pashtun are sedentary farmers, combining cultivation with animal husbandry. Some are migratory herders and caravaners. Many Pashtun serve in the military. Smaller numbers hold political posts.
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Kinship is the basis of Pashtun society. Each tribe, consisting of kinsmen who trace descent in the male bloodline from a common tribal ancestor, is divided into clans, subclans, and patriarchal families. Tribal genealogies establish rights of succession and inheritance and the right to use tribal lands and to speak in tribal council (jirga). Disputes over property, women, and personal injury often result in blood feuds between families and whole clans; these may be inherited unless settled by the intervention of clan chiefs or by tribal council.
There were estimated to be about 11 million Pashtun in Afghanistan and 25 million in Pakistan in the early 21st century. They comprise about 60 tribes of varying size and importance, each of which occupies a particular territory. In Afghanistan, where the Pashtun are the predominant ethnic group, the main tribes—or, more accurately, federations of tribes—are the Durrānī south of Kabul and the Ghilzay east of Kabul.
In Pakistan the Pashtun predominate north of Quetta between the Sulaiman Range and the Indus River. In the hill areas the main tribes are, from south to north, the Kākaṛ, Shērāni, and Ustarāna south of the Gumal River; the Maḥsūd, Darwēsh Khēl, Wazīrī, and Biṭanī between the Gumal River and Thal; the Tūrī, Bangash, Ōrakzay, Afrīdī, and Shinwārī from Thal to the Khyber Pass; and the Mahmand, Utmān Khēl, Tarklānī, and Yūsufzay north and northeast of the Khyber Pass.
The settled areas include lowland tribes subject to direct administration by the provincial government. The main tribes there are, from south to north, the Banūchī and Khaṭak, from the Kurram River to Nowshera, and the Khalīl and Mandāṇ in the Vale of Peshawar. The cities of Kandahār, Jalālābād, and Lashkar Gāh in Afghanistan and Peshawar and Quetta in Pakistan are important centres of Pashtun culture.
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