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Pashtunwali (Pashto: پختونوالی) is a concept of living for the Pashtun people (also known as Pathans), which dates back to pre-Islamic eras. Pashtunwali is also an honour-code and a non-written law.^[1] Among the Pashtuns in India, the practice is called Pathanwali.^[2] It is practiced by Pashtuns in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Rohilkhand, and members of the Pashtun diaspora.^[3]

Contents 1 Pashtunwali 2 The Code of Pashtunwali (Pakhtunwali) 3 Teachings & code of conduct 4 Primary concepts in Pashtunwali 5 Secondary concepts 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

This is an ancient feudal tribal "code of honor" that belongs to the South-Central Asian landscape, particularly to Afghanistan and some north western pockets of Pakistan. As a set of rules guiding both individual and communal conduct, Pashtunwali is still socially enforced in those areas.

Pashtuns embrace an ancient traditional, spiritual, and communal identity tied to a specific set of moral codes and rules of behavior, as well as to a linear record of history spanning over five thousand years^{[citation needed]}.

Intrinsically flexible and dynamic, containing modern and ancient principles in one coherent set of teachings, Pashtunwali promotes core tenets including self-respect, independence, justice, hospitality, love, forgiveness, revenge and tolerance toward all (especially to strangers or guests). All these codes of conduct are helpful in maintaining social and moral checks and balances within Pashtun Society. Aside from its core tenets, Pashtunwali is unique to every Pashtun, and it is considered a personal responsibility to discover and rediscover its essence and meaning.

Pashtunwali is an unwritten, democratic, socio-political culture, law and ideology of the Pashtun society inherited from their forefathers and carried on to the present generation. It is a dominant force of Pashtun culture and identity. Pashtunwali is basically conservative, naturally democratic, centuries old but still a young phenomenon in the Pashtun culture and socio-economic structure.^{[citation needed]}

It has been able to maintain a powerful dialectical balance of the Pashtun society. Pashtunwali, a complement of the Pashtun society, has undergone various legal, political, economic and cultural changes in rules and regulation for its perfection and reform. It has developed into an accepted comprehensive constitution. Pashtunwali consists of qualifications such as Khpelwaki (self authority), Sialy (Equality), Jirga (Assembly), Roogha (reconciliation or compromise), Badal (revenge), Barabari (equivalence), Teega/Nerkh (Law), Aziz/Azizwale (clan, clanship), Terbor/Terborwali (cousin and tribal rivalries), Nang (Honour), Ghairat (Pride), Oogha Warkawel (giving a lift to persons in need), Pannah Warkawel (offering asylum), Ashar (shared co-operative work), Zhamena (commitment), Melayter (patrons), Chegha (call for action), Soolah (truce) and others.^{[citation needed]}

Pashtunwali is a democratic structure emphasizing of Jirga, Sialy and Barabary. It is a defensive system in terms of Jirga, Chegha and Arbakai. It is a legal system in terms of Jirga, Teega/Nerkh, Pannah and Roogha. This system has managed all social and internal affairs of the Pashtun/Pakhtun society before and after Islam. It has created small and large local governments in Central and South Asia.^{[citation needed]}

Pashtunwali is the sum total of collective expectations of the group from its members to conform to the totality of norms and customs that ensure the group's survival as a distinct socio-cultural entity. There are no state institutions to ensure the implementation of this unwritten code of life but Pashtun members of the society internalize these social norms to such an extent that they directly become a matter of one’s conscience rather than an executive order of a discrete authority.^{[citation needed]}

The code of Pashtunwali is based on the collective wisdom of its people. It does not spring from the genius of one authority, temporal or divine, and is, therefore, open to debate and re-interpretation according to the needs of the society and the changing times. Although it is rigid in constitution because of historical reasons, in its basic social philosophy, Pashtunwali is cosmopolitan, egalitarian and democratic. Hence, it has been able to absorb waves of outsiders in Pashtun society.^{[citation needed]}

Pashtunwali embodies all the principles of a self-sufficient social group. Its two principles of Siali (Competition) and Mailmastia (Hospitality) embody two social principles that ensure a society’s progress through competition; and survival through co-operation. Thus the elements of conflict and co-operation are evenly balanced in the make-up of Pashtunwali. Concepts like Nang (honour), Siali (competition) and Badal (retribution) are open to interpretation as the social needs and the collective perception of the group change with regard to objective realities in the space-time continuum.^{[citation needed]}

• Faith - trust in the Universe, God (known as Allah in accordance with their Islamic beliefs). The notion of trusting in the one single creator generally comports to Islamic monotheism and tawheed.
• Unity - above the languages we speak, above the bloods we keep, above the amount of money we make, Pashtunwali keeps us in due bounds with all fellow Pashtuns, humankind and God.

Pashtunwali unites the Pashtun as one people across the world. Where there is true unity, every effort to disunite us will only serve to strengthen the unity we have. What happens to one - happens to all (One for all and all for one).

• Equality - Every man is equal within the tribe, no one is superior to the other. It is this concept which has necessitated the development of a Jirga system, whereby decision making takes place with the participation of all members of the society/tribe. 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/respect and no one can try to impose their own will on to another.
• Freedom and independence - the belief that freedom in physical, mental, religious, spiritual, political and economic realms is for all to pursue, man and woman, so long as it is done without bringing harm to others. The free have nothing to gain of freedom without discipline.
• Proselytizing - Pashtunwali teaches that no one has the right to place demand upon others who are not their children regarding what to believe.
• Hospitality/Sanctuary - being hospitable to all, especially guests and strangers, and, at times, even the most hostile of enemies may (if asked for) be provided sanctuary, food, water and protection.
• Justice and forgiveness - Pashtunwali also teaches us if one intentionally wrongs you, you have the right, even an obligation, to avenge this injustice in equal proportion. As long as you do not overzealously avenge the injustice done to you, whomever has wronged you may not avenge your justified reaction. 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 tribal Jirga) has been provided to recompense the wrong done.
• Brotherhood, sisterhood, friendship, and trust - the belief that fellow Pashtun brothers and sisters should be trusted and assisted to the greatest extent possible.
• Honour - the belief that Pashtuns must maintain their independence and human dignity. Honour has great importance in Pushtun society and most other edicts and codes of life are aimed towards the preservation of ones honour and pride.
• Self-respect - the belief that individuals must respect themselves, and respect others in order to be able to do so, especially those they do not know. Respect begins in the home, with wives, mothers, and children.
• Compassion, understanding, 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 belief that the family unit 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 - the belief that 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, with all its depth and pluralism, tragedies and victories, spanning over 5000 years. It teaches Pashtuns "to keep the mind open, to continue the search for the truth, much of which has vanished under history itself".

Some useful words that signify individual or collective Pashtun tribal functions are given below in Pushto language. The first four form the major components of Pashtunwali.

• Melmastia (hospitality) - to show hospitality to all visitors, regardless of whom they are, their ethnic, religious, or national background, without hope of remuneration or favour. Pushtuns are widely considered to be the most hospitable people in the world, 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 pushtun has even provided his deadly enemy with sanctuary when he was asked for sanctuary by his rival. But in return, those guests who are accorded this are expected to do the same for their host.
• Badal (justice/revenge) - to seek justice over time or over space to avenge a wrong. This applies to injustices committed yesterday or 1000 years ago if the wrongdoer still exists. Justice in Pashtun lore needs elaborating: even a mere taunt (or "Paighor") is regarded as an insult - which can only usually be redressed by shedding of the taunter'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. Normally blood feuds in this all male dominated setup are then settled in a number of ways.
• Nanawatay (settlement) - derived from the verb meaning to go in, this is used when the vanquished party is prepared to go in to the house or hujra of the victors and ask for their forgiveness. (Is a peculiar form of "chivalrous" surrender, in which an enemy seeks "sanctuary" at his enemies house).
• Zan, Zar, Zameen (Women, Gold, Land) - A Pushtun man considers it his obligation to defend all three things, and those who who do not do so face revulsion and expulsion from the tribe.
• Nang (honour) - the various points below that a tribesman must observe to ensure his honour, and that of his family, is upheld. In broad terms, the preservation of honour entails the defence of one's family and one's independence, while upholding all social obligations and norms arising from cultural and religious requirements.

• Lashkar - the tribal army. It implements the decisions of the jirga.
• Jirga or Loya Jurga - an assembly of tribal elders called for various purposes whether waging war or composing peace, tribal or inter-tribal.
• Chalweshti - derived from the word for forty, this refers to the tribal force that would implement the decision of a jirga. Every fortieth man of the tribe would be a member. A shalgoon is a force derived from the number twenty.
• Badragga - a tribal escort composed of members of that tribe through which the travelers are passing. If a badragga is violated a tribal feud will follow.
• 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.
• Malatar - literally, tying the back. This refers to those members of the tribe who will actually fight on behalf of their leaders.
• Nagha - a tribal fine decided by the council of elders and imposed upon the wrongdoer.
• Rogha - settlement of a dispute between warring factions.
• Hujra - a common sitting or sleeping place for males in the village. Visitors and unmarried young men sleep in the hujra.
• Lokhay Warkawal - Literally means 'giving of pot'. Lokhay is usually given by weaker tribe to a stronger tribe to assure its security and safety. Lokhay is accepted in the form of goats or sheep. Once lokhay is accepted, then it becomes the responsibility of the stronger tribe to safeguard the weaker one from any danger or aggression.

• Pashtunistan
• Pashtun culture
• Pashtun tribes
• Pashtun people
• Pashtun diaspora

• Islamic Republic Of Afghanistan Official name of Afghanistan / Afghan issues, articles on Pashtuns and other Afghan ethnic groups
• Pushtunwali Honour among them Dec 19th 2006: GARDEZ AND PESHAWAR From The Economist print edition
• http://afghanland.com/culture/pashtunwali.html
• Attan, the traditional and national dance of Pashtuns