Ever notice how every Indic on the internet has a "blonde/red-haired grandmother"?

[maneatinglizard]

I guess this probably applies to Muslim Indics more than Hindus, but it seems all of them will claim, at some point, that they have a grandmother with blond/red hair and colored eyes. Usually it's a Pashtun or Persian, but nowadays I even see some people claiming Kalash ancestry. And it's always a grandmother.

Funny thing is that they seem to massively overestimate how many Pashtuns/Persians actually have colored hair or eyes.

[Admin Khan]

I wonder what the percentage is. The more I think about it, many Pashtuns I know have colored eyes.

[Elias]

..And they have 100 cousins who are married to Pashtuns.

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

I guess this probably applies to Muslim Indics more than Hindus, but it seems all of them will claim, at some point, that they have a grandmother with blond/red hair and colored eyes. Usually it's a Pashtun or Persian, but nowadays I even see some people claiming Kalash ancestry. And it's always a grandmother.

Funny thing is that they seem to massively overestimate how many Pashtuns/Persians actually have colored hair or eyes.

They also seem to over-use hair dying products and contact lenses to create the "I'm Indic, but pretending I'm not" look.

haha

Look at her, she's practically Sharbat Gula's twin ...LOL

[Akbar]

They also seem to over-use hair dying products and contact lenses to create the "I'm Indic, but pretending I'm not" look.

haha

Look at her, she's practically Sharbat Gula's twin ...LOL

[maneatinglizard]

I wonder what the percentage is. The more I think about it, many Pashtuns I know have colored eyes.

Colored eyes are pretty common, maybe as high as 30-40% (is it as common in Pakistani Pashtuns?), but colored hair in adults isn't in my experience. I've seen a lot of kids with red or blonde hair, but it seems like it usually turns dark brown or black by the time they're adults. My own hair was red when I was a kid, but now it's dark black.

[kunatawar]

LOL i noticed this too, like every other indain/paki has a pathan/persian/whatever grandmother (why is it always a grandmother?) and someone in the family has some coloured features. its become a meme at this point and even afghans are starting to notice it, argue with a desi long enough and eventually the inevitable will happen "well im part pathan so...".

I wonder what the percentage is. The more I think about it, many Pashtuns I know have colored eyes.

coloured eyes are very common from my own experience but coloured hair is very uncommon. in my own entire family + extended family i can think of only a handful of people with noticeably light hair while every other person has coloured eyes.

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

The reason it's always a grandmother or an aunt is because they understand that having a maternal link suggests subordination. In this case, the illusion that Pashtuns were subordinate to Indics by one of their women marrying to an Indic male. However, historically the opposite happened, which is why it's understood to them what the relationship dynamic suggests.

[maneatinglizard]

LOL i noticed this too, like every other indain/paki has a pathan/persian/whatever grandmother (why is it always a grandmother?) and someone in the family has some coloured features. its become a meme at this point and even afghans are starting to notice it, argue with a desi long enough and eventually the inevitable will happen "well im part pathan so...".

lol this was exactly the observation that led me to create this topic. It's just hilarious that it's always a grandmother.

coloured eyes are very common from my own experience but coloured hair is very uncommon. in my own entire family + extended family i can think of only a handful of people with noticeably light hair while every other person has coloured eyes.

I wonder if colored hair is more of a regional thing than something that's common in all Pashtuns. Because there are areas where it's pretty common, but in others it's totally absent. Whereas with the eyes it seems to be pretty uniformly common (I wasn't sure about the occurrence in Pakistan, but your post has me thinking it's the same as in Afghanistan).

The reason it's always a grandmother or an aunt is because they understand because they understand that having a maternal link suggestion subordination. In this case, the illusion that Pashtuns were subordinate to Indics by one of their women marrying to an Indic male. However, historically the opposite happened, which is why it's understood to them what the relationship dynamic suggests.

lol my original guess was that it's an easier story to defend, since someone with a paternal Pashtun grandparent should be able to associate themselves with a tribe and family. Whereas, since it's not proper to ask people about their female ancestors, they can get away with just saying they had a Pashtun/Persian grandmother and leave it at that.

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

lol this was exactly the observation that led me to create this topic. It's just hilarious that it's always a grandmother.



I wonder if colored hair is more of a regional thing than something that's common in all Pashtuns. Because there are areas where it's pretty common, but in others it's totally absent. Whereas with the eyes it seems to be pretty uniformly common (I wasn't sure about the occurrence in Pakistan, but your post has me thinking it's the same as in Afghanistan).



lol my original guess was that it's an easier story to defend, since someone with a paternal Pashtun grandparent should be able to associate themselves with a tribe and family. Whereas, since it's not proper to ask people about their female ancestors, they can get away with just saying they had a Pashtun/Persian grandmother and leave it at that.

that could be too, but one paradox i've seen with Indics is that they also have a bit of resentment and jealousy mixed in with their bizarre preoccupation.

[Admin Khan]

Colored eyes are pretty common, maybe as high as 30-40% (is it as common in Pakistani Pashtuns?), but colored hair in adults isn't in my experience. I've seen a lot of kids with red or blonde hair, but it seems like it usually turns dark brown or black by the time they're adults. My own hair was red when I was a kid, but now it's dark black.

You are certainly right; colored hair is relatively rare.

I've noticed many indics have an inferiority complex. I swear I've lost count of the amount of Pakistanis that claim their "nana" is from Afghanistan actually.

I mean, somehow, someway, they end up being Afghan after a brief conversation. Unfortunately, it's part of the colonial mindset, where lighter is better. Pashtuns are light, therefore let's be more like them.

[SavageCurry]

It's a fairly popular trend in South Asia to claim forreign ancestry. It's sort of a status thing.

Even in America, you have something similar with White Americans who claim they have Native American ancestry. people want to be more interesting.

[Sarbani]

Even though claiming West Asian or Central Asian descent seems to be a cultural rite for most of them (especially Indic Muslims), they seem to have a special infatuation with Pashtuns. For every Indic that claims Persian or Turkic ancestry, you'll have close to a hundred that will not only claim Pashtun ancestry, but self-identify as 'ethnic Pashtun'. I guess it's because they think their claims will be seen as more legitimate if they try to connect themselves to Pashtuns since we had a greater presence in South Asia and are in geographical proximity. And since it's already super common, they think they won't be seen as some weirdos if they try to latch themselves onto Pashtuns specifically whereas they might get ridiculed if they self-identify as an Arab or Turk or claim descent from those ethnic groups.

If our ancestors knew the extent to how great the inferiority complex of Indics was, they would have never intermingled with them or invaded them so much. The Lodhis should have tried to conquer Transoxiana instead of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

[RightWingPakhtun]

Maybe lot's of Pashtuns from 300 years ago had colored eyes and now that is decreasing.

Remember, A study has shown that 50% of Americans had blue eyes during the 1800's but it had dropped town to 17%.

[RightWingPakhtun]

Colored eyes are pretty common, maybe as high as 30-40% (is it as common in Pakistani Pashtuns?), but colored hair in adults isn't in my experience. I've seen a lot of kids with red or blonde hair, but it seems like it usually turns dark brown or black by the time they're adults. My own hair was red when I was a kid, but now it's dark black.

lot's of Pashtuns have re-vitiligo. They are born white with their light colored hair and then it turns darker when they hit puberty.

The reverse michael jackson syndrome.