Pathans of India

Pathansor thePathans of Indiaare citizens or residents inIndiawho are of ethnicPashtunancestry. "Pathan" is the localHindaviterm for an individual who belongs to the Pashtun ethnic group, or descends from it.The Pathans originate from the  regions of Eastern Afghanistan and Northwestern Pakistan,ethnolinguistically known asPashtunistan.
There are varying estimates of the population ofPathan descentliving in India, ranging from 3.2 million people per theAll India Pakhtoon Jirga-e-Hindto "twice their population in Afghanistan" as per Khan Mohammad Atif, an academic at theUniversity of Lucknow.In the2011 Census of India, 21,677 individuals reportedPashtoas their mother tongue.
Large-scale Pashtun migration began in the11th and 12th centuries, as a result of the many Muslimempires and dynasties founded by Pashtunson the Indian subcontinent.Pashtuns also arrived as traders, officers, administrators, diplomats, travelers, religious saints and preachers,students, and as soldiers serving in the armies of India's rulers. In many cases, migration and settlement occurred amongst wholeclans.Today, the Pathans are a collection of diversely scattered communities present across the length and breadth of India, with the largest populations principally settled in the plains ofnorthernandcentral India.Following thepartition of Indiain 1947, many of themmigrated to Pakistan.The majority of Indian Pathans areUrdu-speaking communities,who have assimilated into thelocal societyover the course of generations.Pathans have influenced and contributed to various fields in India, particularly politics, the entertainment industry and sports.
The Pathans of India are a community who trace their ancestry to the Pashtun regions ofPakistanandAfghanistan.ThePashtun homelandis located inCentral Asiaand the northwestern region ofSouth Asia;it roughly stretches from areas south of theAmu Riverin Afghanistan to west of theIndus Riverin Pakistan, mainly consisting of southwestern, eastern and some northern and westerndistricts of Afghanistan, andKhyber Pakhtunkhwaand northernBalochistanin western Pakistan,with theDurand Lineacting as the border between the two countries.TheHindu Kushmountains straddle the north of the region.Geographically, the Pathans are an easternIranicethnic group who lived west of theIndo-Aryanethnicities of the northernIndian subcontinent.
Some Pashtuns from theGhiljitribe historically used to seasonally migrate to India in winter asnomadicmerchants. They would buy goods there, and transport these bycamel caravanin summer for sale or barter in Afghanistan.
Pathans of India descend from differenttribes and clans. Some of the common Pashtun tribes found in India including the influentialAhmadzaiand others likeAfridi,Barakzai,Bettani,Panni,Sulemanzai,Tareen,Kakar,Sherani,Khattak,Orakzaiand theShinwari,Yusufzaiincluding the mightyGhilzai,DurraniandLodi. There is also a population ofMuslim Rajput Pathansin India (also known asKhanzada Rajputs) whose ancestors wereRajputsbut got the titleKhanafter converting to Islam. After many generations, they are now intermixed with Pathans.
The term "Hindu Pathan" is used forHinduswho hailed or were born in the predominately Pashtun regions of British India (now Pakistan),as well as those who arrived from Afghanistan.The 1947partition of Indialed to an exodus of Hindus settled in the formerNorth-West Frontier Province(NWFP) andBaluchistan, which are part of modern Pakistan, into the newly independent India.Notable people from these regions, mainly Peshawar, who identified as Hindu Pathans include independence activistBhagat Ram Talwarand union ministerMehr Chand Khanna;Prithviraj Kapoor,the progenitor of Bollywood's Kapoor family (along with his sonsRaj,ShammiandShashi Kapoor),also of Punjabi descent;his cousin,Surinder Kapoor(father ofAnil Kapoor);actorVinod Khanna,and film producer F.C. Mehra (father ofUmesh Mehra).Pushpa Kumari Bagai writes that the Hindu Pathans in India, especially those who migrated from theSaraiki-speaking area ofDera Ismail Khan, had their own uniquevegetarian cuisine.In her historical magnum opusRiver of Fire, writerQurratulain Hydermakes reference to Hindu Pathans from the NWFP who were displaced by the partition and settled in India.
Some Hindus who lived in Balochistan prior to 1947, and later migrated to India following the partition, had a highly Pashtunized culture and spoke a form of Pashto orBalochi.They identified themselves culturally as Pathans and members of theKakaritribe. Originating fromQuettaandLoralai, they brought their customs and practices with themselves to India, where they became known as theSheenkhalai(Pashto for "the blue skinned").This name stemmed from a novel tradition their womenfolk practiced, who would adorn their faces, hands and skin with permanent tattoos to enhance their appearance. These decorative, tribal tattoos were considered a form of art and beauty in their culture, however they were looked down upon by other Indians.The women wore a traditional hand-embroidered dress known as thekakraikameez, similar to afiraq– the upper garment worn by Pashtun females.They also listened toPashto musicand would teach the language to their children.Due to their different culture and appearance, they were often stereotyped and considered Muslims or foreigners by the locals.The Sheenkhalai, numbering up to 500 at the time of partition, settled mostly in Rajasthan (inUniara,JaipurandChittorgarh) and Punjab, and adopted Indian culture.In recent years, there have been efforts to revive their indigenous culture. In 2018, former Afghan presidentHamid Karzaimet members of this community and inaugurated the Sheenkhalai Art Project during theJaipur Literature Festival.A feature-length documentary titledSheenkhalai – The Blue Skinproduced by Shilpi Batra Adwani, a third-generation Sheenkhalai herself, explores the history and origins of this community and was funded by the India–Afghanistan Foundation.
From the 1950s and onwards, somePakistani Hindusfrom Peshawar and surrounding areas moved to India, settling chiefly inAmritsar, Jalandhar,LudhianaandFirozpur, as well as in Delhi, Rajasthan and other places across India. As of 2005, they numbered over 3,000 families including both Hindus and Sikhs.Amritsar itself was home to over 500 Peshawari families, and most of them lived in an area known as the Peshawari Mohalla where they had set up a Hindu temple for the community. They were mainly businesspeople.According to the Hindustan Times, around 250 Hindu and Sikh families were living in an area named "Mini Peshawar" nearChhehartain Amritsar as of 2016.Although Peshawar was not as violently affected by communal riots as other regions during the partition, the Peshawari Hindus cited economic issues, security challenges and religious violence as reasons for their emigration after independence. A wave of similar migrations continued in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.After living in India for some time, these Hindus are able to secureIndian citizenship. The elderly Peshawari Hindus are distinguishable due to theirPeshawari clothingand thePeshawari turbanwhich some of them wear, and they converse in Pashto or the localPeshawari dialect. However, the younger generation is not fluent in these languages.
Since the 1970s, thousands ofAfghan Hindushave also settled in India while escapingwarand persecution. Many of them had lived in the Pashtun areas for generations, spoke Pashto, and practiced a culture that was Pashtun-influenced.
A secondarydiaspora of Pathansfrom India also exists, including those who were transported from British India to various other colonies asindentured workersin the early 19th century.
In July 1954, over 100,000 Pashtun tribes people living in Indian-administeredJammu and Kashmirwere granted Indian nationality.They are a mostlyendogamous, Pashto-speaking community whose ancestors migrated from what is now Pakistan and Afghanistan prior to India's independence.The village of Gotli Bagh inGanderbal districtis home to around 10,000 Pashtuns.The community observes Pashtun customs such asjirgafor mediation on disputes, and Pashto television channels likeKhyber TVare followed to keep up to date with news in the region.They mostly marry within their community, which has allowed their language and culture to be preserved intact.
The city ofMalerkotlais home to a significant population ofPunjabi Muslims, some of whom are of Pathan origin.It is notably the only Muslim-majority city inIndian Punjab, since the partition in 1947.The princelyMalerkotla Statewas established and ruled by a Pathan dynasty ofSherwaniandLodiorigins.The Pathans in Malerkotla were considered an influential group and were principally landowners. Their numbers dwindled after many of them migrated to Pakistan.They are principally divided into theYusufzai,Lodi,Tareen,KakarandSherwanitribes.The rulers of the state historically shared a harmonious relationship with their Hindu and Sikh subjects, giving them protection and equal rights as minorities, which is one of the reasons why the city was mostly spared from violence during the partition.Even after independence, members of the royal Pathan family have continued to receive political support in state elections.
Chandigarhis a common destination for Afghan students who pursue tertiary education in India. They numbered up to 500 as of 2019, and were enrolled in different institutes includingPanjab University.The princelyPataudi State, which was founded by thePataudi familyand ruled by theNawab of Pataudi, was centred inPataudiin modern Haryana'sGurgaondistrict. The Pataudis were of Afghan descent, whose ancestors arrived in India in the late 15th century as mercenaries of the Pashtun emperorBahlul Lodi, during the latter's reign.According toMansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the family are "basically Afghans with a bit ofTurkishblood."
There is a small community of Pashto-speakingHindus and Sikhs who migrated fromParachinar(in Pakistan'sKurram District) to Himachal Pradesh in 1948. They have an organisation known as the Akhil Bharatiya Parachinar Biradari, which seeks to gainScheduled Tribal statusfor the community in order to secure various government incentives and opportunities committed under theNational Commission for Scheduled Tribesfor "displaced" communities.They are settled in a village also named "Parachinar" inBharmourinChamba district.These Parachinaris are noted for their Pathan dresses and turbans, their traditionalChitrali-influenced dance known as thegharra, and the Pashto dialect which they speak.
According to Sohail Hashmi, the Peshawari dress and turban were a common site on the streets of Delhi up until the 1960s.The area ofJangpurahas long been a hub for Pathan Muslims, possibly due to its proximity to theNizamuddin Dargah.
Across North India, the Pathan population is chiefly spread over 74districts.Beginning in the 17th century, tens of thousands of "Rohilla" Pashtuns migrated into modern Uttar Pradesh and settled in what became known as theRohilkhandregion.
Pathans are noted as one of the Muslim castes living inDiu, which is part of the union territory ofDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Pathans are noted as one of the many Muslim communities in the state ofGoa. They use the surnameKhan, while the women may useKhatun,KhatuorBibi. It has been noted that they freely marry outside their community.
Mumbaihas been home to a Pathan community since the 19th century, mostly originating from thetribal areasof northwest Pakistan.Afghanistan has maintained aconsulate-generalin Bombay since 1915, alluding to the historic presence of Afghans and Pathans in the city.
The Afghan-bornKarim Lalawas one of the three most influentialdonsin theMumbai underworldfor decades. As the head of the "Pathan Gang", a mafia group comprising mostly ethnic Pathans involved in various types of organised crime,Karim Lala wielded significant political clout and was well known to both the elite and common man of Mumbai.
In Gujarat state most of the pathans are seen, those are Turks, Yousafzai, Afghans, Babi, Durrani, lodi.there are many notable persons comes from gujrat pathan like cricketer Salim Durrani, Parveen Babi actress.In area of Junagadh there are turk pathan are mainly seen in indian army and business
There are Pathan families present in the city ofRanchi.
Odishawas historically one of the territories conquered by Pathans, most notably underKhwaja Usman.
TheBengalregion was historically one of the territories ruled by Pathan dynasties in India.TheKarrani dynasty, the last of the dynasties to hold theBengal Sultanate, was of Pashtun origin.The city ofKolkatahas been home to a large Afghan and Pathan community for generations, where they are known by the termKabuliwala("people ofKabul") and have historically constituted an integral part of the city's cultural fabric.The term is derived from the iconic and much-romanticised short storyof the same namewritten byRabindranath Tagorein 1892, which essays the tale of an Afghan merchant who journeys all the way to Kolkata and sells dry fruit.Once numbering over 10,000 in 2001,their population has reduced to no more than 2,000 to 5,000as of 2015.Many of them were famous for working as traditional moneylenders, an industry which declined following the introduction ofmicrofinance.
During theBritish Rajin the 19th and early 20th centuries, Pashtun prisoners were amongst those who weretransported"across the water" to thepenal colonyon theAndaman Islandsfor incarceration.One such incarceree who was serving life imprisonment on the island,Sher Ali Afridi, became known as the assassin ofLord Mayo, theViceroy of India, while the latter was visiting the settlement in 1872.
According toKumar Suresh Singh, in the state ofKarnataka, the Pathans are "distributed in alldistricts."
According toS. N. Sadasivan, theTravancoreregion was home to a group of Pathan Muslims who were descendants of sepoys employed by themaharajas of Travancore.Susan Baylynotes that the 18th-century Travancorean maharajas actively recruited Pathan soldiers to train and lead their armies, as did many otherSouth Indiankingdoms, who were keen to bolster their military capacities with the experiences of such men.
The formerHyderabad Statehad a Pathan community, and also an organisation known as the Pakhtoon Jirga which looked after the interests of the Pashtuns living within that state.
There are some Afghan businessmen who have been living inAssamfor several decades. They are also known asKabuliwalas.
Rajkumar Jhalajit SinghinA Short History of Manipurmentions Pathans as one of the communities among theManipuri Muslims.
InSikkim, the Muslims are categorised into two main social classes: theashraf(aristocracy) andajlaf(commoners). The former usually includes people of "Sayyad,Shaikh,Mughaland Pathan ethnic backgrounds."
In India, the Muslim surnameKhanis largely synonymous with and commonly used by Pathans as perPashtun namingconventions, although not all Khans are necessarily of Pathan descent.The female equivalent used by Pathan women isKhanumorBibi.In thecaste systempresent among medievalIndian Muslimsociety, the Pathans (historically also known asethnic 'Afghans') were classified as one of theashrafcastes – those who claimed descent from foreign immigrants,and who claimed the status ofnobilityby virtue of conquests andMuslim rule in the Indian subcontinent.
The earlier generations of Indian Pathans spoke their native language Pashto, while some still adhere to the traditional code and Pashtun way of life known asPashtunwali.The Pashtun empires in India historically used theDari Persianlanguage.As a result ofcultural assimilationwith Indians over the course of several centuries, most Pathans in India lost the ability to speak Pashto and instead adoptedHindustanior other local dialects.
Pathan cuisine is known for its high emphasis onmeat-based dishes. Typically, meat is either: boiled or roasted; marinated and barbecued in the form oftikkapieces placed onskewersin agrill; formed into different types ofkebabs; cooked in large quantities incurrieswith mild spices; or prepared in a clay pot (e.g.handigosht) – and eaten by hand with bread (e.g.Peshawarinaanorroti), which is bakedon a tandooroven.Usually, the meat is kept intact and allowed to cook in its own fat.Thechapli kebab, which originated in Peshawar, is a popular snack in Indian cities.Afghan immigrants in India have popularised other uniqueAfghan foods, such as theAfghani burger,Afghani naan,mantudumplings,andKabuli pulao.Afghan and Pathan recipes rely less on spices, and tend to be flavoured with salt, garlic, pepper, raisins, pinenuts, walnuts, and variousdriedor fresh fruits.Lajpat Nagarin Delhi is a hub of Pathan cuisines due to its sizable Afghan population.
Tandoori chickenwas popularised in India byKundan Lal Gujral, aPunjabi Hindu-"Pathan" chef from Peshawar who moved to Delhi in 1947 and founded theMoti Mahal Deluxchain of restaurants. Due to the Peshawari influences on Gujral's cooking, it is often regarded as a Punjabi-Pathan dish.Kundal Lal also invented the iconicbutter chickenanddal makhani.
Each year, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations grants 2,325 scholarships to international students, with six-hundred and seventy-five spots being reserved especially for Afghans.In India, an increasing number of native students are learning Pashto at academic institutions such as theJawaharlal Nehru University.
The city ofPeshawarin the North-West Frontier Province gave birth to several prominent actors in the Hindi film industry,Bollywood.Some Indian actors also have ancestry in Balochistanand Afghanistan.TheQissa Khwani Bazaararea of Peshawar is the location of the ancestral homesof the Kapoor family,Dilip Kumarand Shah Rukh Khan.Notably, theHindko-originDilip Kumar(born Yusuf Khan)andShah Rukh Khan,or the Punjabi-originHindu Pathanslike theKapoor family,while not ethnically Pathans, are often referred to as "Pathans" due to their culture and origins in Peshawar.ActorNaseeruddin Shah, along with his sonsImaad,Vivaanand nephewMohommed Ali, belong to the family of the 19th-century Afghan warlordJan-Fishan Khan, who was born inPaghmanofSaiyiddescent, and moved to India in the 1850s where he became the firstNawab of Sardhana.
Most of theKhans of Bollywood, however, belong to the Pathan community,including the Peshawar-born actorJayant(born Zakaria Khan) and his sonAmjad Khan;Kader Khan, who belonged to theKakartribe with parents fromKandaharandPishin;theTanoli-origin siblingsFeroz,SanjayandAkbar Khan, whose father settled in Bangalore fromGhazni,and their descendantsFardeenandZayed Khan;the renowned screenwriterSalim Khanand his sonsSalman,ArbaazandSohail Khan(seeSalim Khan family), whoseAlakozaiorAkazaiancestors migrated to Indore from theSwatregion;the director-cum-producer siblingsNasirandTahir Hussain– the former being the father ofMansoor Khanand maternal grandfather ofImran Khan, and the latter known as the father ofAamir,FaisalandNikhat Khan– along with their nephewTariq Khan, whose Pathan ancestors hailed fromHerat;Saif Ali Khan,along with his sisterSoha Ali Khanand daughterSara Ali Khan, who, of royalPataudi lineage, have relatives in Pakistan and ancestors that migrated from Afghanistan;andIrrfan Khan.ActressMadhubala, who is sometimes called the "Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood," was aYusufzaiPathan.There have also been other Pathan film directors, producers and scriptwriters, such asZia Sarhadi;FarahandSajid Khan, who have Pathan ancestry from Peshawar;and in recent times,Kabir Khan.
Pathans have contributed toIndian musicas well; thesarod, a stringed instrument used in Hindustani classical music, descends from the Pashtunrubaband was invented by theBangashmusicalgharanawhich migrated to India (whose descendants include ustadsSakhawat Hussain,Hafiz Ali Khan, and the latter's sonAmjad Ali Khan).G. M. Durraniwas a noted Bollywood playback singer, music director and radio artist during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.In pop music, the Pakistani-originAdnan Samihas been called the "reigning King ofIndipop."
Pathan characters have been portrayed in many Bollywood films, creating a subgenre of what are known as "Pathan movies".The 1947 theatrical playPathanwas produced by Prithviraj Kapoor'sPrithvi Theatre, and was commercially successful across India. Prithviraj played the lead role while his sons Raj, Shammi and Shashi also acted.Kabuliwala(1961), in whichBalraj Sahniessays the role of the protagonist, has been called the "mother of all Pathan movies".It is based on theshort storyof the same name written byRabindranath Tagorein 1892, featuring the story of a wandering Afghan merchant in Bengal in pre-partition India. Earlier, a Bengali film based on this story was releasedin 1957.
It is believed that the famous Pathan character of Sher Khan, which was scripted bySalim–Javedand portrayed byPraninZanjeer(1973), was based on the Mumbai mafia donKarim Lala.The songYaari Hai Imaan Mera, Yaar Meri Zindagi("friendship is my faith, the friend is my life") from that movie features an influence of the Pashtun instrument rubab, and is danced to by men in theattanstyle.In 2013, aremakeof the film was released in Hindi andTelugusimultaneously, in whichSanjay DuttandSri Harireprised the role of Sher Khan, respectively.They featured in aqawwali-style Pathan dance number,Khochey Pathan Ki Zubaan.
The action filmQurbani(1980), in which a police officer named Amjad Khan (played byAmjad Khanhimself) chases two fugitives (played byFeroz KhanandVinod Khanna), featured a songQurbani Qurbaniwhich was set in a "Pathan'sden". In the song, the three protagonists donned Pathan getup.Khuda Gawah(1992) starsAmitabh Bachchanas an Afghan tribesman who settles accounts with his enemies after finding himself trapped in an Indian prison, and was partially shot in Afghanistan.
Urdu poetryin India developed under the influence of Pathans, in addition to various other communities belonging to thePerso-Arabicsphere of influence.One such prominent poet wasJosh Malihabadi, an Afridi Pathan.His cousin,Abdur Razzaq Malihabadi, was also a writer.
Pashto literaturethrived inNorth Indiafrom the early 16th century up until the turn of the 19th century, even whilePersianremained the dominant language of the region during theMughalperiod.It was a provincial language spoken mainly by Pashtun administrative and military elites, and other Pashtun settlers and temporary dwellers in India.Extant manuscripts have provided evidence of Pashtoversesand poetry emerging from theGanges region.Pir Roshan, aSufiwho is regarded as one of the earliest Pashto writers, was a Pashtun fromWaziristanwho was born inJalandhar.He inspired theRoshani movementwhich, during the late 16th and 17th centuries, gave rise to prominent Pashto poets and writers in the Indian subcontinent.The area forming modern-dayUttar Pradeshwas among the few regions in India where Pashto literature continuously developed; Pashtun litterateurs from theRohillacommunity produced works in the language up until the late 18th century.
TheAll India Radio(AIR) operates a Pashto-language service.Pashto was the first external radio service of AIR, broadcasting its inaugural transmission on 1 October 1939 for Pashto-listeners across British India's North-West Frontier Province and Afghanistan. Its purpose was to counterGerman radio propandainfiltrating Afghanistan, Iran and West Asian nations following the outbreak ofWorld War II.The Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies (CPCAS) at New Delhi'sJawaharlal Nehru Universityoffers bachelor-level degrees in Pashto.
The language is also used by Afghan Pashtun expatriates living in India.
In Britishcolonial India, the Pathans were classified as one of the "martial races" and enlisted in large numbers into theBritish Indian Army.The40th Pathans, which later became part of thePakistan Army, remained for some time the only all-Pathan regiment in British India.From 1897 to 1908, the number of Pathan servicemen in the British Indian Army arose from 2,500 to 10,500.Around a quarter wereAfridis, and a large number were drawn from thetribal areasforming British India's northwestern frontier with Afghanistan. They comprised, in total, 67 companies across 43 regiments.By the time ofWorld War I, their numbers had increased to 28,000.
Abdul Ghaffar Khanwas aPashtun nationalistand close friend ofMahatma Gandhiwho, as leader of theCongress-alliedKhudai Khidmatgar, was one of the prominent members of theIndian independence movementagainst British rule before the partition.After 1947, he became a Pakistani citizen.Zakir Husain, an Afridi Pathan, was an economist and politician who served as the thirdpresident of Indiafrom 1967 to 1969. Prior to that, he was the secondvice president of India, and also served as thegovernor of Bihar.His maternal grandsonSalman Khurshidserved as India's minister for minority affairs, law and justice, andexternal affairsin successive terms.Mohammad Yunuswas a career diplomat who served as India's ambassador in various countries, and also became a nominated member of theRajya Sabhain 1989.
Pathans have represented theIndian national cricket teamboth before and after independence. They includeJahangir Khan, aBurkiPathan who played for India between 1932 and 1936, later becoming a cricket administrator in Pakistan.Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the  eighthNawab of Pataudi, played for bothEnglandand India in the 1930s and 1940s, eventually captaining the Indian side in 1946.His son,Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, also playedTest cricketas a batsman for India between 1961 and 1975 and became the country's youngest captain when appointed in 1962.The all-rounderSalim Durani(who in official cricketing records is referred to as thefirst Afghan-born Test cricketer, but was born near theKhyber Pass)represented India in Test cricket in the 1960s and 1970s.The brother duo ofYusufandIrfan Pathanhave together represented India at the national level across all formats.
In field hockey,Feroze Khanwas a gold medalist for India at the1928 Summer Olympics. He was a Pathan from Jalandhar, and migrated to Pakistan in the early 1950s.Ahmed Khanbecame a gold medalist for India at the1936 Summer Olympics, while his sonAslam Sher Khanwas a member of the Indian squad which won the1975 Men's Hockey World Cup. They were Pathans fromBhopal.
In squash,Abdul Bariwas one of India's leading players in the 1940s and represented the country at the 1950British Open.Yusuf Khanwas a ten-time all-India championwho later migrated to Seattle, United States, and turned to coaching several professional players;his daughtersShabanaandLatasha Khanrepresented the US.
Ghaus Mohammadwas the first Indian tennis player to qualify forWimbledonquarter-finals, in 1939. He was an Afridi Pathan from Malihabad.