LGF, all this was compiled before the internet and I don't think the internet has it. Those genealogy charts cannot be found anywhere except in bits and pieces...and now (uniquely and only) on this site. There is a company which was contracted by the USG after 9/11 to research tribes - they sent a team to London going through archives recording every tribal name and building charts of families and their connections to clans, Khel's, tribes, etc. They did a good job...but to tell the truth, my charts are better...one guy with 175 lbs of books.
Afghanistan is comprised of a lot of different ethnics - off the top of my head:
-- Pashtuns/Pakhtuns - Indo European language
-- Tadjiks - Dari/Farsi Persian speakers
-- Hazara - Mongol - Shi'ite Dari speakers
-- Baluch - Indo-Europen Baluch speakers
-- Brahui - Regarded as part of the Baluch nation but speaking a Dravidian language
-- Chahar-Aimak - Dari speakers
-- Turkoman - Turkish speakers
-- Uzbeks - Turkish speakers
-- Qizilbash - Shi'ite Dari speakers,
and elements in Kafiristan (Now Nuristan) who speak languages that are part of no known group.
Pashtuns have run the place since the Persians were driven out in 1709. First the Galji...then the Durranis, first the Popelzai Sadozai, and then the Barakzai Mohammadzai.
Generally no one there seems to care about Israel except the imported Arab fundamentalist Wahabbi.. (And 120 years ago Wahabbi's were so hated that they would have their houses burnt down). There is constant warfare..family against family, clan against clan, Khel against Khel, tribe against tribe. They are intensely superstitious and even the Pakistan upper classes (Punjabis are dispised) believe in Jinn's (Genies).
If I can get my scanner going I'll scan a few papers I wrote about some of the really interesting tribes for the record. And scan clearer copies of the above.
Whatever, the story of Afghanistan is never over. And frankly we fought the war the wrong way. It should have been a Vietnam style, Special Forces "CIDG" war with small camps of hired Pashtuns in each district and using the Phoenix Program model. We never should have had full bore heavy combat units like the 82nd, 101st, 10th Mountain Division, etc. in the country, We should never have had more than 10,000 troops in the country. And we allowed Pakistan to play a deadly double game with us.
The three things the villagers complain about are:
1). Good government
2) Safety in the countryside
3) Pakistan - (and that is synonymous with #2).
As for Pashtuns...they are the best and worst. But the custom most disgusting is boy child rape - which is wide spread. They live by the code of "Pashtunwali" - the way of being a Pashtun and in many respects it is un-Islamic. The four most important principles are:
1) Malmastia (Hospitality)
2) Nanawatal (Asylum/protection of a guest)
3) Badal (revenge)
4) Turah (courage)
along with Naanus (protection of women).
If you look at the genealogy charts...under Qais Abdurrashid's oldest son Sabrabr and his oldest son Sharkbun...take a look at the "Abdalis" (Durranis). Even though Mullah Omar was a Galji, the heavyweights in the Taliban were from the tribes of the younger son Panjpai (Nurzai, Alizai and Ishaqzai). But is all is a twisted mess. I usually have a list of about 7 books for people who get interested that can explain it better. But nothing replaces 40 years of reading.
Last edited by Argo44; 03/29/20 11:50 AM.
