Pashayi or Pashai (/pəˈʃaɪ/; Pashayi: پشه‌ای, romanised: Paṣhəy) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group[5] living primarily in eastern Afghanistan. They are mainly concentrated in the northern parts of Laghman and Nangarhar, also parts of Kunar, Kapisa, Parwan, Nuristan, and a bit of Panjshir.[6] Many Pashai consider themselves as Pashtuns speaking a special language,[7] and many are bilingual in Pashto[2] whereas other Pashai, such as those in Panjshir and Parwan,[7][8] have been assimilated by Tajiks.

Pashayi
Pashai boy wearing a Pakol
Total population
Approx. 400,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Laghman, Kapisa, Nangarhar and northeast Kabul (all Afghanistan)
Languages
Pashayi languages
Pashto and Persian also spoken as second languages[2]
Religion
Majority:
Sunni Islam[3][4]
Minority:
Nizari Ismailism[4]
Related ethnic groups
Other Indo-Aryan peoples

History edit

The Pashayi people historically practiced ancient Hinduism and Buddhism, along with tribal religions.[9][10][11][3] Pashayis and Nuristanis were native to the Kunar Valley and Laghman Province, near Jalalabad in north-east Afghanistan, until they were displaced to less fertile mountainous region by successive waves of immigration by Ghilji Pashtuns.[12]

In the 13th century, Marco Polo traveled through the region and described the locals as practitioners of sorcery and witchcraft, as well as calling them a “pestilent people” and crafty”. Polo claimed that the men wore brooches and earrings decorated with gemstones and that the main diet of the locals consisted of rice and meat.[4] In the 16th century, when Mughal ruler Babur visited Darai Nur, a town in Nangarhar Province primarily inhabited by the Pashayi people, he found that the eating of pork had only recently been forbidden and that the town was famous for its wine.[13]

According to the Tabakat-i-Akbari of Nizamuddin Ahmad, Mughal Emperor Akbar had dispatched his younger brother Mirza Muhammad Hakim, who was a staunch adherent of the missionary-minded Naqshbandi Sufi order, against the infidels of Katwar in 1582.[14] Hakim was a semi-independent governor of Kabul.[15] The Sifat-nama-yi Darviš Muhammad Hān-i Ğāzī of Kadi Muhammad Salim who accompanied the expedition mentions its details.[14] The Sifat-nama gives Muhammad Hakim the epithet of Darviš Khan Gazi.[15] Muhammad Hakim's invasion fought its way from Laghman to Alishang, and is stated to have conquered and converted 66 valleys to Islam. After conquering Tajau and Nijrau valleys in Panjshir area, the crusaders established a fort at Islamabad at confluence of Alishang and Alingar rivers. They continued the raid up to Alishang and made their last effort against the non-Muslims of Alingar, fighting up to Mangu, the modern border between the Pashai and Ashkun-speaking areas.[16]

During the 18th century, Pashtuns forced Pashai people to convert to Islam, and conversions continued into recent history.[17] According to Pashai oral tradition, in the mid-18th century, Deishamir Baba conquered Darra-i Nur Valley and converted the people to Islam. The valley was inhabited by kafirs who only were armed with bows and arrows, whereas Deishamir Baba and his army had firearms.[18] Deishamir Baba was from Kunar Valley, and he came to Darra-i Nur through Pech Valley and Aret and Shumast villages. The kafir rulers Bhim Raja of Bambakot, Shultan Raja of Sotan, and Sher Raja all surrendered to Deishamir Baba and converted to Islam. Laṇā Raja of Shemul was defeated and he fled the region. Muturu Raja of Utran fought with Deishamir Baba for a longer time, but eventually converted to Islam and became an ally of Deishamir Baba. Deishamir Baba had two sons, Ranga and Japar, and six grandsons. The six grandsons are the ancestors of the Pashai in Sotan. In Darra-i Nur, Deishamir decided to give permanent land settlements to family and followers instead of introducing a rotating land tenure system known as wesh, which integrated and strengthened the segmentary lineage systems of the Kohistani people, allowing them to ward off Pashtun attempts of invasion. By not introducing the wesh system, the Darai Nur valley’s economic cohesion was strengthened and was therefore more immune to “Pashtunization”.[19]

He invited Aṇu and Kolalek from Kordar to settle in Kandak, and Yarukei from Chelas to settle in Shemul. In return they had to guard the north of the valley and water supply. He also allowed the kafir Kalautar from Wama to settle Amla with his goats, on the condition that Kalautar give Deishamir tribute of a kharwar of cheese annually. Kalautar was later expelled because he would not convert to Islam but continued to pay tribute. In the south of the valley the remaining kafir rajas were under pressure due to lost allies (Bhim Raja and Shultan Raja) as well as poor land due to lack of water, and thus moved to the east. Bambakot's main market known as the Hindu Quarter also declined with the going of the Hindus. According to Ovsen, these events occurred in the early 1800s.[16]

In 1891, Henry Walter Bellew stated: "Pashae, or Pashie ... are attributive plural forms, meaning 'of the Kingdom Padshahi'. The Pashai are still found by that name in the Darai Nur District of Nangarhar Province, Bamyan and Laghman districts in the southern valleys.[20] According to a work published by Jeffrey H.P Evans-von Krbek at the Department of Anthropology at the University of Durham in 1977, an observer known as Masson claimed the Pashayi people can be traced back to the Pasiani tribe, mentioned by Strabo as one of the Scythian tribes. However, Jeffrey states that Masson’s research in the 1830s was devalued by a lack of clarity.[21]

By the early 21st century, the Pashai were often referred to as Kohistani,[7] and were Sunni Muslims,[4] while a minority are Nizari Ismaili Muslims.

Discrimination in Afghanistan edit

Reportedly, there have been accounts of the Pashayi population in Nangarhar being referred to with ethnic slurs, such as “Sharee”, a slur used to describe “backwards people that inhabit a remote and desolate area, as well as “grisband” (meaning a can of oil in Pashto) which implies they are “primitive, simple and struggle to cope with urban life”. The usage of these slurs has led to a rise in ethnic tensions in eastern Afghanistan and the deepening of divisions in the region. As a result of these negative comments, some Pashayi people only interact with those of their own ethnicity, rather than other ethnic groups.[22]

As the Pashayi have a distinctive culture, behaviour and cultural garb from those in the areas in which they inhabit, they have been isolated by those from other ethnicities, leading some to believe that the Pashayi people are “ignorant” or “threatening”.[23]

On 16 May 2023, Pashayi tribesmen organised a protest in the Nurgaram district of Nuristan Province against the Taliban against alleged mistreatment and ethnic discrimination under the local Taliban commander, Mawlawi Saadullah, resulting in clashes although no deaths or injuries were reported.[24]

Culture edit

The Pashayi engage in a mixed economy of agriculture and herding.[10] Common crops cultivated include rice, wheat, and corn. They also raise goats, cattle, and sheep.[4] It has been noted that both the Pashayi, Nuristani people and other Dardic groups share a fascination with the goat, which might connote to pre-Islamic worship of the animal, or a goat-like deity.[25] They also hold meetings known as marat to resolve issues, which has similarities to the Pashtun Jirga, where Pashayi elders are also present and lead the discussions.[26] The Pashayi people additionally perform a dance where young people gather in a circle, hold each other by their shoulders and begin singing songs. This is performed at weddings or during celebrations, and lasts for 20–25 minutes.

 
Flag of the Pashayi people, sighted in Afghanistan and parts of Northern Pakistan

Notable individuals edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "What Languages do People Speak in Afghanistan?". worldpopulationreview.com.
  2. ^ a b Lehr, Rachel (2014). A Descriptive Grammar of Pashai: The Language and Speech Community of Darrai Nur (PDF). University of Chicago, Division of the Humanities, Department of Linguistics. ISBN 978-1-321-22417-7.
  3. ^ a b "The Pashayi of Afghanistan". Bethany World Prayer Center. 1997. Retrieved 11 April 2019. Before their conversion to Islam, the Pashayi followed a religion that was probably a corrupt form of Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, they are Sunni (orthodox) Muslims of the Hanafite sect.
  4. ^ a b c d e West, Barbara A. (2010). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. Infobase Publishing. p. 646. ISBN 978-1-4381-1913-7.
  5. ^ Minahan, James B. (10 February 2014). Ethnic Groups of North, East, and Central Asia: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 217. ISBN 9781610690188. Historically, north and east Afghanistan was considered part of the Indian cultural and religious sphere. Early accounts of the region mention the Pashayi as living in a region producing rice and sugarcane, with many wooded areas. Many of the people of the region were Buddhists, though small groups of Hindus and others with tribal religions were noted.
  6. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  7. ^ a b c Pashai, Ethnic identity in Afghanistan, on nps.edu
  8. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  9. ^ Minahan, James B. (10 February 2014). Ethnic Groups of North, East, and Central Asia: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 217. ISBN 9781610690188. Historically, north and east Afghanistan was considered part of the Indian cultural and religious sphere. Early accounts of the region mention the Pashayi as living in a region producing rice and sugarcane, with many wooded areas. Many of the people of the region were Buddhists, though small groups of Hindus and others with tribal religions were noted.
  10. ^ a b Weekes, Richard V. (1984). Muslim peoples: a world ethnographic survey. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 601. ISBN 9780313233920.
  11. ^ Khanam, R. (2005). Encyclopaedic ethnography of Middle-East and Central Asia. Global Vision Publishing House. p. 631. ISBN 9788182200654.
  12. ^ The state and tribe in Afghanistan in the nineteenth century:The reign of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan: pp 161
  13. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  14. ^ a b C. E. Bosworth; E. Van Donzel; Bernard Lewis; Charles Pellat (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume IV. Brill. p. 409.
  15. ^ a b C. E. Bosworth. "Ğihād in Afghanistan and Muslim India". Israel Oriental Studies. Tel Aviv University. 10: 153.
  16. ^ a b Alberto M. Cacopardo, Augusto S. Cacopardo. Gates of Peristan: history, religion and society in the Hindu Kush. Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente. p. 32.
  17. ^ Lehr, Rachel (2014). A Descriptive Grammar of Pashai: The Language and Speech of a Community of Darrai Nur (Thesis). University of Chicago. p. 29.
  18. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  19. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  20. ^ Henry Walter Bellew An Inquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan; p. 143
  21. ^ Evans-Von Krbek, Jeffrey Hewitt Pollitt (1977). The Social Structure and Organization of A Pakhto Speaking Community in Afghanistan (Doctoral thesis). Durham University.
  22. ^ "Addressing prejudice through interaction: the Pashayi of Nangarhar – Ipso's Cultural Containers". Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  23. ^ "Addressing prejudice through interaction: the Pashayi of Nangarhar – Ipso's Cultural Containers". Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  24. ^ Witness, Afghan (2023-05-22). "Protests in Nuristan over 'mistreatment and discrimination'". Centre for Informati. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  25. ^ Ovesen, Jan (1984). "On the Cultural Heritage of the Pashai". Anthropos. 79 (4/6): 397–407. ISSN 0257-9774.
  26. ^ "زندگی زبانها ۴: زبان پشه ای". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2024-03-15.

External links edit

  Media related to Pashai people at Wikimedia Commons