ABSTRACT
Stretching from Kandahar in the south to Jalalabad in the east, Southeastern Afghanistan is a region dominated by the Pashtuns, the ethnic group that has controlled Afghanistan since its establishment as a state in 1747 [see Music and the State]. Central to Pashtun identity is the tribal law known as Pashtunwali, which stresses the virtues of honor (izzat), hospitality (melmastia), vengeance (badāt), surrendering oneself for acts of wrongdoing (nanawatai), and accompanying guests through dangerous territory (badraga). Pashtuns are everything from nomadic herdsmen to shopkeepers, merchants, and craftsmen in long-established cities such as Kandahar, Ghazni, and Jalalabad. Estimates of the population vary widely, from 7 to 14 million; an accurate census has never been carried out in Afghanistan. Another 7 to 14 million Pashtuns live in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, where they call themselves Pakhtuns, reflecting a slight difference in dialect. The Pashto language (Pakhtu in Pakistan) belongs to the Iranian family of Indo-European languages. Pashto has a long poetic tradition that has played a prominent role in the history of Pashtun music.
