5 Largest Ethnic Groups in Pakistan

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Tribes or family system exists(and far more strongly) in Pashtuns too, so why only Punjabis were shown as having different tribes, what about tribes of Pashtuns, instead of putting them all under one label why not do the same for Pashtuns too?

Well; in ethnic terms - there is no such thing as "Punjabi". Being a Punjabi means you either live in Punjab or you're under the Punjab sphere of culture.

As Winston Churchill said for India, the same can be said for Punjab.

Pashtuns however are an ethnic group and is not necessarily a geographic or cultural term.

Pashtun clans/tribes such as Yousafzai can be compared to Gujjar clans/tribes such as Gujjar Chauhan or Awana.

I am from Potohar, Pakistan. Why would upper caste convert to Islam silly man?
We Pakistanis are of Dalit stock and we need to accept it, we have some Islamic invader blood in us that makes us a little different.

I'm going to stop responding to you and let the mods deal with you - your ratings can speak for yourself.

@waz

 

[Soldier-X]

Yes, You are right. Punjabis are the largest ethnic group in Pakistan. And probably the largest ethnic group in the world without their own country.

Punjabis are largest only if we combine all the muslim,hindu.sikh punjabi, and since we muslim punjabi don't believe on ethnicty as a nation anymore.... so we don't need a country on the basis of ethinicty as we already have an Islamic country on the basis of our religion... religion which we believe makes a nation, not the ethnicity...
But yeah maybe non muslim punjabi in india should have thier own country... Khalistan or azad punjab for them wouldn't be a bad idea ......

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Great I belong to the fourth one, didn't know Iqbal was a shaikh.

His grandparents were Kashmiri Pandits - Brahmins of the Sapru clan which converted to Islam. As customary; they adopted "Sheik" when they converted to Islam.

 

[M. Sarmad]

Punjabi isn't an ethnic group; "Punjab" is a geographic or cultural term.

An Ethnic Group is a category of people who identify with each other based on common language, and who share a common cultural background or descent.

Or do you have some other definition/understanding ?

Are you a Pashtun yourself ?

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Are you a Pakhtun yourself ?

Kashmiri Muhajir

An Ethnic Group is a category of people who identify with each other based on common language, and who share a common cultural background or descent.

I tend to associate Ethnicity more with 'descent'.

 

[shhh]

His grandparents were Kashmiri Pandits - Brahmins of the Sapru clan which converted to Islam. As customary; they adopted "Sheik" when they converted to Islam.

ok

 

[M. Sarmad]

I tend to associate Ethnicity more with 'descent'.

That's just your personal opinion...

The FACT remains that Punjabis are an ethnic group, and the largest one in Pakistan.


And

There is no evidence whatsoever that all modern Pashtuns share the same ethnic origin. In fact it is highly unlikely.

Similarly, Jat is an elastic label and Rajput is not an ethnic group.

What are you on about ?

 

[Feroz Alam Khan]

I'm Jat.... Although it is a superior cast specialy in Pakistani Punjab and is the 2nd largest ethnic group in Pak as mentioned....but personally it means nothing for me.... I'm proud to be a Muslim only.....

the only thing i feel proud about my Jat cast is that.. Jat were the first converts to Islam after Arabs enterd sindh in seventh century...they were known as warrior tribes and they fought along with Muhammad bin Qasim against western non muslim Jat.

Notwithstanding with you racist sounds ... I myself is a Jat but never a racist ... as you are in your opening lines....are you aware of them........... go to wiki........ jats.... do some research on JATs before ranting ..........regards

 

[Talwar e Pakistan]

Only Punjabis all the way. The best ever ethnic & martial race ever.

Proud Punjabis are the most successful, prosperous, brave and rich in the whole subcontinent and central asian region in existence!!!

This is not a racial dick measuring contest.

 

[Asian.Century]

General Raheel Sharif from Gujrat, Punjab, Pakistan, the most ideal Punjabi ever, for Punjabis to follow!

This is not a racial dick measuring contest.

Yeah i know, but am just happy to be born Punjabi so just priding my race as such, no racial remarks here.

 

[Pakistani E]

u awan?

From Father's side yes.

If you are not comfortable that is ok. I was only curious what could be the reason and what was the time period as a fellow with similar back ground.

My forefathers decided to leave Sindh when the Hindu kingdoms fell and lost the patronage of the new Islamic rulers who decided to replace the administrators.

But this was over 1000 years ago. Now coming to Sheikh Abdullah's family they converted to Islam in 1722.


The most important source of Sheikh Abdullah's early life is his official autobiography Atish e Chinar.[5] He was born in Soura, a village on the outskirts of Srinagar, eleven days after the death of his father Sheikh Mohammed Ibrahim. His father was a middle class manufacturer and trader of Kashmiri shawls. He was a descendent of a Kashmiri pandit named Ragho Ram Kaul who converted to Islam in 1722 A.D. as per "Atish e Chinar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Abdullah#Early_life


Who was ruling Kashmir in 1722 ? Can't be Dogras

Dogra dynasty was a dynasty of Hindu Rajputs who ruled Jammu & Kashmir from 1846 to 1947. They traced their ancestry to the Ikshvaku (Solar) Dynasty of Northern India (the same clan in which Lord Rama was born; he, therefore, is the 'kuldevta' (family deity) of the Dogras).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogra#The_Royal_House_of_Jammu_and_Kashmir_.28Dogra_dynasty.29

Can't be Aurangzeb as he died in 1707

Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb (3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707),[1] commonly known as Aurangzeb Alamgir and by his imperial title Alamgir ("world conqueror" or "universe conqueror") and simply referred to as Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal Emperor and ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent during some parts of his reign. His reign lasted for 49 years from 1658 until his death in 1707.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurangzeb


It could not have been Sikh empire either as they seemed to have made foray into Kashmir only in 1825.

Hari Singh Nalwa was Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army from 1825 to 1837.[23] He is known for his role in the conquests of Kasur, Sialkot, Multan, Kashmir, Attock and Peshawar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikh_Empire#Geography


So the conversion took place during the weakest period of the Mughal empire when it was collapsing.

Muslim monarchs ruled Kashmir, including the Mughals, who ruled from 1586 until 1751, and the Afghan Durrani Empire, which ruled from 1751 until 1820.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir

This is the reason why it is so puzzling to me and I always wondered what may have been the reason.

Since the issue is related to conversion of Brahmins, the social dimension could be easily ruled out. So the reasons could be

1) Economic benefits

2) Security benefits

Has it ever occurred to you that Spirituality might be a thing? Those who converted became disciples of a Sufi Saint and were given the title Khawaja.

u awan?

Let me guess, a rare Awan of PDF?

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

I myself is a Indian Muslim JAT.......... we were and are not a tribe.. thanks.



Ghakars are JATs in India......

Gakhar not ghakar..

Gakhar is a Potohari tribe and not indian..

 

[Feroz Alam Khan]

Gakhar not ghakar..

Gakhar is a Potohari tribe and not indian..

i meant to say balram ghakhar............... union minister.................. regards.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

yes they lack unity
just what this article has pointed out
they are further divided by religion not by cast
Punjabi muslims
punjabi hindus
punjabi christians
punjabi sikhs


Pakistan has the worlds largest punjabi population
Pakistan has the world's largest Pathan populatin
Pakistan has the world's largest Baloch population
Pakistan has the world's largest sindhi population
Pakistan has the world's largest seraiki population
Pakistan has the world's largest shidi population
Pakistan has the world's largest Hazara population
etc etc etc
not counting minor ethnic groups like Kailash and shena

It's Sheedi and they aren't 1 people rather they themselves are divided based on their origin... Bombasi,Ethiopian etc.
It's Kalash and the Nuristani in Afghanistan are converted Kalash tribe.
It's Shina and thermy are Dard people and are related to central Asian/Tibetan people.. And aren't the only ethnic group in GB.. Rather there are Pamiris,Tajik,Wakhi,Sheen,Humzai etc.

i meant to say balram ghakhar............... union minister.................. regards.

Gakhars are a Salt Range tribe whose history has been recorded .. They are all Muslim and had been fighting the Janjua Rajputs (again Muslim) over the control of the the region..

I don't know who Balram ghakar is...

Search comes with this guy;

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balram_Jakhar

Jakhar isnt Gakhar.

Jakhar is a sub caste of Panjabi jatts much like bajwa,randhawa,sial etc.. Who themselves are different from haryanvis etc.



http://firdosh101.blogspot.com/2009/05/history-of-gakhars.html?m=1

 

[Soldier-X]

Notwithstanding with you racist sounds ... I myself is a Jat but never a racist ... as you are in your opening lines....are you aware of them........... go to wiki........ jats.... do some research on JATs before ranting ..........regards

well me too..... and i don't know what makes you think my post was based on racisam .... i had no such intention.... but you can take it if you want....
Wiki... ofcourse i have quoted this info from wiki.....