TAKATOO Issue 7 Volume 4 Jan -June 2012 9 The Popular Misconceptions about Pashtunwali Barkat Shah Kakar * Abstract:This paper is intended to discuss and articulate the popular misconceptions about the Pashtun code of life, “Pashtunwali” commonly known as “The way of Pashtuns”. The established perspective is generated through the narratives and accounts of the orientalists and local Pashtun writers with substantial limitations. The limitations and dichotomies comprise of the suspension of the historical and cultural process that ultimately describe Pashtunwali as a derivative of the Islam. The paper also narrates the limitations in the approach of the orientalists that lacks the causal link of the cultural relativism. It strongly concludes with some of the suggestions and future action points for the scholars and researchers to understand and articulate Pashtunwali in totality. The discourse on the origin of Pashtun and Pashtu has long been resonated in the annals of history. There are various theories [mostly] based on assumptions and hypothetical narrations. These theories are mutually contradicted. Dr. Habibullah Tazai, in his historical account “Pashtanah” has simplified this phenomenon. “There are various theories mostly stemmed in assumptions and oral tradition that binds Pashtun lineage to the Mughals, Hebrews, Qubties, Haptalies, Sakans, Greeks, Jatts, Turkish, Arabs, Arminians, Tataries and so on"(1). The origin of a nation has a direct connection to the language and culture. Charles Lindhom, the famous scholar and anthropologist writes that “Pashtun constitute the largest segmentary tribal system in the world.”(2). The presentation of Pashtun culture, history and overall tradition in a typical stereotypical pattern has generated a dichotomy. At popular level, the theory of Pashtun as Israelites (Hebrews) by origin is highly famous. This version also inherits the hypothesis that, Pashtun as a nation was voluntarily converted into Islam. The meeting of the Pashtun forefather Qais with prophet of Islam, Muhammad (P.B.U.H) is considered as an objective historical reality that automatically condenses the history of Pashtuns. * Barkat Shah Kakar is Lecturer at Department of Pashtu University of Balochistan Quetta. He has been working as Freelance Researcher/Writer in the domain of literature, arts humanities and social development. bshahkakar@yahoo.com