PASHTONWALI

Pashtoonwali is an unwritten democratic, socio-political culture, law and ideology of the Pashtoon society, inherited from their forefathers and carrier on to the present generation as a legal and moral code that determines sosial order and responsibilities.

It is an ancient "code of honor" that belongs to Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the Pashtun communities around the world. Pashtuns embrace an ancient traditional, spiritual, and communal identity tied to a set of moral codes and rules of behavior that is fleksible and dynamic, containing modern and ancient principles.
This system has managed all social and internal affairs of the Pashtoon society before and after Islam. It has created small and large local governments in Central and South Asia and it is socially practiced by the majority.

Pashtunwali promotes self-respect, indipendence, justice, hospitality, love, forgiveness, revenge and tolerance toward all, especially to strangers and guests. All these codes of conduct are helpful in maintaining social and moral checks and balances within Pashtun society. It is considered a personal responsibility of every Pashtun to discover and rediscover Pashtunwali's essence and meaning.

For 8 centuries’ the Pashtoon nationalism formed a political central government for the first time in the 12 th century and then established a strong centralized government in the mid 18 th century.
All small and large tribes and ethnic groups participated in the reform and improvement of the government administration and in its various economic, social and cultural aspects. With the strengthening of relations among these ethnic groups in socio-economic affairs, Pashtoon nationalism was transformed into Afghan nationalism.
Pashtoonwali is the first foundation stone, Pakhtoon nationalism is second and afghan nationalism is the third and evolutionary phase of political structure.

The code of Pashtunwali

Pashtunwali is a dominant force of Pashtun culture and identity. It is conservative and several centuries old but still a young phenomenon in the Pashtun culture and socio-economic structure.
Pashtunwali, a complement of the Pashtun society, has undergone various legal, political, economic and cultural changes for its perfection and reform. It has developed into an accepted constitution.
This system has managed all social and internal affairs of the Pashtun society before and after Islam. It has created small and large local governments in Central and South Asia.
Pashtunwali is the sum of the collective expectations of the group from its members to conform to the norms and customs that ensure the group's survival as a distinct socio-cultural entity. Pashtunwali is based on the collective wisdom of its people. It does not spring from one authority and there are no state institutions to ensure the implementation of this unwritten code of life.

The codes

  • Faith - trust in God (known as "Allah")The notion of trusting in the one creator.
  • Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds - A Pashtun must always strive towards thinking good thoughts, speaking good words and doing good deeds.
  • Behaviour - Pashtuns must behave respectfully towards all creations including people, animals and the environment around them. Pollution of the environment and/or its destruction is against the Pashtunwali.
  • Unity - above the languages they speak, above the blood they keep, above the amount of money they make, Pashtunwali unites the Pashtuns as one people across the world. Where there is true unity, every effort to disunite them will only serve to strengthen the unity they have. What happens to one - happens to all.
  • Equality - Every man is equal. Every man wants a say in his future and he will fight for his right to have his opinions heard. All people must therefore deal with each other, with the proper civility or respect and no one may impose their will on to another.
  • Hospitality and sanctuary - Being hospitable to everybody, and specially to guests, even the most hostile of enemies may (if asked for) be provided sanctuary, asylum or protection as well as food and other aid.
  • Justice and forgiveness - If one intentionally wrongs another, the victim has the right, even an obligation, to avenge this injustice in equal proportion. If one has intentionally wronged you, and you did not seek justice nor did the wrongdoer ask you for his/her forgiveness, then a debt, is owed to you by him/her, which can only be fulfilled once justice (through an act of revenge or the decision of the Jirga council) has been provided to recompense the wrong done.
  • Brotherhood and trust - the belief that fellow Pashtun brothers or sisters should be trusted and assisted to the greatest ertent possible.
  • Honour - Pashtuns must maintain their independence and human dignity. Honour has great importance in Pushtun society and its very importent to maintain one's honour or pride.
  • Self respect - Individuals must respect themselves and others in order to be able to do so, especially those they do not know. Respect begins at home, among family members and relatives.
  • Compassion and cooperation - The poor, the weak, and the challenged must be supported. Inclusion must be preferred to exclusion. To defend against tyranny, fascism and overzealous groups and to work smart first and then hard.
  • Family - The family must be glorified under a sacred conviction of responsibility and duty with respect for wives, daughters, elders, parents, sons, and husbands.
  • We are one family - Fellow Pashtun must be cared for. There may be hundreds of tribes, but they have one destiny in union with each other.
  • Knowledge - Pashtuns seek objective knowledge in life, art, science, and culture, which are considered fruits granted by God.
  • Pashtun history - Great value is placed in Pashtun history, tragedies and victories. It teaches Pashtuns "to keep the mind open, to continue the search for the truth, much of which has vanished under history itself".
  • Fight evil - Evil is at constant war with good. Evil must be fought and good must prevail over evil. It is a Pashtun's duty to fight evil when he/she comes face to face with it.
  • Honesty and Promise - A pashtun is known for keeping their promises and being honest at all situations and times. A true Pashtun will never break their promise.
  • Hospitality- Pashtuns treat all guests and people who enter their houses with great respect and always go by one saying. "Mailma de khudai milgareh deh" (A guest is God's friend...)

Here are some useful words that describe individual or collective Pashtun tribal functions in Pashto language ;

  • Melmastia (hospitality) - Showing hospitality and profound respect to all visitors, regardless of distinctions of race, religion, national affiliation as well as economic status and doing so without any hope of remuneration or favour. Pashtuns are widely considered to be the most hospitable people in the world and a pushtun will go to great extents to show his hospitality, so much so, that in very many recorded cases it has been observed that a pushtuns have even provided enemies with sanctuary.
  • Badal (justice/revenge) - to seek justice over time or over space to avenge a wrong. It can be a injustices committed yesterday or 1000 years ago if the wrongdoer still exists which can only usually be redressed by shedding of the wrongdoer's blood (and if he isn't available, then his next closest male relation). This in turn leads to a blood feud that can last generations and involve whole tribes with the loss of hundreds of lives.
  • Nanawateh (asylum) - this is used for protection given to a person who requests protection against his/her enemies. The person is protected at all costs. 
  • Zemaka (land/earth) - A Pashtun must defend his land/property.
  • Nang (honour) -  A tribesman must maintain and protest is honour and defence his family , while upholding cultural and religions norms.
  • Namus (Honor of women) - A Pashtun must defend the honor of Pashtun women at all costs and must protect them from vocal and physical harm.
  • Hewad (nation) - Love for one's nation in Pashtun culture isn't just important, it's essential. A Pashtun is always lojal to their nation and must strive to perfect and improve it. A Pashtun considers it his obligation to defend his country against any type of foreign incursion. Defence of nation means defence of honor, values, culture, tradition, countrymen and self.
  • Dod-pasbani (Protecting Pashtun culture) - It is obligatory for a Pashtun to protect Pashtun culture from dilution and disintegration. Pashtunwali advises that in order to successfully accomplish this, a Pashtun must retain the Pashto language since Pashto is the prime source of Pashtun culture and its understanding. Not being able to speak Pashto is often translated by Pashtun society as the inability to understand Pashtun culture, values, ethics, history and community.
  • Tokhm-pasbani (Protecting the Pashtun race) - Pashtuns with their distinct Iranian features are often immediately recognizable. Pashtuns must take another Pashtun as a marriage partner. This stems from the general belief that 'half-Pashtuns' do not retain Pashtun language, culture, and physical features.
  • Khpelwaki - self authority
  • Sialy - equality
  • Jirga - assemble of tribal elders called for various purposes whether waging war or composing peace, tribal or inter-tribal.
  • Rogha - reconsiliation or comprimise
  • Barabary - equivalence
  • Teega / nerkh - law
  • Arbakai - Messengers
  • Aziz / Azizwale - clean / cleanship
  • Terbor / terborwale - cousin and trial rivaliseres
  • Gairat - enthusiasm
  • Ooga warkawal - giring help to persons in need
  • Panna warkawal - Offering asylum
  • Ashar - shared co - operative work
  • Zhemana - commitment
  • Melater - patrons
  • Chaga - cal for action
  • Soola - truce
  • Nanawati - protection
  • Meena - love
  • Maeen - lover
  • Ghorzang - movment
  • Larshkar - the trial army. The decisions of a jirga.
  • Hujra - a common sitting or sleeping place for males in the village. Visitors and unmarried young men sleep in the hujra.
  • Nagha - a trial fine decided by the council of elders and imposed to the guilty.
  • Hamsaya - a non-Pashtun dependent group who attaches themselves to a Pashtun group, usually for protection. The Pashtun protector group is called a naik. Any attack on a hamsaya is considered an attack on the protector.