THE IMPACT OF MY HISTORICAL RESEARCH
THE HISTORIOGRAPHY AND ETHNOLOGY OF LOWER EASTERN IRAN — THE TRUE PICTURE
In analysing the history of the local society over the last 8 years — in accordance with the guidelines of the proper methodology — I uncovered a lot of dirt. There were hidden and “dead” Tajiks strewn all around “Pashtun” history: there had been a falsified Tajik “prehistory” here. Many knew about it, but no one was prepared to talk about it.
Every academic worth his salt knows that Pashto is an Iranian language. But I have been told that the Pashtuns and their “scholars” don’t like to hear this — because to them the term Iranian is an anathema, which implies [Persian] vices such as debauchery, licentiousness, excesses, cowardice and effeminate behaviours in general. Obviously the Pashtun viewpoint is that if a thing is not liked by them, then they can never be such a thing.
On the other hand, if one characterises Pashtuns as barking dogs, wolves, and rascally cutthroats and loutish gangsters — then they are normally inclined to get goose bumps and beat their puffed out chests out in pride; because for them such qualities represent the ultimate in manliness and strength which are to be adored and admired. They think that makes them feared and fearsome, which in their opinion is the ultimate aspiration.
If a person is not aware of the proper and consensually accepted international academic anthropological, ethnological, and historical terms of reference — then he is not much of a scholar… but that does not seem to bother Pashtun reasoning at all.
So these are the attitudes governing history here. They have undoubtedly been helped by 200 years of Anglo-American propaganda during the “Great Game” in which they painted the “Pathan” as a mystical invincible mountain savage so as to scare the Russians. That description may be correct in many ways which we shall leave for later discussions…but it has to be said that although the Pashtuns-Afghans have dominated lower Eastern Iran — Khorasan for the past 500–1000 years, the history of this area and its people is certainly not wholly “Pathan”.
I don’t think it ever really occurred to the average Pashtun-Afghan that the subject of their history — the junk they have thus far produced — would ever come under serious scrutiny or review. That seemed just too good to be true… So low in fact is the secret self-opinion of the “Pathan”, that he thought that nobody would even bother to do this! This is another interesting insight into the Pashtun-Afghan mind, which we shall have to leave for other discussions.
My aim is to correct the conceptual foundations of this society’s historic and ethnological narrative via an accurate and standard appraisal of its history. That will be the biggest difference, and the point d’appui for any proper examination.
Tajiks living in the traditionally accepted Tajik areas of Tajikistan and Afghanistan have been thus apprised of hidden Tajik history in north and north-western Pakistan in addition to the Turco-Iranian socio-political legacies of Islamic rule in northern India initiated by the Tajik Ghoris, which “mainstream” Tajiks had largely forgotten and ignored under the influence of Durrani Kabul’s Pashtun narratives and the Soviet narrative of the 20th Century. Also, the rationale used for the creation of Pakistan was in fact predicated upon the legacies of Tajik actions and culture in northern India (and further south) which also led to the formation of the Urdu language — though things are hardly known or presented from this point view nowadays.
Our research has exposed ruinous structures and remains of ancient Persian society still hidden within the contexts of the present social and cultural situation in areas generally regarded as “Afghan” — as well as the linkages between ethnic Persians and the Eastern Iranian Pamiris and other Sakas (Pashtun-Afghan) whose label and nomenclature now dominates this region. Though the Saka picture now dominates this region albeit latently and degradingly [and Pashtun-Afghans are not even aware they are Sakas] — that in no way diminishes the actual Persian basis of this area.
In conclusion…..we can say the same about the hidden and misunderstood aspects of Pashtun-Afghan historiography, which is already very sparse and primitive.
The discourse in this regard has always remained empirical and unrefined -- nobody having cared to develop it. Those who have attempted to, have applied the incorrect yardsticks, perhaps deliberately if not carelessly. And who would really want to take the time to create a narrative for neglected and lowgrade society meant to function as a “buffer-stuffing”?
The geopolitics of the 20th Century in general and the Afghan Jihadist phase in particular had launched a crude tirade of irresponsibly labelling everything in the lower eastern Khorasan region as “Pashtun-Afghan” just because in the preceding century both British and Russians (alien European powers) had consented to the naming of the buffer Barakzai Emirate as “Afghanistan”. This was done in disregard to the immensely complex and largely unknown web of local historical nuances and subtleties which led to a clouding of the proper understanding of the social structures. This had disastrous consequences for the world in general, when the West decided to use “AfPak” as its geostrategic battleground against the Soviet Union. Not only America and its Pakistani lackeys, but also Russia and China stand guilty in contributing to the creation and furtherance of this immensely warped and dangerous mess…which has the implications of reversing a good many smug “modern” political theories and notions.