Origins of the name Afghan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Afghanistan literally means the "Land of Afghans". In this case, Afghan is synonymous with Pashtun.

Contents 1 Mainstream theories 2 Earlier references to the region 3 Other theories 4 Modern usage 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Mainstream theories

Etymological view supported by numerous noted scholars is that the name Afghan evidently derives from Sanskrit Ashvaka or Ashvakan (q.v), the Assakenois of Arrian^[1]. This view was propounded by scholars like Dr Christian Lassen, J. W. McCrindle ^[2] etc and has been supported by numerous modern scholars ^{[3] [4]} [1]. In Sanskrit, word ashva (Iranian aspa, Prakrit assa) means "horse", and ashvaka (Prakrit assaka) means "horseman". Pre-Christian times knew the people of eastern Afghanistan as Ashvakas (horsemen), since they raised a fine breed of horses and had a reputation for providing expert cavalrymen. The fifth-century-BCE Indian grammarian Panini calls them Ashvakayana ^[5] and Ashvayana ^[6] respectively ^[7]. Classical writers use the respective equivalents Aspasios (or Aspasii, Hippasii) and Assakenois (or Assaceni/Assacani, Asscenus) etc. The Aspasios/Assakenois (Ashvakas = Cavalrymen) is stated to be another name for the Kambojas of Ancient texts because of their equestrian characteristics. In ancient Pali texts, the Kamboja land is described as the land of horses ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]}. The relics of the name Assakenoi are still seen in the Aspin of Chitral and the Yashkun of Gilgit, according to Dr J. W. McCrindle ^{[12] [13]}.

In this regard, the Encyclopædia Iranica states^[14]:

“

From a more limited, ethnological point of view, "Afghān" is the term by which the Persian-speakers of Afghanistan (and the non-Paštō-speaking ethnic groups generally) designate the Paštūn. The equation [of] Afghan [and] Paštūn has been propagated all the more, both in and beyond Afghanistan, because the Paštūn tribal confederation is by far the most important in the country, numerically and politically.

”

It further explains:

“

The term "Afghān" has probably designated the Paštūn since ancient times. Under the form Avagānā, this ethnic group is first mentioned by the Indian astronomer Varāha Mihira in the beginning of the 6th century A.D. in his Brahat-samahita.

”

This information is supported by traditional Pashto literature, for example in the writings of the 17th century Pashto poet Khushal Khan Khattak^[15]:

“

Pull out your sword and slay any one, that says Pashton and Afghan are not one! Arabs know this and so do Romans: Afghans are Pashtons, Pashtons are Afghans!

”

The last part of the name "-stān" is an Indo-Iranian suffix for "place", prominent in many languages of the region. The term "Afghanistan", meaning the "Land of Afghans", was mentioned by the 16th century Mughal Emperor Babur in his memoirs, referring to the territories south of Kabul that were inhabited by Pashtuns (called "Afghans" by Babur)^[16].

Regarding the modern nation or country "Afghanistan", the Encyclopædia Of Islam^[17] states:

“

Afghānistān has borne that name only since the middle of the 18th century, when the supremacy of the Afghan race (Pashtuns) became assured: previously various districts bore distinct apellations, but the country was not a definite political unit, and its component parts were not bound together by any identity of race or language. The earlier meaning of the word was simply “the land of the Afghans”, a limited territory which did not include many parts of the present state but did comprise large districts now either independent or within the boundary of Pakistan.

”

This information is supported by Frederick Engels, who wrote in the year 1857:

“

Afghanistan, an extensive country of Asia, north-west of India. It lies between Persia and the Indies, and in the other direction between the Hindu Kush and the Indian Ocean. It formerly included the Persian provinces of Khorassan and Kohistan, together with Herat, Beluchistan, Cashmere, and Sinde, and a considerable part of the Punjab.[18]

”

The information from the Encyclopaedia of Islam and Frederick Engels are further supported by the CIA world factbook, Encyclopedia Britannica, Columbia Enclyclopedia and many others.^{[19][20][21][22][23][24]}

Until the 19th century, the name was only used for the traditional lands of the Pashtuns, while the kingdom as a whole was known as the Kingdom of Kabul, as mentioned by the British statesman and historian Mountstuart Elphinstone^[25]. Later, Afghan authorities adopted and extended the name "Afghanistan" to the entire kingdom, after its English translation, "Afghanland", had already appeared in various treaties between British Raj and Qajarid Persia, referring to the lands that were subject to the Pashtun Barakzai Dynasty of Kabul^{[citation needed]}.

Afghanistan became fully recognized by the world community in 1919, after the country re-gained independence over its foreign affairs from the British,^[26] and was confirmed as such in the nation's 1923 constitution.^[27]

[edit] Earlier references to the region

Main articles: Airyanem Vaejah and Greater Khorasan

Before being called Afghanistan, the region had gone through several name changes in its long history of over 5,000 years.

One of the most ancient names, according to historians and scholars, was Aryana - the Greek pronunciation of the ancient Avestan Aryānām Vaejā, Old Persian Aryānām Xšaθra or the Sanskrit "Aryavarta", Realm of the Aryans. Today this Old-Persian, and Avestan expression is preserved in the name Iran and it is noted in the name of the Afghan national airlines, Ariana Airlines. The term Aryānā Afghānistān is still popular amongst Persian speakers in the country.

Many centuries later, large parts of the region were known as Khorasan, and hence present-day Afghanistan was recognized with this name (Persian: خراسان‎ - Khorāṣān; along with regions centered around Merv and Neishabur), which in Pahlavi means "Land of the Rising Sun" (Persian: خاور زمین‎ ).^[28]

[edit] Other theories

There are various other theories about the origins of the name Afghanistan. However, they are not accepted by mainstream scholars.

1. Pashtun legend places Afghana, the professed eponymous ancestor of the Afghans or Pushtuns, as a contemporary of Muhammad. On hearing about the new faith of Islam, Qais from Aryana travelled to Medina to see Muhammad, and returned to Aryana as a Muslim. Qais Abdur Rashid purportedly had many sons, one of whom was Afghana. Afghana, in turn, had four sons who set out to the east to establish their separate lineages. The first son went to Swat, the second to Lahore and India, the third to Multan, and the last one to Quetta. This legend is one of many traditional tales amongst the Pashtuns regarding their disparate origins. Again, it was this legendary Afghana who is stated to have given the Pushtuns their current name. It is notable that the Afghan of this legend is separated from the Afghana of Solomon's times by at least 11 centuries.
2. "Makhzan-e Afghān" by Nematullah, written in 1612 CE at the Mughal court in India, traces the Afghan or Pakhtun origin from Abraham down to one named King Talut or Saul. It states that Saul had a son Irmia (Jeremia), who had a son called Afghana. Upon the death of King Saul, Afghana was raised by David, and was later promoted to the chief command of the army during the reign of King Solomon. The progeny of this Afghana multiplied numerously, and came to be called Bani-Israel. In the sixth century BCE, Bakhtunnasar, or Nebuchadnezzar king of Babil, attacked Judah and exiled the progeny of Afghana to Ghor located in the center of what is now Afghanistan. In course of time, the exiled community came to be addressed as Afghan after the name of their ancestor, and the country got its name as Afghanistan. This traditional view has some critics who refer to insufficient historical records.
3. Dr H.W. Bellew, in his book An Enquiry into the Ethnography of Afghanistan, believes that the name Afghan derives from the Latin term Alban, used by Armenians as Alvan or Alwan, which refers to mountaineers, and in the case of transliterated Armenian characters, would be pronounced as Aghvan or Aghwan. To the Persians, this would further be altered to Aoghan, Avghan, and Afghan as a reference to the highlanders or "mountaineers" of the eastern Iranian plateau.
4. There are also a few people who tend to link "Afghan" to an Uzbek word "Avagan" said to mean "original".^[29]
5. By another authority, the name Afghan is said to mean wailing ^[30] which the Persians are said to have contemptuously used for their plaintive eastern neighbors.

[edit] Modern usage

Between the fall of the Taliban after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 Loya jirga, Afghanistan was referred to by the Government of the United States as the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan. Under its new constitution, the country is now officially named the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

[edit] See also

• List of country name etymologies
• Afghanistan
• Pashtuns

[edit] References