Badlun
06-20-2010, 07:30 PM
Part II
Breaking the myths attached to the bilateral relations between Pashtuns and Punjabis
This is a very common perception that Punjabis and Pashtuns both are ethnic groups or races and thus there is an ethnic tension between Pashtuns and Punjabis. And that Punjabis being Punjabis, a distinct ethnic group exploit Pashtuns. This is just a myth and must be broken keeping in view the realities of the situation and not political demagogy and hate statements. The purpose is not to define ethnicities or races etc but to create awareness that the relationship between Punjabis and Pashtuns is not racial or ethnic but have political underpinnings.
Pashtuns is Pashtun everywhere and for example a Pashtun who lives in Balochistan is not a Baloch but only a Pashtun but living in Punjab the same Pashtun is a Punjabi Pashtun because the race or ethnicity Baloch is not based on region or language but Punjabi like Sindhi is only based on region and language . We must differentiate between the ethnic connotation between Punjabis and Sindhis in Pakistan on one hand and Balochs and Pashtuns on another hand. Pashtun is Pashtun wherever he or she lives or whatever language he or she speaks. Punjabi is the one who lives in the Punjab region and who may speak the language Punjabi. Ayub khan the former president of Pakistan who did not speak Pashto like king Zahir Shah was a Tareen Pashtun. Nawaz Sharif from the region of Kashmir was Kashmiri but also Punjabi as living in the region of Punjab. I don’t deny the existence of Punjabis being a distinct group but I stress its base on language and region or society and not on ethnicity or race.
As discussed in Part I Punjabi is not at all a race or one ethnicity and that Punjabis derive their name from a geographical, historical, and cultural region located in the northwest of the Indian sub-continent. Punjab comes from the Persian words panj (five) and ab (river) and means "Land of the Five Rivers." It was the name used for the lands to the east of the Indus River that are drained by its five tributaries (the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej).
Whatever is found in the region of Punjab is Punjabi. Punjabi Culture is the culture of the Punjab region. . This is the name for all those who live in the area of Punjab now divided between Pakistan and India. Punjabis belong to many races and ethnic groups. The most common castes, races or ethnic groups found in Punjabis can be described as follows.
Punjabi society is divided into two divisions, the zamindar groups or qoums, traditionally associated with farming and the moeens, who are traditionally artisans. Zamindars are further divided into qoums that claim pre-Islamic ancestry such as the Rajput, Jat, Shaikhs or (Muslim Khatri), Kambohs, Gujjars, Dogars and Rahmani (Muslim Labana). Zamindar groups claiming Central Asian or Middle Eastern ancestry include the Gakhars, Khattar, Awan, Mughal and Arain, comprising the main tribes in the north of the province, while Khagga, Bodla, Jhandir, Daudpota, Gardezi, Syed and Quraishi are found in the south, all of whom claim Arabancestry. Immigrants from neighbouring regions, such as the Kashmiri, Pashtun and Baluch ,also form important element in the Punjabi population. Pashtun tribes like the Niazis and the Khakwanis, are integrated into Punjabi village life. Especially the members of the Niazitribe, who see themselves as Punjabis first. They have big communities in Mianwali, Bakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh. Major Moeen groups include the Lohar, Khateek, Rawal, Chhimba Darzi, Teli, Julaha, Mallaah, Mirasi and Muslim Shaikhs, who are associated with a particular crafts or occupation. One can see above that even Balochs and Pashtuns have been described as Punjabis
Punjabis can be described as an ethnic group or a multi-ethnical group of people but not one ethnicity or one race originated from one racial stock like Pashtuns or Balochs. They are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. They originate from the Punjab region The Punjabi identity is primarily cultural and linguistic, with Punjabis being those whose first language is Punjabi, an Indo-European and Indo-Scythian tongue. In recent times, however, the definition has been broadened to include also emigrants of Punjabi descent who maintain Punjabi cultural traditions, even when they no longer speak the language.
Even some Afghans or Pashtuns are Punjabis after the settlement of many Pashtuns in Punjab after the invasions of Khiljis, Lodhis, Suris and of Ahmad Shah Baba. The Punjab was a cultural reservoir for the Afghans, and many where attracted to its lush fertile lands, a process that continues to this very day. It has been said that with the loss of the breadbasket regions of the Punjab and Sindh, Afghanistan has never been able to achieve a stable state ever since. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes continue to live in Pakistan's Punjab province such as the Khugyanis known as Khakwanis, Alizais, Tareens, Durranis, Mullazais, Niazis, Khattaks, Lodhis, Kakars, Kakazais, and Barakzais to name a few. The Punjabi people are a heterogeneous group and can be subdivided into a number of ethnic clan groups in Pakistan called qaums while they adhere to caste identities in India, each having their own subtle differences. In terms of ancestry, the majority of Punjabis share many similar genes with other northern Indianpopulations, but also show a significant relationship with west Eurasian groups.
Ranjit Singh and other Sikh rulers when they fought with Pashtuns had a religious colour noth ethnic or a fight between Punjabis and Pashtuns. Syed Ahmad Brelvi and Syed Ismail etc who fought against Sikhs were not Pashtuns. That was a war between Muslims and Sikhs and not at all between Pashtuns and Punjabis. If it was a war between Pashtuns and Punjabis then why the Muslim Punjabis did not fight with Pashtuns.
The tension between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pashtunkhwah, Sindh and Balochistan in Pakistan is a different story. There might be injustice and exploitation on the part of one province and another in Pakistan but this is not all a racial or ethnic tension. Punjab being almost 45% of Pakistan may have an exploitative image but this happens between all kinds of majorities and minorities. Minorities always feel suppressed, oppressed and exploited by the majority. Some times there is a truth in this feeling and some times it’s only a phobia or imaginative perception of the minorities. If Pashtuns feel exploited by Punjab then they must have democratic struggle for achieving their rights and privileges as they have provincial parliament as well as representation in National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan. The exploitation in Pakistan thus may be taken as an economic or political or provincial issue and not a Punjabi-Pashtun issue. Pashtuns can be the exploiters of Pashtuns and Punjabis can exploit Punjabis not necessarily all Punjabis are the exploiters of Pashtuns.
No doubt Punjabis are more developed than Pashtuns in many areas but this is not the crime of Punjabis. This is because of their hard work, education, democracy management, business oriented approach and non involvement in evils of religious extremism, obscurantism, fundamentalism and terrorism. The southern Punjab have some presence of terrorists and religious extremists and that’s why its more backward and underdeveloped as compared to the Northern Punjab.
Every Pashtun nationalist politician starts his or her speech with attacking Punjab and Punjabis as exploiters of Pashtuns and the ones who grab Pashtun resources like water, electricity, forest and others. I ask these politicians that why they let Punjabis to do so if they really do so. Why Pashtuns don’t take their own resources in their own hands. Why Pashtuns don’t have better human resources to exploit their natural and financial resources. Why we blame others specially Punjabis for their misfortunes and backwardness. Why they don’t chalk out such strategies to make Pashtuns a developed people. This is all but these politicians’ tactics and demagogy to befool their own Pashtuns by passing the balls to the court of Punjabis. This deception game is played by Pashtun politicians since the first day of the inception of Pakistan. Pashtuns are now aware and cant be befooled any more by these demagogues.
The main purpose of this write up is to make the Pashtuns aware that they may not be further exploited by those who raise the slogans that Punjabis oppress Pashtuns. No body can oppress you if you are strong enough. The same Pashtuns ruled the whole India for centuries and are now ruling Afghanistan. Where were Punjabis to stop Pashtuns not to rule and not to be a great nation of that time? Why now Pashtuns became so weak that Punjabis who except few years of Sikhs never had any rule in the world now stop Pashtuns from development and progress. This blame game must be stopped now. Pashtuns are exploited by their own politicians and not by Punjabis. If Pashtuns determine to be a strong nation or people in Pakistan then no one including Punjabis can deter them to not be so.
I am not at all doing any propaganda on behest of any vested powers. I am a proud Pashtun. My only purpose is to tell Pashtuns to get up and build their own destiny by their own efforts and don’t blame others for being downtrodden or dilapidated. I speak for Pashtuns not for Punjabis. I want to break these myths that others as Punjabis or Tajiks exploit Pashtuns (On Pashtuns-Tajiks another myth I am writing a separate article).
My main purpose here is not to define who is a race and ethnic group and who is not. This is an anthropological discussion and can be carried out some where else. What I wanted to say was that Punjabis is not at all as one race or ethnicity or ethnic group as Pashtuns are. Their name is based on a region and language while Pashtuns have different parameters for being one ethnicity or people or race or nation. Punjabis are not at all one nation. They are more Pakistanis than Punjabis in political terms. There is not a single political party on the name of Punjabi nationalism. Their only fault is that they are 45% of the Pakistani population and thus other minorities look down upon them. Pashtuns should benefit from the democracy in Pakistan and may ask for their rights by democratic means and not by blame games and hatred campaigns.
Some information has been taken from the following sites
Punjabis - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major holidays, Rites of passage, Relationships, Living conditions (http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html)
Punjabi people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_people)
Breaking the myths attached to the bilateral relations between Pashtuns and Punjabis
This is a very common perception that Punjabis and Pashtuns both are ethnic groups or races and thus there is an ethnic tension between Pashtuns and Punjabis. And that Punjabis being Punjabis, a distinct ethnic group exploit Pashtuns. This is just a myth and must be broken keeping in view the realities of the situation and not political demagogy and hate statements. The purpose is not to define ethnicities or races etc but to create awareness that the relationship between Punjabis and Pashtuns is not racial or ethnic but have political underpinnings.
Pashtuns is Pashtun everywhere and for example a Pashtun who lives in Balochistan is not a Baloch but only a Pashtun but living in Punjab the same Pashtun is a Punjabi Pashtun because the race or ethnicity Baloch is not based on region or language but Punjabi like Sindhi is only based on region and language . We must differentiate between the ethnic connotation between Punjabis and Sindhis in Pakistan on one hand and Balochs and Pashtuns on another hand. Pashtun is Pashtun wherever he or she lives or whatever language he or she speaks. Punjabi is the one who lives in the Punjab region and who may speak the language Punjabi. Ayub khan the former president of Pakistan who did not speak Pashto like king Zahir Shah was a Tareen Pashtun. Nawaz Sharif from the region of Kashmir was Kashmiri but also Punjabi as living in the region of Punjab. I don’t deny the existence of Punjabis being a distinct group but I stress its base on language and region or society and not on ethnicity or race.
As discussed in Part I Punjabi is not at all a race or one ethnicity and that Punjabis derive their name from a geographical, historical, and cultural region located in the northwest of the Indian sub-continent. Punjab comes from the Persian words panj (five) and ab (river) and means "Land of the Five Rivers." It was the name used for the lands to the east of the Indus River that are drained by its five tributaries (the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej).
Whatever is found in the region of Punjab is Punjabi. Punjabi Culture is the culture of the Punjab region. . This is the name for all those who live in the area of Punjab now divided between Pakistan and India. Punjabis belong to many races and ethnic groups. The most common castes, races or ethnic groups found in Punjabis can be described as follows.
Punjabi society is divided into two divisions, the zamindar groups or qoums, traditionally associated with farming and the moeens, who are traditionally artisans. Zamindars are further divided into qoums that claim pre-Islamic ancestry such as the Rajput, Jat, Shaikhs or (Muslim Khatri), Kambohs, Gujjars, Dogars and Rahmani (Muslim Labana). Zamindar groups claiming Central Asian or Middle Eastern ancestry include the Gakhars, Khattar, Awan, Mughal and Arain, comprising the main tribes in the north of the province, while Khagga, Bodla, Jhandir, Daudpota, Gardezi, Syed and Quraishi are found in the south, all of whom claim Arabancestry. Immigrants from neighbouring regions, such as the Kashmiri, Pashtun and Baluch ,also form important element in the Punjabi population. Pashtun tribes like the Niazis and the Khakwanis, are integrated into Punjabi village life. Especially the members of the Niazitribe, who see themselves as Punjabis first. They have big communities in Mianwali, Bakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh. Major Moeen groups include the Lohar, Khateek, Rawal, Chhimba Darzi, Teli, Julaha, Mallaah, Mirasi and Muslim Shaikhs, who are associated with a particular crafts or occupation. One can see above that even Balochs and Pashtuns have been described as Punjabis
Punjabis can be described as an ethnic group or a multi-ethnical group of people but not one ethnicity or one race originated from one racial stock like Pashtuns or Balochs. They are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group from South Asia. They originate from the Punjab region The Punjabi identity is primarily cultural and linguistic, with Punjabis being those whose first language is Punjabi, an Indo-European and Indo-Scythian tongue. In recent times, however, the definition has been broadened to include also emigrants of Punjabi descent who maintain Punjabi cultural traditions, even when they no longer speak the language.
Even some Afghans or Pashtuns are Punjabis after the settlement of many Pashtuns in Punjab after the invasions of Khiljis, Lodhis, Suris and of Ahmad Shah Baba. The Punjab was a cultural reservoir for the Afghans, and many where attracted to its lush fertile lands, a process that continues to this very day. It has been said that with the loss of the breadbasket regions of the Punjab and Sindh, Afghanistan has never been able to achieve a stable state ever since. Many ethnic Afghan or Pashtun tribes continue to live in Pakistan's Punjab province such as the Khugyanis known as Khakwanis, Alizais, Tareens, Durranis, Mullazais, Niazis, Khattaks, Lodhis, Kakars, Kakazais, and Barakzais to name a few. The Punjabi people are a heterogeneous group and can be subdivided into a number of ethnic clan groups in Pakistan called qaums while they adhere to caste identities in India, each having their own subtle differences. In terms of ancestry, the majority of Punjabis share many similar genes with other northern Indianpopulations, but also show a significant relationship with west Eurasian groups.
Ranjit Singh and other Sikh rulers when they fought with Pashtuns had a religious colour noth ethnic or a fight between Punjabis and Pashtuns. Syed Ahmad Brelvi and Syed Ismail etc who fought against Sikhs were not Pashtuns. That was a war between Muslims and Sikhs and not at all between Pashtuns and Punjabis. If it was a war between Pashtuns and Punjabis then why the Muslim Punjabis did not fight with Pashtuns.
The tension between the provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pashtunkhwah, Sindh and Balochistan in Pakistan is a different story. There might be injustice and exploitation on the part of one province and another in Pakistan but this is not all a racial or ethnic tension. Punjab being almost 45% of Pakistan may have an exploitative image but this happens between all kinds of majorities and minorities. Minorities always feel suppressed, oppressed and exploited by the majority. Some times there is a truth in this feeling and some times it’s only a phobia or imaginative perception of the minorities. If Pashtuns feel exploited by Punjab then they must have democratic struggle for achieving their rights and privileges as they have provincial parliament as well as representation in National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan. The exploitation in Pakistan thus may be taken as an economic or political or provincial issue and not a Punjabi-Pashtun issue. Pashtuns can be the exploiters of Pashtuns and Punjabis can exploit Punjabis not necessarily all Punjabis are the exploiters of Pashtuns.
No doubt Punjabis are more developed than Pashtuns in many areas but this is not the crime of Punjabis. This is because of their hard work, education, democracy management, business oriented approach and non involvement in evils of religious extremism, obscurantism, fundamentalism and terrorism. The southern Punjab have some presence of terrorists and religious extremists and that’s why its more backward and underdeveloped as compared to the Northern Punjab.
Every Pashtun nationalist politician starts his or her speech with attacking Punjab and Punjabis as exploiters of Pashtuns and the ones who grab Pashtun resources like water, electricity, forest and others. I ask these politicians that why they let Punjabis to do so if they really do so. Why Pashtuns don’t take their own resources in their own hands. Why Pashtuns don’t have better human resources to exploit their natural and financial resources. Why we blame others specially Punjabis for their misfortunes and backwardness. Why they don’t chalk out such strategies to make Pashtuns a developed people. This is all but these politicians’ tactics and demagogy to befool their own Pashtuns by passing the balls to the court of Punjabis. This deception game is played by Pashtun politicians since the first day of the inception of Pakistan. Pashtuns are now aware and cant be befooled any more by these demagogues.
The main purpose of this write up is to make the Pashtuns aware that they may not be further exploited by those who raise the slogans that Punjabis oppress Pashtuns. No body can oppress you if you are strong enough. The same Pashtuns ruled the whole India for centuries and are now ruling Afghanistan. Where were Punjabis to stop Pashtuns not to rule and not to be a great nation of that time? Why now Pashtuns became so weak that Punjabis who except few years of Sikhs never had any rule in the world now stop Pashtuns from development and progress. This blame game must be stopped now. Pashtuns are exploited by their own politicians and not by Punjabis. If Pashtuns determine to be a strong nation or people in Pakistan then no one including Punjabis can deter them to not be so.
I am not at all doing any propaganda on behest of any vested powers. I am a proud Pashtun. My only purpose is to tell Pashtuns to get up and build their own destiny by their own efforts and don’t blame others for being downtrodden or dilapidated. I speak for Pashtuns not for Punjabis. I want to break these myths that others as Punjabis or Tajiks exploit Pashtuns (On Pashtuns-Tajiks another myth I am writing a separate article).
My main purpose here is not to define who is a race and ethnic group and who is not. This is an anthropological discussion and can be carried out some where else. What I wanted to say was that Punjabis is not at all as one race or ethnicity or ethnic group as Pashtuns are. Their name is based on a region and language while Pashtuns have different parameters for being one ethnicity or people or race or nation. Punjabis are not at all one nation. They are more Pakistanis than Punjabis in political terms. There is not a single political party on the name of Punjabi nationalism. Their only fault is that they are 45% of the Pakistani population and thus other minorities look down upon them. Pashtuns should benefit from the democracy in Pakistan and may ask for their rights by democratic means and not by blame games and hatred campaigns.
Some information has been taken from the following sites
Punjabis - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major holidays, Rites of passage, Relationships, Living conditions (http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Norway-to-Russia/Punjabis.html)
Punjabi people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punjabi_people)