Pathan

The Pashtuns ˈpʌʃˌtʊnz or ˈpæʃˌtuːnz (پښتانه Pax̌tānə; singular masculine: Pax̌tūn, feminine: Pax̌tana; also Pukhtuns), historically known by the exonyms Afghans (افغان, Afğān), and Pathans (Hindustani: پٹھان, पठान, Paṭhān), are an ethnic group who mainly live in the Pashtunistan region of southern and central Asia, in Afghanistan and North-Western Pakistan. They speak the Pashto language and adhere to Pashtunwali, which is a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. The origin of Pashtuns is unclear but historians have come across references to various ancient peoples called Pakthas (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, who may be their early ancestors. Their history is mostly spread amongst the countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan, centred on their traditional seat of power in that region.As the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, Pashtuns have been the dominant ethno-linguistic group for over 300 years. During the Delhi Sultanate era, the Lodi dynasty briefly replaced the preexisting rulers in North India until Babur completely deposed the Lodi dynasty. Other Pashtuns fought the Safavids and Mughals before obtaining an independent state in the early-18th century, which began with a successful revolution by Mirwais Hotak followed by conquests of Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Barakzai dynasty played a vital role during the Great Game from the 19th century to the 20th century as they were caught between the imperialist designs of the British and Russian empires.There have been many notable Pashtun people throughout history. Ahmad Shah Durrani is regarded as the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan. Bacha Khan was a Pashtun independence activist against the rule of the British Raj. Some others include Malala Yousafzai, Hamid Karzai, and Imran Khan.They are an important community in Pakistan, which has the largest Pashtun population and constitute the second-largest ethnic group. Pashtuns attained presidency there and high rankings in sports. They are the worlds largest (patriarchal) segmentary lineage ethnic group. According to Ethnologue, the total population of the group is estimated to be around 50 million but an accurate count remains elusive due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979. Estimates of the number of Pashtun tribes and clans range from about 350 to over 400.

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