Mian Babban
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The following verse attributed to Khushal Khan Khattak is very popular on web ;
"Pull out your swords and slay anyone that says Pashtun and Afghan are not one! Arabs know this and so do Romans: Afghans are Pashtuns, Pashtuns are Afghans!"
Sources on web say that it is a verse from poem "Afghan passion" by Khushal Khan Khattak. The reference they give is "Selections from the Poetry of Khushhal Khan Khattak" by Biddulph published in 1890. I checked every page of Biddulph's English translation of Khushal poetry (original Pashto text is also posted there) but neither i found any poem by name of "Afghan passion" nor i came across the above mentioned verse. Interestingly no Pashto version of the above mentioned verse has ever surfaced on web. Its obvious that words have been put into mouth of Khushal Khattak by someone from modern times who came across the modern argument that Pashtun of Pakistan is not an Afghan. I have consulted some people who are very knowledgeable in poetry of Khushal Khattak, they are saying no such verse or poem exists in published kuliyat or diwan of Khushal Khattak.
In 20th century, the state/monarchy of Afghanistan was responsible for causing this confusion by changing the definition of the Afghan identity. They imposed Afghan identity on non-Pashtun inhabitants of present-day Afghanistan who are not o.k with it to this day. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...r-id-cards-fuels-ethnic-tension-idUSKBN1FS1Y0 .........Afghanistani nationalists (as well as Pashtun nationalists from Pakistan tied with them) began to say that every Pashtun is Afghan but not very Afghan is Pashtun......
"Pull out your swords and slay anyone that says Pashtun and Afghan are not one! Arabs know this and so do Romans: Afghans are Pashtuns, Pashtuns are Afghans!"
Sources on web say that it is a verse from poem "Afghan passion" by Khushal Khan Khattak. The reference they give is "Selections from the Poetry of Khushhal Khan Khattak" by Biddulph published in 1890. I checked every page of Biddulph's English translation of Khushal poetry (original Pashto text is also posted there) but neither i found any poem by name of "Afghan passion" nor i came across the above mentioned verse. Interestingly no Pashto version of the above mentioned verse has ever surfaced on web. Its obvious that words have been put into mouth of Khushal Khattak by someone from modern times who came across the modern argument that Pashtun of Pakistan is not an Afghan. I have consulted some people who are very knowledgeable in poetry of Khushal Khattak, they are saying no such verse or poem exists in published kuliyat or diwan of Khushal Khattak.
In 20th century, the state/monarchy of Afghanistan was responsible for causing this confusion by changing the definition of the Afghan identity. They imposed Afghan identity on non-Pashtun inhabitants of present-day Afghanistan who are not o.k with it to this day. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...r-id-cards-fuels-ethnic-tension-idUSKBN1FS1Y0 .........Afghanistani nationalists (as well as Pashtun nationalists from Pakistan tied with them) began to say that every Pashtun is Afghan but not very Afghan is Pashtun......
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