List of Pashtuns

Collection of notable Pashtun figures
Tribal and religious leaders of Afghans (Ethnic Pashtuns) in southern Afghanistan

Pashtuns,[1] also known as Pakhtuns or Afghans, are an ethnic group that inhabit the Pashtunistan region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.[2][3] They are one of the most populous ethnic groups in both countries. There is a significant Pashtuns diaspora in neighbouring countries such as Iran and India.[4]

Pashtuns are traditionally organised into tribal divisions, and their society is defined by the Pashtunwali, the traditional code by which they live. It is extremely important in the social structure and interactions of the Pashtun tribes.

There are more than 350–400 Pashtun tribes making Pashtuns the world's largest segmentary lineage society.[5]

Rulers and generals

Artists

Afghanistan

  • Farhad Darya (Afghanistan) – Afghan singer and composer, known for his contributions to Afghan music.

Pakistan

  • Rahim Shah (Pakistan) – popular Pashto and Urdu singer
  • Khyal Muhammad (Pakistan) – prominent Pashto folk singer
  • Gulzar Alam (Pakistan) – Pashto singer and music composer
  • Gul Panra (Pakistan) – Urdu-Pashto female singer
  • Zeb Bangash (Pakistan) – Urdu-Pashto folk singer
  • Zeek Afridi (Pakistan) – Urdu-Pashto folk singer
  • Badar Munir (Pakistan) – Pashto Film former actor
  • Kushhal Khan (Pakistan) – Pashto model and actor
  • ( Kifayat Shah Bacha (Foke Singer) Pashto singer.

United Kingdom

  • M Huncho (Afghan-British) – Afghan-British rapper and singer from London.

Authors

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Suriname

Aviators

Afghanistan

  • Abdul Ahad Momand (Afghanistan) – 4th Muslim astronaut who visited Space and first Muslim in the entire world who bring Quran to the moon. Due to Abdul Ahad Momand, Islam is now the 4th religion practiced in space. He spoke Pashto in space so Pashto is the 4th language spoken in the space.

Pakistan

  • Jahangir Khan (Pakistan) – Pakistani tourist who became the first Pashtun and the second Pakistani to fly around the world in commercial aircraft.
  • Hakeemullah Khan Durrani (Pakistan) – Former Pakistani Air Marshal and Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force.

Architects

  • Sharif Fayez – Afghan architect and urban planner who has contributed to the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan.
  • Hayatullah Khan Durrani – Afghan architect and urban planner who has played a vital role in the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Businessman

  • Afghanistan
  • Mirwais Azizi (born 1962) is a Dubai-based Afghan businessman. He is the chairman of Azizi Group of companies, which he founded in 1989 with a presence in realty, banking, investment, and hospitality.
  • Pakistan

Bureaucrats

Pakistan

Scientists

Afghanistan

  • Ghulam Sediq Wardak (Afghanistan) – Pashtun inventor who is known for more than 344 inventions
  • Jamal al-Din al-Afghani – one of the founders of Islamic Modernism,[10] as well as an advocate of Pan-Islamic unity in India against the British.
  • Zemaryalai Tarzi – Pashtun archeologist
  • Daud Shah Saba – Ethnic Afghan (Pashtun) geologist
  • Mohammad Qayoumi – 28th president of San Jose State University and 4th president of California State University, East Bay; also a well known engineer by occupation
  • Suleman Khan ZADRAN – Scientist at Università di Bologna Known as the first Afghan national scientist holding Doctoral degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with expertise in Molecular and Epigenetic mechanisms of cancers, Nanomedicine, Biosensor, Chemical and Synthetic Biology as well as the Advanced molecular techniques for the Manipulation of M13 Filamentous Phage against Neuroblastoma.

Pakistan

Film Industry

Madhubala from her paternal lineage hailed from the Yusufzai tribe of Pashtuns from the Valley of Peshawar

India

Salman Khan (left), Shah Rukh Khan (center left), Aamir Khan (center right), and Saif Ali Khan (right)
  • Madhubala; Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi – cinema superstar of India, she starred in over 60 films in the span of 20 years including the epic Mughal-e-Azam, the highest-grossing film in India's history
  • Shah Rukh Khan - Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi films, According to Khan his paternal grandfather, was an ethnic Pashtun from Afghanistan.
  • Parveen Babi – Indian actress and model known for being the first Bollywood star to appear on the cover of Time magazine. She hailed from the Babi dynasty.
  • Amjad Khan – Indian actor known for his iconic portrayal of the character Gabbar Singh in the film "Sholay." He belonged to a Pashtun family.
  • Kader Khan - Indian actor, screenwriter and film producer. He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and is an ethnic Pashtun of the Kakar tribe.
  • Zareen Khan – Indian actress who made her debut in Bollywood. She has Pashtun ancestry from her father's side.
  • Aamir Khan – famous Bollywood actor, his family has roots from Herat in Afghanistan, he belongs to the Khan-Hussain family.
  • Salman Khan – famous Bollywood actor, he belongs to the Salim Khan family.
  • Arbaaz Khan – Indian actor, film producer, and director. He is of Pathan descent and the brother of Salman Khan.
  • Saif Ali Khan - actor and film producer who primarily works in Hindi films. He belongs to the Pataudi family.
  • Soha Ali Khan – actress of Pataudi Royalty, she is the younger sister of Saif Ali Khan.
  • Sara Ali Khan – actress from the Pataudi family, she is the daughter of Saif Ali Khan.
  • Naseeruddin Shah - Indian actor, who is a descendant of Afghan warlord Jan-Fishan Khan.
  • Irrfan Khan - Indian actor, who belongs to a family of Pathan ancestry.

Pakistan

  • Nazir Ahmed Khan – Nazir Ahmed Khan, renowned director, actor, producer, filmmaker, pioneer and founding father of Pakistan Film Industry post partition. He was also one of the pioneers of the pre-partition Sub Continental Film Industry starting from Calcutta and spanning to Bombay and Lahore.
  • Adeeb – Pakistani film actor. He appeared in 38 Indian films from 1940 to 1962, although he did not start performing in films very actively until the 1950s
  • Mahira Khan – Pakistani actress known for her roles in Pakistani and Indian films. She has Pashtun ancestry from her father's side.
  • Neelam Muneer – Pakistani actress from Mardan
  • Fawad Khan – Pakistani actor born into Pashtun family
  • Kushhal Khan – Pakistani actor from Nowshera, Descendant of Kushal Baba
  • Laila Khan – Pashto singer from Peshawar
  • Bilal Abbas Khan – Pakistani actor
  • Feroze Khan – Pakistani actor

Journalists

Afghanistan

Pakistan

  • Rahimullah Yusufzai – Pakistani journalist and expert on Afghan affairs, known for his reporting on the region.
  • Saleem Safi – Pakistani journalist, columnist, and television anchor, specializing in political analysis and current affairs.
  • Nasim Zehra – Pakistani journalist and television anchor, known for her expertise in political analysis and foreign affairs.
  • Asma Shirazi – Pakistani journalist and television anchor, known for her work in political journalism and interviewing prominent figures.
  • Iftikhar Ahmad – Pakistani journalist and television anchor, known for his talk show focused on political and social issues.
  • Wajahat Saeed Khan – Pakistani journalist, news anchor and defence analyst.

Politicians

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Presidents

India

Pakistan

Afghanistan

  • Mohammad Daoud Khan – served as the first President of Afghanistan from 1973 to 1978.
  • Nur Muhammad Khan Taraki – Served as the second President of Afghanistan from 1978 to 1979.
  • Hafizullah Amin – He remained the 3rd head of state Afghanistan from Sept 19ember79 to Dec 19ember79, H. organizedsed theur communist Revolution in 1978.
  • Babrak Karmal – He served as the Head of state from 1979 to 1986 from People's Democratic Party.
  • Haji Muhammad Khan Tsamkani – He served as the Head of state from 1986 to 1987.
  • Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai – He served as the communist Head of state from 1987 to 1992.
  • Abdul Rahim Hatif – After the assassination of Dr Najibullah, He acted as the president of Afghanistan for 2 weeks.

Military

Afghanistan Forces

General Ayub Khan, former Pakistan Army chief and President of Pakistan was from the Tareen tribe of Pashtuns.

Pakistan Armed Forces

Royalty

Khalji Empire (1290-1320)

  • khilji dynasty was the second dynasty which ruled the Delhi sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320.It was founded by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji

Durrani Empire (1747-1823)

  • Ahmad Shah Abdali – Founder of Durrani Empire. and Former ruler of Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and some parts of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
  • Timur Shah Durrani – Second Ruler of Durrani Empire and Former ruler of Afghanistan and Punjab Region.
  • Zaman Shah Durrani – Third Ruler of Durrani Empire.

Hotak Empire

  • Mirwais Khan Hotak – Founder of Hotak Empire.[13] Also known as the "Emir Of Greater Afghanistan".
  • Abdul Aziz Hotak – Second Ruler of Hotak Empire.[14]
  • Mahmud Hotak – Second ruler of Hotak Empire. He was known as the Shah of Iran.
  • Ashraf Hotak – Third Ruler of Hotak Empire. Also known as the Shah of Iran. He defeated the Ottoman Empire in the Ottoman Hotak War.
  • Hussain Hotak – 4th and Last ruler of Hotak Dynasty,

Lodi Empire

Barakzai Dynasty

Sur Empire

Pakhtunkhawa State (Yusufzai) (1520-1620)

  • Malak Ahmad Khan Yusufzai, The founder of and first ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.
  • Gaju Khan Baba, was the Second Ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.
  • Malak Misri Khan Yusufzai, was the Third Ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.
  • Malak Ghazi Khan Yusufzai, was the Fourth ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.
  • Kalu Khan Yousafzai, was the 5th Ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.
  • Bahaku Khan Yusufzai, was the Last Ruler of Pakhtunkhawa State.

Revolutionaries

Sport Persons

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Singers

Afghanistan

Pakistan

  • Gul Panra – Pashto Singer from Swat.
  • Haroon Bacha – Pashto Folk singer.
  • Raheem Shah – Pashto singer, born in Karachi.
  • Junaid Jamshed, was a Pakistani singer-songwriter, television personality, fashion designer, actor, engineer, and preacher. Junaid Jamshed was born in a Khattak Pathan family in Karachi.

Jurists

Pakistan

References

  1. ^ Minahan, James B. (2012-08-30). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-660-7.
  2. ^ Spain, James William (1963). The Pathan Borderland. Mouton. p. 40.
  3. ^ "Pashtun | Definition, People, Culture, & Religion | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-06-19. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  4. ^ "The Hindu : Miscellaneous / This Day That Age : dated July 20, 1954: Pakhtoons in Kashmir". 2004-12-09. Archived from the original on 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  5. ^ Romano, Amy (2003). A historical atlas of Afghanistan. Internet Archive. New York : Rosen Pub. Group. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-8239-3863-6.
  6. ^ "Ghani Khan Poetry - Ghani Khan Shayari, pashto Ghazal, Nazam Collection". UrduPoint. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  7. ^ "Ghani Khan Poetry - Ghani Khan Shayari, pashto Ghazal, Nazam Collection". UrduPoint. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  8. ^ InpaperMagazine, From (2011-03-06). "POETRY: Celebrating the father of Pashto ghazal". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  9. ^ "Khushal Khan Khattak - The Warrior and the poet". 2007-08-24. Archived from the original on 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. ^ "Jamal al-Din al-Afghani".
  11. ^ "The News 10 May 1967, page 61". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  12. ^ "Second Bihar Governor who could be India's Prez". Deccan Herald. 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  13. ^ Malleson, George Bruce (1999-01-01). History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War Of 1878. Adegi Graphics LLC. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-4021-7278-6.
  14. ^ Incorporated, Facts On File (2003). Discover Countries - Afghanistan. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4381-2242-7.