Pathan

Member of a people of northwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan, numbering about 14 million (1984). The majority are Sunni Muslims. The Pathans speak Pashto, a member of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family.

The Pathans comprise distinct groups. Some live as nomads in the high mountains with herds of goats and camels; others, such as those living in the Swat Valley, are farmers; and still others are traders or seasonal labourers. The Pakistani Pathans are now claiming independence, with the Afghani Pathans, in their own state of Pakhtoonistan, although this has not yet been recognized.

Before the civil war of the 1980s-90s, land was distributed between clans to uphold equality, and certain landowning families helped resolve disputes. Feuds between clans are frequent. Under the Pathans are a number of non-Pathan occupational castes, who work as labourers and artisans.