What's the difference between the terms pathan and pashtun? My dad's side of the family is pathan, but they moved to India a long long time ago and then from there to Pakistan. Can I be cool too and call myself pashtun?Of course you can be cool like me and call yourself Pashtun :D Even if you have less than .00001% Pashtun blood in you, you can call yourself that.
To answer your first question:
Pashtun = Pakhtun = Pukhtun = Pushtun = Afghan. (The term "Afghan" today, however, is more synonymous with someone from Afghanistan, or a citizen of Afghanistan, whether Pashtun or non-Pashtun (e.g., Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek). So, a lotta Pashtuns from Pakistan don't like being called Afghans, especially if they don't support the idea of Pashtuns' independence from Pakistan.) On every Pashtun site you ever visit, you'll see lotsa debates on the term Pashtun and Pathan because many Pashtuns in Pakistan (and often in India) don't have a problem referring to themselves as Pathan. The difference, however, is that "Pathan" is a term imposed on Pashtuns by outsiders/invaders, and many Pashtuns argue that it's not their original name and is therefore not authentic. It's also often used as a derogatory term against Pashtuns in Pakistan, so I'm personally not a fan of it either. So, just to make sure you don't anger any Pashtuns, calling them Pashtuns instead of Pathans might be the safer thing to do ;)
Wow, I learned something new today=D I'm gonna discuss this with my dad..
ReplyDeleteINSIGHTFUL! :)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea, thanks for letting us know :) I've been told I look Pathan when I dress up in shalwar kameez, but I guess really they should say I look Pashtun :P
ReplyDeleteHi, Becky Jaan!
ReplyDeleteGlad you found the post informative!
I'mna have to request some photos of you in Shalwar Kameez now ;) And, yes, they should've said Pashtun, not Pathan, lol. But in "normal" life, that often leads to half-annoying political debates on Afghanistan/Pakistan affairs, and who wants to deal with them after giving a simple comment like, "You look Pathan in shalwaar/kameez," eh? lol.
I guess a lot of people also aren't aware of the difference. Personally I'd never heard about Pashtun's before I came across your blog, my ex-bf always referred to Pathans, so I don't know.
ReplyDeletehttp://beckyskaleidoscope.blogspot.com/2010/10/shalwar-kameez.html Pictures in that blog post ;)
My husband's recent male ancestors on both sides of the family are also "Gangetic Pathans" or Pashtoons who settled along the Ganges river in India and then later went to Pakistan after partition. They are connected to Badakshan in Afghanistan, but only speak Urdu and are extremely Indianized and have a tride and true muhajir identity and life style.
ReplyDeleteThey do romanticize their Pashtoon blood and pride themselves on being fair. But I noticed that they don't feel very close to local Pakistani Pashtoons and take a very muhajir view on Pashtoon locals and their political issues. My sister in law has called someone a "dumb Pathan" in front of me, for example.
It reminds me of in the USA we white Americans often have a few drops of Native American (Red Indian) blood and we romanticize it to high heaven but we aren't concerned with modern indigenous peoples' issues and have our own stereotypes about modern Native American communities (like that they are drunkards, etc).
Funny how people can be like that.
Hahaha when I go to Pakistan also the Pashtoon shopkeepers ask me something "zamazamazama Pashtoon day" or some such thing (have no idea what it could really be) and I realized they were asking me if I was a Pashtoona. I do speak Urdu and they thought I was being demure or maybe a snob for not switching into Pashto with them infront of my in-laws. I wish I could speak Pashto because then I could get better bargains probably!!!
I love your blog, by the way.
Hellllo, LuckyFatima Jaan!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog; glad to hear you like it around here! I try, lol.
Yeah, funny stuff for sure! I like the comparison you made. It's definitely similar. I've met lotsa folks around here who, when they find out or hear that I'm Pashtun, tell me, "My great-grandfather was Pathan, too!" They say it with pride, actually. But, like the Whites enjoying claiming they have Native American blood in them, they know close to nothing about what's going on with Pashtuns today.
Certainly true that knowing Pashto would grant you better bargains in Pashtun shops ;) I'm willing to teach ya if you wants to learn! I could open up a lesson a day or something. Cool?
And the whole being fair thing -- ugh! Many I know do that, too :S What a shallow reason to be proud of your ancestry for!
By the way, I got your question. Will answer it tomorrow, inshaAllah, k?
Beckyyyy - I apologize for skipping your comment Just saw it! :O
ReplyDeleteOOOoh, I saw the pic, and I love it! More there, jaan.
Sure if you get a chance you could post some simple Pashto language lessons :-)
ReplyDeleteSure thing, Fatima Jaan!
ReplyDeleteOmg I sooo love the whole pashtun culture! I wish I were pashtun :( I hope to learn pashto someday, the food must be great too aww I really enjoy reading your blog posts!
ReplyDeleteAwww! :D Thank you! I'm honored you've joined me here!
ReplyDeleteYes, the food is delicious :p 'Course it is! You give me an idea for posting some Afghan/Pashtun recipes, hah! Will do so soon, inshaAllah.
Sanga aye? :P
ReplyDeleteOMG PLEASE do that! I would love toooooooooo finally cook pashto-style dishes, lately I've become addicted to paneer :|
LOL. Will do, zarrgiya!
ReplyDeletewell something new i think but we say pathan when speaking in urdu and pashtun when speaking in pashto :D
ReplyDeletePa khair, ShahMufc! Thanks for dropping by! :)
ReplyDeleteYep, that's one of the most common moments many of us refer to ourselves as "Pathans" -- and speaking in Urdu doesn't go so well with the Pukhtun nationalists :p