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.
 

Political Aspects

Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi in 1005 AD accused the Pakhtoon Lodi sultan of Multan of being an infidel and subsequently eliminated his kingdom. The major basis for such accusations was merely by political competition that grew during the 50 years of the two dynasties (Ghaznavid and Lodi) rivalries. The Sultan of Ghazni overthrew the Lodi family from power. They took as a hostage Abul Fotuh Daoud, the grand son of Sheikh Hameed Lodi, brought him to Ghazni and kept him as a prisoner in the Ghorak fort until he died. Nevertheless, the family resisted against the throne of Masood and Maudod, the successors of Sultan Mahmood and fought against them for years.

During the Ghaznavid reign there were two major centers of power in the Islamic empire: one was that of the Abassid dynasty in Baghdad and the other was that of Fatimids in Egypt. These two centers were also engaged in competition. Te kings and leaders of Afghanistan, Iran and India maintained a relationship with Baghdad. The Baghdad clergy used to hurl allegations of infidelity against every potential opponent.

Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi occupied Ghor after three battles during the ten years from 1010-1020 AD. Amir Mohammad Suri the king of Ghor then committed suicide with poison. Bahram Shah, another king of the Ghaznavid dynasty killed member of the Suri family, Qutbuddin Mahmood, who used to work at the Ghaznavid court. For the revenge of this political assassination, Saifu Din, the brother of Qutbuddin, arranged a group of fighters against the Ghaznavid. Later Allauddin Hussein Ghori, known as Allauddin Jehansoz, fought against the Ghaznavid and terminated the Ghaznavid dynasty by occupying Ghazni in 1148 AD.

Subuktagin defeated the Pakhtoon family of Loyakan kings of Zabulistan, having a kinship with Kabulshahan in 365 Hegira 43. All these enmities and antipathies were motivated by political ideals and were disguised as religious deeds, but most of the Pakhtoon kings had granted religious freedom and the right of worship to people in their territories.

With the emergence of Islam, the Arab racial policies and the imposition of heavy taxes and forced labor on the common people in Afghanistan the clergy coerced all the people, including peasants, tradesmen traders and others. Religious oppression, rampant corruption and embezzlement were common practices in the country. Economic depreciation and linguistic apartheid wee increasing along with the feudalism that was growing in the region. All these factors enhanced Pakhtoonwali as a political organization. This led to the establishment of the Ghorid polity or the foundation of the first political nucleus based on Pakhtoon nationalism.

2- The Second Political Attempt or The Secondary Pakhtoon Nationalism

In addition to other reasons the rebellion of Seljuks nomads in the north and the peasant up-rising of southern Khurassan shook the foundations of the Ghaznavid dynasty. Exploration of sea routes in the 17th century and extinction of the Silk Route diverted trade from the Mughul Empire, which consequently weakened the Empire.

Pakhtana significantly benefited form the Silk Route. But the critical factors involved in the rise of Pakhtana to political ascendancy were also the sedentarization of large numbers f nomads, particularly of the Abdali tribes, the establishment of wealthy and aristocratic elements in urban areas and their developing interest in commerce and the participation of Pakhtoon tribesmen in the imperial armies in Persia and India, which contributed significantly to the kin-ordered subsistence economy of the tribesmen through booty or remittances. All of these factors fostered the growth of the second Pakhtoon nationalism.

The nucleus built upon the first political Pakhtoon nationalism was eradicated by the fierce assaults of the Mongol in the 13 th century and the country disintegrated. However this nationalism took shape again from the 15 th to 17 th century in a three phase periodic political struggle and was revived by the foundation of a sate government in the mid 18 th century.

Phase I:

The Second Socio-Economic Revolution of Pakhtoonwali, the first Pakhtoon State of Sheikh Malli

The social structure of Pakhtoon clan-tribal societies developed in the course of history and created tribal factions, federations and confederations. Along with the growth of these organizational institutions, internal social struggles were also escalating. Mass migrations were taking place due to population growth. People were searching for agricultural lands and the society was going form its democratic nature towards a more class community. Pakhtana with their unique social mentality, specifically on the basis of the Sialy (equality) code, contrary to many other societies, did not go into slavery, but went straight into feudalism. As the society was not acquainted with the ideals of the class formation, feudalism was not even common in all Pakhtoon territories. This transition was accompanied with severe conflicts and clashes.

Pakhtoonwali was able to establish a non-feudal democratic government in the eastern parts of Afghanistan. This did not let feudalism disturb stability and cause social anarchy. Some six hundred years back, Pakhtoonwali as a socio-economic institution succeeded in implementing progressive programs of a population census and land distribution. While applying such major reforms the society maintained stability and peace along with social development. The socio-economic organization or the state based on the Pakhtoon traditions prevented feudalism from overgrowth. This was the second socio-economic revolution that was implemented in the 15 th century. Sheikh Malli raised the flag of this revolution in the eastern Afghanistan.

He conducted a population census and introduced a draft of the land reform scheme. He then distributed Swat lands to people. His population census, distribution of agricultural lands with pastures and residence areas, water rights and other relevant agrarian regulations is known as the Sheikh Malli daftar (treatise). The prominent Norwegian Orient list Morgenstern in reference to the English researcher Raverty says that Sheikh Malli wrote his treatise in 1417 AD. Sheikh Malli had also prepared judiciary and tax regulations. Both boys and girls had access to educations.

Phase II:

BaYazeed Rokhan Pakhtoon State

Following the disintegration of the Timurid (Koragani) dynasty of Heart in 1506 AD, the territories constituting Afghanistan became the object of the political ambitions of three newly emergent empires in the region: the Shaybanid Uzbeks, the Iranian Safavids and the Indian Mughuls. There was no functional central government and the independence and national sovereignty was annihilated.

The Islamic leadership was pressed into an extremely conservative mini religious organization. People wee suffering from the formality of religious sects and Tasawof by the courts within the palace sphere of influence. It was no tin conformity with the nature of Pakhtoonwali to keep silent at this critical time.

Aggrandizement of the feudal rule threatened the existing social structure. The subservient Pirs and Akhunds were devoted to legitimizing the imperial objectives. The tribal leaders, chieftains and influential personalities were disgraced and demoted by repressive rulers. There were a large number of local administrative units under the four major administrative centers of Badakhshan, Kabul, Balkh and Kandahar.

BaYazeed Rokhan (1524-1579) AD, a Pakhtoon leader, one day witnessed that the troops of Biram Khan, the Mughul governor of Kandahar, had tied a woman with her hair to the plate of a flour mill and was turning around as the plate circulated. This desperate memory always remind in his mind and ignited an incendiary inspiration that provoked BaYazeed Rokhan to launch an anti Mughul Struggle.

Pakhtoonwali was acquainted with Islam and had enough experience with it since the 7th century. By the 16th century, a Pakhtoon religious scholar mad a comprehensive Ijtehad (interpretation) of Islam in conformity with the Pakhtoon way of living and founded the Rokhani crusade. He stood against the social oppression in both the capacities of a religious leader and that of a Pakhtoon xenophobic tribesman. He forthrightly utilized his strengths to liberate the society form tyrannical stigma of the bizarre dictators.

The Rokhani crusade maintained profound roots in the society and waged its struggle widely in all cultural, political and military fields as well as a struggle against class society was a significant part of this movement. The Rokhani movement issued its own metal currency in the name of their state. The state established co-operatives for economic development to raise funds. Donations, taxes and gifts were given to these co-operatives. They raised military and armed personnel organizations. The Khalifas ran the political departments. They ran cultural activities as well. People were mobilized to participate in two means used to promote people into organized groups for theoretical and practical struggle against Mughul despotism and injustice. Women wee also allowed and encouraged to participate in politics. Rokhan proclaimed his independent state government in Tirah in 1571 AD.

Phase III:

Pakhtoon State of Khushal Khan Khattak

The Khushal Khan era (1613-1689) AD was a period of feudal formation and of a national liberation struggle against Mughul dominance. Khushal Khan was one of the major advocates of feudalism in the region and a pioneer struggler against Mughul rule.

Khushal Khan was a champion of the sword and the pen. He used both of these means and struggled for the formation of a feudal of a feudal society (1626-1668) and later fought against the Mughuls (1668-1689) to unite the scattered Afghan tribes and ethnic groups in order to building a united Afghanistan. [Khushal Khan was in a Mughul jail from 1664 to 1668].

The Rokhanis had struggled against the Mughuls even before Khushal Khan was born. The grandfather of Khushal Khan, Malik Akori Khan was supporting the Mughul at the same time while Rokhani movement was fighting against them. When Malik Akori was escorting convoy and getting route tax in Attock. Rokhanis waged an armed struggle against Mughul rule and were attacking on their convoys. This was a busy trade route connecting China and India with the Caspian region. Mughul king Jehangir contracted Malik Akori in the east, the grandfather of Ahmad Shah Abdali, Malik Sado Khan, represented Shah Abass of Iran in the west for escorting convoys.

Khushal Khan launched a two-phase struggle.

     A Campaign for the formation of feudalism.

     A National liberation struggle against Mughul dominance.

When Khushal Khan and his family were in compromise with Mughul, for strengthening his prominent social status, he raised the flag to enhance feudalism. After he was freed from the Mughul jail (1668) he waged a struggle against Mughul rule in the region.

Pakhtoonwali was flourishing during Khushal Khan’s era. Khushal Khan in fact left behind a complete encyclopedia of Pakhtoonwali. He is known as the father of Pakhtoonwali and a pioneer advocate of this socio-political philosophy, which was recognized two hundred years after his death. Prior to the, politics evolved around religion, families and dynasties and sheer force, which brought anarchy and coercion to the people in the world.

After championing Pakhtoonwali, Khushal Khan then launched his national liberation struggle (1668) and strove to implement Pakhtoonwali in order to bring all Pakhtana under the one Afghan command against the Mughuls. Khushal Khan invited Pakhtoon elders to make a united from. He declared an independent Pakhtoon state and lunched their armed struggle against the Mughuls.