"I despise the man who does not
guide his life by honour
The very word honour drives me mad".
(Khushal Khan Khattak)
The Pukhtoon social
structure, which has attracted the
attention of many a scholar is mainly
governed by conventions and traditions
and a code of honor known as "Pukhtoonwali".
This un-written code is the keystone of
the arch of the Pukhtoons' social
fabric. It exercises a great influence
on their actions and has been held
sacrosanct by them generation after
generation. The Pukhtoonwali or the
Pukhtoon code of honor embraces all the
activities from the cradle to the grave.
It imposes upon the members of the
Pukhtoon society four chief obligations.
Firstly, “Nanawatey” or repentance over
past hostility or inimical attitude and
grant of asylum; secondly “Teega” or a
truce declared by a Jirga to avoid
bloodshed between two rival factions;
thirdly “Badal” or obligation to seek
revenge by retaliation and fourthly
“Melmastiya” or an open hearted
hospitality which is one of the most
sublime and noble features of Pukhtoon
character. In a broad sense hospitality,
magnanimity, chivalry, honesty,
uprightness, patriotism, love and
devotion for the country are the
essential features of Pukhtoonwali.
The history of Pukhtoonwali is as old as
the history of the Pukhtoons and every
individual of Pukhtoon society is
expected to abide by these age old
traditions. The non-observance of these
customary laws is considered disgraceful
and may lead to expulsion of an
individual or even a whole family.
Pukhtoonwali, Pukhto and Pukhtoon have
become almost synonymous terms.
Some useful words that signify
individual or collective Pashtoon Tribal
functions are given below. These words
are common to Pathan society and
language but some, unfortunately have
fallen into disuse in the settled areas.
Chillum
It is said that all
the credit of the beautification of the
Hujrah goes to the Chillum, i.e.,
without it the Hujrah will be incomplete
and dull. The chillum is simply a
water-pipe (called Sheesha in the Arab
World and Hookah/Chillum in the
sub-continent and Afghanistan).
Social Life of
Pakhtoons
Family
An attractive feature
of the Pukhtoon way of life is the joint
family system which signifies their deep
love for the family's solidarity and
welfare. The desire of communal life
emanates from a consideration of
economic security and integrity. All the
family members, even the married sons,
live jointly in a house large enough to
separately accommodate each married
couple under the authority of the father
who, as head of the family, manages the
family affairs and exercises an immense
influence in his own domain.
The mantle of authority falls on the
eldest son's shoulders after the death
of the father or when old age renders
him unable to discharge his functions
efficiently. The system of Nikat
(ancestral line) which regulates the
shares of losses and gains, debts and
liabilities of each family, is the
mainstay of Pukhtoon society. The
internal management of the household
rests with the mother who exercises her
authority within her own sphere of
influence. The joint family system,
however, is gradually giving way to
individualistic trends under the impact
of modern influences. It is losing its
hold, particularly on educated classes
and well off sections.
Respect for Elders
The Pukhtoon children
are taught to show a great degree of
respect to their parents and elders.
The elder's opinion prevails in all
important matters. Kashars or youngsters
of the community rise from their seats
as a mark of respect when an elderly
person enters the Hujra. Youngsters are
normally not expected to talk or laugh
loudly or smoke a cigarette or huqqa in
the presence of their elders. Even in
tribal Jirgas the younger members of the
village are not allowed to speak.
Everything is left to the discretion of
their elders.
Manners
The Pukhtoons have several ways of
greeting and salutation. The Pukhtoons
usually embrace their friends and
relatives when they meet them after a
long absence and warmly receive each
other by a hearty handshake. When
meeting a pious or an elderly person, a
Pukhtoon bows a little and keeps his
hands on his chest as a mark of
veneration.
Love of Independence
One of the outstanding characteristics
of the Pukhtoons, as gleaned from their
record, is their passionate love for
freedom and violent opposition to any
infringement of their liberty. They have
preserved their liberty by the force of
arms despite heavy odds. In spite of
their ignorance of military science,
modern techniques of warfare, lack of
sophisticated
weapons and material resources, they
held their own against every invader,
including the British who were one of
the most powerful empire builders of
their time.
It is one of the striking features of
Pukhtoons in general and Afridis in
particular that they give up their
individual disputes and tribal feuds,
sink their differences temporarily
according to the exigencies of the time,
form a Sarishta or take a unanimous
decision for collective action and fight
shoulder to shoulder against their
common foe.
The Pukhtoons are fond of firearms which
they possess for their personal
protection, honor and defense of their
homeland.
Character
Summing up the character of Pukhtoons
the Hon Mountstuart Elphinstone wrote,
"they are fond of liberty, faithful to
their friends, kind to their dependents,
hospitable, brave, hardy, frugal,
laborious and prudent".
Names
The Pashtun name,
either boy or girl, usually consist of
two words (The First Name and the Last
Name)
The first name is commonly a typical
Pashtun name and the last name, the main
tribe name, e.g. Muhammadzai, Isupzai,
Marwat, or Mohmand etc. So a complete
name may be, for example, Turyalai
Muhammadzai for boy, and Shaperai
Isupzai for girl.
The history of the name "Khan" is quite
vague but interesting. Historians
claiming Turk or Arab descent claim that
it is derived from "Kan" which means
Lord of Warriors. Those that claim
Jewish descent claim that it is derived
from "Kahn", a title given to those
rabbis who had the duty of giving animal
sacrifices. Whatever its origins,
Pukhtoons give this title to somebody
who is a Chief, Leader, or a respectable
person.
The "Khan" usage can be compared with
the use of the "Turban". Pukhtoons do
not wear turbans unless they achieve a
certain level of wisdom. The convention
of Khan is similar. Hence there is no
need to include "Khan" as the middle
name.
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Pukhtoon Culture and Tradition
