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Originally posted by ScimitarXEdge
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Well according to traditional Pashtun culture; I am ethnically Pashtun because my father is. But all these Contemporary European-influenced people, who may in fact be foreigners guised as Pashtuns for all I know. Claim I'm not Pashtun because my mother is Arab, and they constantly try to distance me from my Pashtun heritage by labeling me Arab, even though if these people were actually Pashtun themselves this violates Pashtun standards of patrilineal ethnology. I don't have any problem with that though since the reality is I am what I am regardless of what others say or how they try to revision the Pashtun standards. The irony is these same individuals are trying to remold Pashtun identity/values to fit into European standards even though they are diametrically opposed to Pashtun values/traditions.
Getting back to the central point. What we can draw from this is Pashtun identity is drawn from two distinct links. #1. is Genetic link; a Person can be Ethnically Pashtun; if their father is APashtun. However the idea of Ethnic links as defining Pashtun gets very messy the further back in History we go.
I'm from a Loy Qawm (macrotribe) known as Ghilzai or Ghalji. We're actually alleged to be the largest Pashtun Tribal confederacy in Afghanistan. I believe we, including all of our subtribes represent about 55% of Pashtuns in Afghanistan, I could be wrong but we are pretty large. Well the story goes that even though we're ethnically identified as Pashtuns now, our ancestors may not actually be of Pashtun origins, meaning they were not originally Pashto speakers, but adopted the language by intermarrying with Pashtuns. Supposedly our ancestors were Ghorian. Some say the Ghorians themselves may have in fact been pashtun, although this is speculative based on the idea that Ghorians spoke a native tongue different than the other regional languages. Other theories is that we were a tribe of Nomadic Turks known as the "Khaladj" (where they believe Ghalji stems from) that settled in Afghanistan and by intermarriage adopted Pashto. Ethnically speaking we really don't know a great deal about Pashtuns before the 13th Century. Most of it is speculative. Whatever it is, Pashtuns developed a patrilineal system of denoting lineage and ethnicity, known as the "zowul" system, where names like Ghilzai, Popalzai etc etc. came into usage. The Khel system is also a form of that. So the ethnic Pashtun is always patrilineal, anyone from a maternal Pashtun link is not considered Pashtun ethnically.
Then we have "Pashtun" as not just an ethnic identity; but a character trait; an identity in the form of values, principles and lifestyle. This is probably the most concrete and definitive believe it or not. As our ethnic roots are mired in mystery and mythology; the customs and practices in so far as we know of Pashtuns has remained constant for a at least 800 years, if not more. Being Pashtun as a personality is defined by moral virtues, virlity, inner strength, honor and dignity, in a way more fundamental and puritan than other societies have allotted in these terms.
Hence we find many people who are not ethnically Pashtun; but were characteristically Pashtun; and getting back to the ambiguity of Ethnogenesis of the Pashtuns; could explain why and how other types of people may have in fact became assimilated amongst Pashtuns and eventually became pashtunized. Even in Modern times we have men like Shaikh Abdullah Azzam who was by all characteristics Pashtun by traits, even though he was Palestinian. He fought the way pashtuns fought and strove for things Pashtuns valued.
Then we have people who although in my understanding may not actually be Pashtuns, like Toramana and Salahuddin and Roadrunner, but for the sake of argument claim Pashtun ethnicity. Yet are totally in contradiction to established standards of Pashtun values and lifestyle; and emulate everything which conflicts established norms of Pashtuns. If we suppose their claim of being ethnically Pashtun is true, which is doubtful. They are definitely characteristically, morally, psychologically everything the characteristics of being Pashtun are against.
Getting back to the central point. What we can draw from this is Pashtun identity is drawn from two distinct links. #1. is Genetic link; a Person can be Ethnically Pashtun; if their father is APashtun. However the idea of Ethnic links as defining Pashtun gets very messy the further back in History we go.
I'm from a Loy Qawm (macrotribe) known as Ghilzai or Ghalji. We're actually alleged to be the largest Pashtun Tribal confederacy in Afghanistan. I believe we, including all of our subtribes represent about 55% of Pashtuns in Afghanistan, I could be wrong but we are pretty large. Well the story goes that even though we're ethnically identified as Pashtuns now, our ancestors may not actually be of Pashtun origins, meaning they were not originally Pashto speakers, but adopted the language by intermarrying with Pashtuns. Supposedly our ancestors were Ghorian. Some say the Ghorians themselves may have in fact been pashtun, although this is speculative based on the idea that Ghorians spoke a native tongue different than the other regional languages. Other theories is that we were a tribe of Nomadic Turks known as the "Khaladj" (where they believe Ghalji stems from) that settled in Afghanistan and by intermarriage adopted Pashto. Ethnically speaking we really don't know a great deal about Pashtuns before the 13th Century. Most of it is speculative. Whatever it is, Pashtuns developed a patrilineal system of denoting lineage and ethnicity, known as the "zowul" system, where names like Ghilzai, Popalzai etc etc. came into usage. The Khel system is also a form of that. So the ethnic Pashtun is always patrilineal, anyone from a maternal Pashtun link is not considered Pashtun ethnically.
Then we have "Pashtun" as not just an ethnic identity; but a character trait; an identity in the form of values, principles and lifestyle. This is probably the most concrete and definitive believe it or not. As our ethnic roots are mired in mystery and mythology; the customs and practices in so far as we know of Pashtuns has remained constant for a at least 800 years, if not more. Being Pashtun as a personality is defined by moral virtues, virlity, inner strength, honor and dignity, in a way more fundamental and puritan than other societies have allotted in these terms.
Hence we find many people who are not ethnically Pashtun; but were characteristically Pashtun; and getting back to the ambiguity of Ethnogenesis of the Pashtuns; could explain why and how other types of people may have in fact became assimilated amongst Pashtuns and eventually became pashtunized. Even in Modern times we have men like Shaikh Abdullah Azzam who was by all characteristics Pashtun by traits, even though he was Palestinian. He fought the way pashtuns fought and strove for things Pashtuns valued.
Then we have people who although in my understanding may not actually be Pashtuns, like Toramana and Salahuddin and Roadrunner, but for the sake of argument claim Pashtun ethnicity. Yet are totally in contradiction to established standards of Pashtun values and lifestyle; and emulate everything which conflicts established norms of Pashtuns. If we suppose their claim of being ethnically Pashtun is true, which is doubtful. They are definitely characteristically, morally, psychologically everything the characteristics of being Pashtun are against.
So your like half arab and half pushtun? Thats awesome.
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