1. Pashtuns
Katie Jenkins

2. Background
“From the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD the regions where the Pashtuns lived saw immense migrations of peoples from Central Asia and the Middle East…”(Khan)
Have eastern Iranian origins
Appear to be primarily of Aryan descent
Some claim to be descendant of Arabs, while some claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s Greeks

3. Culture Traditionally pastoral nomads Many tribes
“Each tribe is divided into clans, subclans, and patriarchal families.” (“Pashtun”)
Language: Pashto
Have many traditional stories in both in Pashtu and Persian
Religion: mostly Islam; some follow Sunni Muslim

4. Culture Are attached to an unwritten code called Pashtunwalli
Hospitality is important
Use the tribal council, jirga, to resolve conflicts and make decisions
Value courage, taking reverence, and protecting one’s honor
Eldest male has complete authority- households are made up of man and wife, unmarried children, and married sons with their families

5. Culture
Clothing:
male- qmis(loose-fitting shirt that goes to the knees), shalwar(full trousers tied at the waist), chaplay(thick leather shoes), a vest, pagray(turban), and a chadar(long, wide piece of cloth worn on the shoulders)
Female-
Rural women: baggy trousers, a long shirt belted with a sash, and a length of cloth over the head
City women: baggy trousers, a qmis, cotton cloth over their head, and a burqa(veil that covers them from head to below the knees)

6. Pashtun dress

7. Culture Religion prohibits them from eating pork, and drinking alcohol
Eat: rice, vegetables, milk products, meat, eggs, fruits, and tea
Choral singing, poems called matal, and Attan(folk dance) are important
Education was disrupted by the Russian invasion and still by civil warfare
Traditionally held in religious institutes and mosques
As of late 90’s: both boy’s and girl’s schools in nearly every village

8. Attan- folkdance

9. Culture Social gatherings are the major form of entertainment
Sew unique designs on their clothes and wear small hats made of silk
Play Naiza bazi( game involving riding horses and throwing spears), have rock throwing competitions, buzkashi, or goat pulling, wrestling, sword fighting, and more recently football
Differences between clans and families has caused a lot of violence and killing

10. Naiza bazi

11. Pashtun Women
“The lives of Pashtun women vary from those who reside in conservative rural areas, such as the tribal belt, to those found in relatively freer urban centers.” (“Pashtun people”)
Many are tribal and illiterate, but others have become educated and fully employed
Many wars in Afghanistan have slowed their gaining of rights
Currently- some work as traditional housewives, while others are urban workers
Literacy rate is still lower than men
Abused
Slowly beginning to gain equality

12. Pashtuns in Afghanistan
Count for over half of the population
Live in southeastern Afghanistan
“From its founding in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, Afghanistan has traditionally been dominated by the Pashtuns, who before 1978 constituted a 51% minority in the country.” (“Pashtuns of Afghanistan”)
Russian invasion lowered this percentage temporarily and other ethnic groups rose
Until mid-1991, the Pashtuns dominated the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, which controlled the government
Caused alliances to form- now in constant competition with each other

13. Pashtun location

14. Pashtuns in Afghanistan
Currently the president is Pashtun (Hamid Karzai)
Have high government posts: Army Chief (Gul Hasan Khan) and Ministries
Pashtun politicians Ayub Khan and Ghulam Ishaq Khan attained presidency
Became known as the primary ethnic group in the Taliban
Late 2001, US invasion removed Taliban from power

15. Important Pashtun Political People
Hamid Karzai Gul Hasan Khan Ayub Khan Ghulam Ishaq Khan

16. Works Cited
"Pashtun." Countries and Their Cultures. Advameg, Inc. , n.d. Web. 3 Mar < "Pashtuns of Afghanistan." Pashtuns of Afghanistan. WebMedia iNteractive, n.d. Web. 3 Mar < network.net/Ethnic-Groups/pashtuns.html>. Khan , Ismail . "History and Origion of Pashtun (Pakhtoon)." SWATIAN.com. SWATIAN.com, Web. 3 Mar < "Pashtun people." New World Encyclopedia <