The word 'Pathan'

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Starey mashey wrora,

Okay, so based on your post, Pashtun and Pathan are not the same thing? They are different? Who decides the difference? Does the definition differ from person to a person? Is this a commonly accepted fact in Pashtunkhwa exclusively?

There is the colonial term which means pashtuns in general...and also in urdu people will say pathan. However within Pashtunkhwa, the only people who will say pathan are generally hindkiyaan pathans. This is based from my personal expereince. I remember I was at a place adn I saw this guy and I asked him where he was from. He said he was from kohat. I asked can you speak pashto and he replied no, I am a pathan, not pashtun.

[Talal]

A poll is unnecessary we are one nation same people.

But if someone calls me a Pathan I will feel disrespected and un happy

i have no idea about the origins of that word, but lots of pashtuns i have met introduce themselves as pathans. But again i have very limited knowledge on a subject and if its a sensitive topic i should just avoid it

[karachipashtun]

Those who call themselves Pathan are illiterate Pathan means kidnapper

[Master Khan]

Lol
Pathan sounds like a crap name aswell, Pashtun is the best.

[karachipashtun]

Agreed

[tor_khan]

Lol
Pathan sounds like a crap name aswell, Pashtun is the best.

Master Khan - I like the way, you don't dress it up!

Way to go, lil' bro! (Just stop playing around with that AK47).

Au bala khabara ... pa UK ki nawakhta na de? Sahar ka khairee, collegeuna/karoona na dee? Uda kege tsa wakht?

[Admin Khan]

There is the colonial term which means pashtuns in general...and also in urdu people will say pathan. However within Pashtunkhwa, the only people who will say pathan are generally hindkiyaan pathans. This is based from my personal expereince. I remember I was at a place adn I saw this guy and I asked him where he was from. He said he was from kohat. I asked can you speak pashto and he replied no, I am a pathan, not pashtun.

Thanks for the response.

I feel as though Pathan is a variation of the word Pashtun. I don't feel nor believe that "Pathan" represents a different ethnic group. I find it excessively astonishing that Hindkowan would say they are "Pathan".


On the contrary, Is it really necessary for people to call us Pathan? Why can't they simply say Pashtun. Is it easier to say Pathan I guess? Id personally want to be called a Pashtun.

[Afghan_Soldier]

I hate that word. I swaer to god I once slapped this P-a-k-i guy for it. But he had gone a bit further than that, he was my cousin's work colleague.

Only dumb Pashtun call thelmselves that.

[Badlun]

HOW YOU WILL DEFINE AND DIFFERENTIATE PASHTUN/PAKHTUN, AFGHAN AND THE DEROGATORY TERM PATHAN ???????
Pathan is a curse word, a misnomer, etymologically means robber, child kidnapper, dacoit, its an abusive word, which must be avoided to use for Pashtuns.If a Pashtun is called Pathan then she or he must protest against it because its dishonour , calling names and derogatory. Its racism and racial descrimination. Its a hateful word.

Afghan is historically synonymous with Pashtun, a anthropological/ racial/ethnic term but now its also political word as all citizens of Afghanistan are called Afghans, althu the better term can be Afghani or Afghanistani for all the citizens of Afghanistan including Tajiks, Uzbeks , Pashtuns/Afghans etc.

Pashtun and Pakhtun are the same word , only dialectical difference. In hard dialect its Pakhtun, in soft its Pashtun. I althu being a hard dialect user of Pashto, I prefer Pashtun because its more internationally recognized.

For being Pashtun there are 3 important prerequisites
Pashtun blood
Pashtun culture/Pashtunwali
Pashto language.

The first one(blood) is indispensable. No one can be Pashtun if he or she is not from Pashtun ancestors.Second one should be there as a cultural/ethical requirement. The third one is an important element that the world recognizes you as Pashtun.

Geography or living in Afghanistan or Pashtun areas in Pakistan is not a prerequisite as one can be national of Afghanistan, Pakistan, USA, England still by blood, culture and language can be Pashtun.

[Badlun]

The term or word PATHAN is a misnomer. Many Pashtuns themselves dont understand the ugliness of this loathsome word and use it for them selves with pride. To understand me further please ponder over the following points.

1.Etymology of the word Pathan.

Etymologically the word Pathan means robber, kidnapper of children etc. Afghans were called robbers or robbers in India when they srarted invading India.This is why the word Pathan is more common in use when you come from india westward. In india its the most common word for Pashtuns. In Pakistan in Panjab or Sindh its common. But as you go westward towards Afghanistan the word Pathan disappears for Pashtuns and you only hear Pashtun or Afghan never Pathan. For example you will never hear using Pathan for Pashtuns of Afghanistan.

2. Its use by non Pashtuns for Pashtuns.
Tthe word pathan is mostly used by non Pashtuns for Pashtuns. Very few Pashtuns and specially non Pashto speakers Pashtuns use it for Pashtuns. When Pashtuns have their own name Pashtun or Afghan then why should they be called by a name which they themselves dont use for them.

3.Respect. Compare using Pathan and Pashtun for a Pashtun person and you will feel the difference. With Pathan you imagine a driver, watchman, a non professional or non skilled labourer , street worker, but when with Pahstun you imagine a aperson with a big family or tribe, owner of property or business or a profession.Non Pashtuns often use Pathan for Pashtuns contemptuously.You will never herar using Pashtun or Afghan contemptuously for Pashtuns.
4. CONSPIRACY
Using the word Pathan for Pashtuns is subtle conspiracy for dividing Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan or India culturally and socially. Its another atatck on their division after their political division.

[Badlun]

As earlier said the term Pathan is a misnomer , many great scholars even like Sir Olaf Caro and Ghani Khan has used this word Pathan for Pashtuns or Afghans.

I dont think speaking Pashto is a basic pre-requisite for being Pashtun as for me the racial, ideological and practical aspects of Pashtun is more important than linguistic. There are many non Pashtuns who fluently speak Pashto but they are not Pashtuns but many Pashtuns like some Nyazis in Pakistan or some Mohammad zai in Afghanistan dont or cant speak Pashto but they are Pashtuns. A pashtun must belong to a Pashtun family or tribe, his father and forefathers must be Pashtun, this is the first requirement , then he or she may ideologically feel himself Pashtun and may practise Pashtunwali in his life in one way or another.If because of his or her environment , does not or cant speak or use Pashto then it does not bar them to be a Pashtun. ALTHOUGH ITS ALWAYS EXPECTED FROM A PASHTUN TO USE PASHTO AS HIS OR HER LANGUAGE.

The term Afghan in the modern days became dubious when the government of Afghanistan made the term AFGHAN the citizenship name for all Afghanistani citizens including non Pashtuns. Thus now the term Afghan may not be used only for Pashtuns although historically Afghan and Pashtun are synonyms.

The solution to this confusion is that either Afghanistan makes its citizenship by the name AFGHANISTANI or AFGHANI not Afghan or Pashtuns may forget that they are the only Afghans. For me the first solution will be the best.

However the word PATHAN should never be sued for Pashtuns which is a disgrace to Pashtuns. Just imagine when you say I am Pashtun and when you say I am Pathan,,,,,,what a difference in the impression of the two wortds,,,,,Pashtun reflects respect, dignity and honour while Pathan a chawkidar, driver, conductor, illitarate person. this is what I FEEL.

[Badlun]

I am doing research on the etymology and history of the word PATHAN. Whatever I ll discover about this hateful word I ll share.

I am copying the following from the link

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/all-views/88 ... ained.html

However a lot of historians traces the roots of word " Pathan " to Sinsikrat language(the oldest Indian language). According to these historian the word " Patt or Pat " in Sanskrit means " daughter " and " han " or " Aan " means kidnaper.......

Its Interesting to mentions a lot of my Punjabi friends and their parents have told me that in Punjab they used to scare kids by saying " go to bed now. Pathans are coming and if you don’t go to bed they will kidnap you " Or " if you do this or do that Pathans will kidnap you " ........

[Badlun]

Following excerpts from the link

http://gl-es.facebook.com/topic.php?uid ... topic=9282

In reality, "Pathan" is a contempuous word used by the Indians for the Parthians, A race of people with absoloutely no connection whatsoever to the Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun people, having only area common between them otherwise there is no resemblence between a "Pathan" and an "Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun". No self respecting Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun will tolerate the word "Pathan" for him/her and it is therefore submitted to every non-Afghan that he should refrain from using it.
- taken from " 'Pathan' a misnomer for an Afghan" by Nawab Muhammad Akbar Khan of Hoti...........

The word "Pathan" is strictly of Indian usage, and you will find no non-afghan who is not of Indian origin using it. Most definitely NOT an Afghan using it for himself as it is derogatory of nature. -
taken from "The Pathans" by Sir Olaof Caroe.

During their sway, the Parthians were very corrupt and much addicted to wine and adultery. They frequenty used the to kidnap the children of Indians as well as their women. It is due to these practices the Parthians were given the rude name "Pathan".

The word "Pathan" is made from two syllables, namely 'Path', meaning "Girl: and 'Aan', meaning "Kidnapper". Joined together it comes to mean a person who kidnaps girls.

The Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun race dwelled in the lands near and in some cases the same as that of the Parthians. Consequently when the Afghans/Pashtuns/Pakhtuns first visited india, with the Invading armies of Amir Sabuktagin and Mahmud of Ghazni, the Indian people would think them to be the Parthians, since both the Parthian and the Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun race resembled in stature and dress. Thus the word "Pathan" became used for the Afghan/Pashtun/Pakhtun race as well.......

[Badlun]

Pathan was a word used by the Marajah of india on a group of afghans who use to kidnap the pretty girls of India and forcibly marry them.

http://www.khyberwatch.com/forums/showt ... tion/page3

[Afghan_Soldier]

lets do a poll here as to how many pashtun peoplr here are from Afghanistan and how many from Pakistan and then look at their views about this other topics...shall we ?

This is a forum of people from one nation and there is no differnce. The views ranges differently from all regions of Pashtun watan and sadly there are only few who are taken by the Panajabi fever. The rest are healthy beings, Alahamdulilah. HAHA LOL

It is like a family thing and we would appreciate if you keep yourself out of our business - since you are no Pashtun. IT IS PASHTUN FORUMS.