The Pashtuns : A Contested History by Tilak Devasher

📍 The book's first section discusses the general characteristics of the Pashtun people, including the geography of Pashtunistan, the origins and tribal characteristics of the Pashtuns, the idea of Pashtunwali, or the Pashtun way, the significance of Islam, the status of women, and Pashto, the Pashtun language. It also includes a chapter on the history of the area from ancient times up until 1901, when the Iron Amir, Abdur Rahman Khan, came to an end peacefully, which was unusual in Pashtunistan.

📖 From around 1849, when the British acquired control of the Sikh kingdom, until 1947, when they left the subcontinent, Section II focuses on the British interactions with the Pashtuns throughout this century of relationship.

📖 British publications have influenced a lot of the narrative about the Pashtuns and the portrayal of their character. The Durand Line Agreement, which divided Pashtunistan into two pieces and was negotiated by the British and the Afghan Amir in 1893, is also covered in this section. When the British section of Pashtunistan passed to Pakistan in 1947, no Afghan administration recognised the division, which caused tension between the two nations. The Taliban regime and Pakistan are currently engaged in an intriguing dynamic about this matter. Section III examines the Pashtuns in Pakistan after its inception in 1947 and starts out by talking about Ghaffar Khan and his nonviolence, which many people find surprising given the way the Pashtuns are typically viewed. It also examines the conclusion of India's Partition and Ghaffar Khan's feelings of betrayal by the Indian National Congress at the declaration of independence. It then discusses Pashtun politics in Pakistan after its formation and sheds light on the former.

📍 The geographical and geopolitical "hinge" connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan is the FATA region, according to The Economist. The Pashtuns in Afghanistan are discussed in Section IV, which recounts their history from 1901 to the Soviet invasion in 1979. The third Afghan war, which led to Afghanistan's full independence from the British in 1919, marked the beginning of the longest period of peace the country would ever experience. It also charts the rise of Pashtun nationalism and Islamic fervour, both of which initially found expression in youth movements. The Communist Revolution and the end of Durrani supremacy, which had begun in 1747, mark the end of the period.

📍 The relationship between Pakistan's policy toward Afghanistan and Afghanistan's policy against Pakistan is examined in Section V. The main goals of Pakistani policy were to achieve strategic depth and prevent a nexus between Pashtun nationalism in Pakistan and irredentism in Afghanistan. Pakistan has had significant fallout as a result of adopting such a policy. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has used the Pashtunistan card to its advantage, taking up the cause of the Pashtuns in Pakistan and examining three options: independence, merger with Afghanistan, or autonomy for the Pashtuns in Pakistan and unification of all the Pashtun territories in Pakistan. Section VI starts with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and ends in 1996, when the Taliban seized power there. The Soviet experience, the Mujahideen, the US role in the jihad, the rise of the Taliban, and Pakistan's role and relationship with the Taliban are all covered.

📍 The Pashtuns in the twenty-first century are the focus of Section VII. In Afghanistan, the period was marked by the Taliban's resurgence beginning in 2001, the US intervention precipitated by 9/11, the US withdrawal in 2021, and the Taliban military takeover of most of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. In Pakistan, the period saw the rise of both the violent Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the nonviolent Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, both of which articulated Pashtun rights in their own ways. The section also discusses the terrorist organisation al Qaeda and the rise of Afghanistan's Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

📖 Finally, the conclusion attempts to predict the Pashtuns' and Pashtunistan's future. It highlights the Pashtuns' strengths and weaknesses, as well as the roles of the US and Pakistan. If the Pashtuns are to find the tranquillity and peace that they seek, they must solve their own problems rather than rely on others.