PakSarzameen5823
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The eastern Iranic people are a sub-group of the Iranic race. The only notable ethnicity present today that is considered eastern Iranic are the Pashtuns. Throughout history, there have been many eastern Iranic peoples scattered across Greater Iran, and even inhabiting places beyond it such as the Tarim Basin in China.
One prominent example of eastern Iranic people were the Scythians, a group of nomads who occupied a vast region known as Scythia. The Scythians were particularly well known for their ferocity as warriors, fighting frequently with their neighbours and often being used as mercenaries. They typically rode into battle on horseback and utilised expert archery skills to defeat their opponents, and showed remarkable prowess at guerilla warfare.
The Scythians eventually came to South Asia, and established the Indo-Scythian dynasty (150 BC - 400 AD) which centred around what is now southern Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also conquered large portions of India. Sources from the time refer to them as the Sakas:
Soon after the Indo-Scythians, the Kushans came along to South Asia. They migrated to the region from the Tarim Basin in China, and established a vast empire (30 AD - 375 AD) centred around Afghanistan/Pakistan but also spreading to include large portions of India that they had conquered. They fueled the growth of Buddhism via the Silk Road, which also boosted trade throughout the region:
And after the Kushans, the final wave of pre-Islamic eastern Iranics came along. The Huna people (325 AD - 665 AD). These guys originated in Bactria (present-day Central Asia and northern Afghanistan) and founded numerous dynasties across the region, launching a massive warpath and creating utter destruction just about everywhere they want, with some of their rulers (such as the infamous Mihirakula) being particularly known for their brutality. The Hunas are credited as being the primary reason for the decline of the Gupta Empire:
These invasions were also accompanied by mass migrations of eastern Iranic people, many of whom assimilated into the Pashtun ethnicity (although others assimilated into the Indic race and established their own clans/tribes, such as the Kamboj, Tomar or Gorsi).
The Pashtuns themselves came into prominence in the Islamic era, where they would continue the trend of their ancestors of invading the Indian sub-continent. Pashtuns formed a significant component of the Islamic armies that invaded the region, and many of the ruling dynasties themselves ended up assimilating into the Pashtun ethnicity.
Ghaznavids (Kharoti Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Ghaurids (Sur Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Khilijis (Ghiliji confederation of Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Some Islamic dynasties themselves were also founded by the Pashtuns, such as the Sur, Lodi, Hotak and Durrani dynasties:
The Sur, Lodi and Durrani dynasties deserve notable attention because the Sur dynasty re-established the GTR (boosting trade throughout the region), the Durrani dynasty created the last eastern Iranic empire whose borders also mimicked that of Pakistan's, and all three of them were founded by Pashtuns from Pakistan.
One prominent example of eastern Iranic people were the Scythians, a group of nomads who occupied a vast region known as Scythia. The Scythians were particularly well known for their ferocity as warriors, fighting frequently with their neighbours and often being used as mercenaries. They typically rode into battle on horseback and utilised expert archery skills to defeat their opponents, and showed remarkable prowess at guerilla warfare.
The Scythians eventually came to South Asia, and established the Indo-Scythian dynasty (150 BC - 400 AD) which centred around what is now southern Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also conquered large portions of India. Sources from the time refer to them as the Sakas:
Soon after the Indo-Scythians, the Kushans came along to South Asia. They migrated to the region from the Tarim Basin in China, and established a vast empire (30 AD - 375 AD) centred around Afghanistan/Pakistan but also spreading to include large portions of India that they had conquered. They fueled the growth of Buddhism via the Silk Road, which also boosted trade throughout the region:
And after the Kushans, the final wave of pre-Islamic eastern Iranics came along. The Huna people (325 AD - 665 AD). These guys originated in Bactria (present-day Central Asia and northern Afghanistan) and founded numerous dynasties across the region, launching a massive warpath and creating utter destruction just about everywhere they want, with some of their rulers (such as the infamous Mihirakula) being particularly known for their brutality. The Hunas are credited as being the primary reason for the decline of the Gupta Empire:
These invasions were also accompanied by mass migrations of eastern Iranic people, many of whom assimilated into the Pashtun ethnicity (although others assimilated into the Indic race and established their own clans/tribes, such as the Kamboj, Tomar or Gorsi).
The Pashtuns themselves came into prominence in the Islamic era, where they would continue the trend of their ancestors of invading the Indian sub-continent. Pashtuns formed a significant component of the Islamic armies that invaded the region, and many of the ruling dynasties themselves ended up assimilating into the Pashtun ethnicity.
Ghaznavids (Kharoti Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Ghaurids (Sur Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Khilijis (Ghiliji confederation of Pashtuns are said to be descended from them):
Some Islamic dynasties themselves were also founded by the Pashtuns, such as the Sur, Lodi, Hotak and Durrani dynasties:
The Sur, Lodi and Durrani dynasties deserve notable attention because the Sur dynasty re-established the GTR (boosting trade throughout the region), the Durrani dynasty created the last eastern Iranic empire whose borders also mimicked that of Pakistan's, and all three of them were founded by Pashtuns from Pakistan.
