Source: Mohammad Enam Wak
WAK Foundation
Email: abdaliwak[at]yahoo.com

Mohammad Enam Wak is the author of the "History of Pashto" section. Hence all credit goes to him and if you have any question he will be pleased to answer them through his email.
 

The word literally means "going in" or entering into someone's house or Hujra.

Nanawati is one of the finest customs prevalent amongst the Pathans, bearing testimony to their nobility, grandeur and wisdom of mind. The custom strangely is quite opposite to the doctrine of Badal. The principle underlying Nanawati is the complete supplication or surrender of one's person before his antagonist or nay body who can take up his protection. It involves the mercy and placation of his enemy to forgive him and forget the revenge (Badal) intended to be taken upon him. whatever the seriousness of the dispute or the issues involved , the Pakhtunwali of a Pathan demands that he should be forgiven since the offender, being a human, has completely lowered his pride, which he seldom does. The honor of the party thus solicited will incur a stain if the protector does not grant the favor asked of him, Nanawati thus is rarely rejected. It is usually resorted to on the following occasions:

1.Murders - intentional or un-intentional (except murder due to elopement, adultery, illicit relations etc).
2.Por (debt).
3.Clash, resulting in death.
4.Insult, defamtion , disgrace etc, except disgrace caused due to sharam i. e rape, adultery or molestation of woman in which case the story ends only on death of the accused.
5.Theft, robbery, or any other offence where the identity of the guilty person is established.

Nanawati is adopted in two ways, one way is that the person seeking Nanawati carries his woman-folk alongwith other respectable ladies of his Mohalla or village, unveiled and bearing the Holy Quran, to his enemy's house, admits his guiit, thus imploring his enemy's mercy and appeases him to forgive and forget. It was in practice till recent times that the person seeking refuge, held a few strings of grass in his mouth and rope round his neck followed by his women and would go to his enemy's house, for begging his mercy. This wouldsignify that he has come beofre that his enemy in the form of goat or cow putting himself at his mercy to be slaughtered or be forgiven in the name of God. The custom no longer exists at present, though it might prevail in some Pakhtun tribes of Afghanistan.

In some cases, the person going on Nanawati goes to lie inside the grave already dug for a dead person belonging to his enemy's close or far relatives. This mode of Nanawati is adopted only in case of murder or injury etc but not in case of sharam, i. e. Adultery of attempt therefore. If the enemy is willing, he may accept a sheep from the penitent, a jirga may be held and the obligation and right of retatiation renounced, Nanawati thus is surrender rather than sanctuary.

It is no wonder that acceptance of Nanawati for a Pathan is as hard a test as supperssion of his mad passion. But it is how it happens and works.

The other mode of Nanawati as generally explored now-a-days is in the formof a jirga consisting of local elders, notables, preferably sayeds and ulamas who on the request of the suppliant, accompany him to his enemy's house and beg for apology on his behalf.

A still stranger appeal is made when a woman in distress sends her veil or Chadar (scarf) to a Pathan, calling upon him as her brother and imploring his assistance for herself or her family members.

from the custom of Nanawati arias the obligation of protecting and defending a culprit, a murder or a rebel even against the goverment, irrespective of his crime. According to the Pathan code of honour, those who seek shelter under the roof of a Pathan, are to be defended at all cost. Most of the tribal feuds and clashes with the goverment find their source in this custom.

The following is a small instance that throws light on the Nanawati custom of Pathans, and a lot more could be cited.

It is related that once a gang of robbers attacked a village. The villagers, both men and women, went out to defend their hearth and home, with the excetion of an old woman, who could not take part in the conflict due to her advance age. standing at the doorway of her cottage, she was watching the scene impatiently, while two of her sons were taking active part in the fighting. After a long and contested nattle, the robbers were defeated and forced to take to their heals. But two of them , finding their way barred took shelter in the house of the old woman. The villagers hotly pursued them. On reaching the old woman’s house, they were surprised to see her raising her hands and trying to stop the pursuers from entering the house. One of the villagers, approaching her, said, "Mother!what are you doing? get out of our way. Don't you know that these two men are responsible for the death of your son?" The old woman replied proudly, "that may be so, but they have come Nanawati to my house, and i can not see anyone laying his hands on them so long as under my roof".