Pashtun people of Afghanistan.
**Pashtuns**, (sometimes spelled *Pushtuns*, or *Pakhtuns*, or *Pukhtuns*), (Urdu: پختون/پٹھان, Persian: افغان) historically known as **Afghans** are an Iranic ethnic group and the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Their native language is Pashto, but many of them also speak neighboring Dari, Hindko and Urdu languages. They are the original or native people of the area south of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan and west of the Indus River in Pakistan. However, in the modern period, they have spread to cities outside their native land. According to researchers, the total population of the group is estimated to be around 90 million.

Origins
-------

Many Pashtuns believe that their ancestors were ancient Hebrews who arrived to what is now Afghanistan over 2,000 years ago and settled there however this claim has no basis and the likely origins of the Pashtuns are that their ancestors were ancient Iranian farmers who settled down in the region from Central Asia.  They were first mentioned by a Greek historian in 500 BC, then by Alexander the Great, and in the 3rd century they are called "Abgans" ("Afghans") by the Persian rulers. In the army of the Ghaznavids and Ghurids, thousands of Afghans were reported to be serving. They ruled Delhi Sultanate in the past and also Persia between 1725 to 1729 until they established the last Afghan empire that became what is now Afghanistan.

Tribal code
-----------

The Pashtun people follow a strict code of honor, known as *Pakhtunwali*, that requires them to support the poor, the weak, and the challenged; to fight evil; to provide shelter to anyone who needs it and many more. Pashtun are also strict with obedience in their families and society. They are also known as the best at welcoming guests and taking good care of them. They really love to see respectful people in society, with great manners and obedience.

Occupations
-----------

The Pashtuns are mostly farmers, herdsmen, and warriors but many of them are also businessmen and politicians. Most tribesmen are sedentary farmers, combining cultivation with animal husbandry; some are migratory herdsmen and caravaners. Large numbers of them have always been attracted to military service.

Populations in Afghanistan
--------------------------

In Afghanistan, Pashtun make up around 75% of the total population. They form about 60 tribes of different size and importance, each of which occupies a different territory. In Afghanistan, where Pashtun are the major ethnic group, the main tribes are the Durrani, who mostly live in the south and west, and the Ghilzai, who live in northern and eastern parts of the country.

Populations in Pakistan
-----------------------

They are over 15% of Pakistan's population, with Peshawar and Quetta being their principal cities. They predominate north of Quetta between the Sulaiman Range and the Indus River. Significant number of Pashtuns also live in most other major Pakistani cities, particularly Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore. In the hill areas the main tribes are, from south to north: the Tarin, Kakaṛ, Sherani, and Ustarana south of the Gumal River; the Maḥsud, Darwesh Khel, Waziri, and Biṭani between the Gumal River and Thal; the Turi, Bangash, Orakzay, Afridi, and Shinwari from Thal to the Khyber Pass; and the Mahmand, Utman Khel, Tarklani, and Yusufzay to the north and northeast of the Khyber.

Notes and references
--------------------

1. ↑  Lewis, Paul M. (2009). "Pashto, Northern". *SIL International*. Dallas, Texas: Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Retrieved 2012-06-30. *Ethnic population: 89,529,000 possibly total Pashto in all countries.*
2. ↑  "Pashtun." *Encyclopædia Britannica*. *Encyclopaedia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite*. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2010.
3. ↑  Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor (1987). *E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913–1936*. Vol. 2. BRILL. p. 151 of 550. ISBN 90-04-08265-4. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
4. ↑  National Geographic, Travel, Countries, Afghanistan Quiz
5. ↑  See:

	* "The World Factbok – Afghanistan". *The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agency*. University of Missouri. October 15, 1991. Archived from the original on 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2011-03-20. *\_#\_Ethnic divisions: Pashtun 75%...*
	* "Ethnic groups". BBC News. Retrieved 7 June 2013. Pashtun: Estimated to comprise more than75% of the population, the Pashtuns have been the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.
	* "Afghan Population: 30,419,928 [Pashtun 74.9%]". *Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)*. 2012. Archived from the original on 2017-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-30 – via The World Factbook.
	* Janda, Kenneth; Jeffrey M. Berry and Jerry Goldman (2008). *The Challenge of Democracy: Government in America* (9 ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 46 of 647. ISBN 978-0-618-81017-8. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
	* "Afghanistan's complex ethnic patchwork". *The Asian Wall Street Journal*. Tehran Times. March 10, 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
	* "Pathans". Faqs.org. 2003. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
	* "About Afghanistan - Ethnic Divisions". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
	* Christensen, Asger (1995). *Aiding Afghanistan: the background and prospects for reconstruction in a fragmented society*. NIAS Press. p. 46 of 170. ISBN 87-87062-44-5. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
	* *Congressional Record*. Government Printing Office. 1949. p. 10088. ISBN 9780160118449. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
	* Taylor, William J. Jr.; Abraham Kim (2000). *Asian Security to the Year 2000*. DIANE Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 1-4289-1368-8. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
	* Brown, Keith; Sarah Ogilvie (2009). *Concise encyclopedia of languages of the world*. Elsevie. p. 845 of 1283. ISBN 978-0-08-087774-7. Retrieved 2010-09-24. *Pashto, which is mainly spoken south of the mountain range of the Hindu Kush, is reportedly the mother tongue of 60% of the Afghan population.*
	* Hawthorne, Susan; Bronwyn Winter (2002). *11 September 2001: feminist perspectives*. Spinifex Press. p. 225 of 500. ISBN 1-876756-27-6. Retrieved 2010-09-24. *Over 60 percent of the population in Afghanistan is Pashtun, known locally as Pathan, who by and large support the Taliban.*
	* "The ethnic composition of afghanistan in different sources". Retrieved April 22, 2012.
6. ↑  "Pakistan". *The World Factbook*. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2013-12-24.

Other websites
--------------


Wikimedia Commons has media related to ***Pashtuns***.