PUKHTOONS

Paṣtūn or پختون Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns), also called Pathans^[10] (Urdu: پٹھان, Hindi: पठान Paṭhān), ethnic Afghans,^[11] or synonymously Afghans^[12] (Persian: افغان Afğān), are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan and in the North-West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Balochistan provinces of western Pakistan. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, which is a traditional code of conduct and honor.^[13]

Pashtun society consists of many tribes and clans which were rarely politically united,^[14] until the rise of the Durrani Empire in 1747.^[3] Pashtuns played a vital role during the Great Game as they were caught between the imperialist designs of the British and Russian empires. For over 250 years, they reigned as the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan. They gained world-wide attention after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and with the rise and fall of the Taliban, since they were the main ethnic contingent in the movement. Pashtuns are also an important community in Pakistan, where they are prominently represented in the military and are the second-largest ethnic group.^[15]

The Pashtuns are the world's largest (patriarchal) segmentary lineage ethnic group.^[16] The total population of the group is estimated to be around 42 million, but an accurate count remains elusive due to the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979.^[17] There are an estimated 60 major Pashtun tribes and more than 400 sub-clans.^[18]