Who are the Karlanis? A Research-Based Refutation of Baseless Myths

Nowadays on social media, some people, due to historical ignorance or superficial study, claim that Pashtuns consist of only three main groups (Sarbani, Gharghashti, and Bitan) and that Karlanis are not an independent tribe or that their mention came later. Some rely on Mughal-era writings to narrate fabricated stories about the ancestor of the Karlani tribes, such as the "child found on the road" or "bought in exchange for a cooking pot" myth. Meanwhile, others are bent on proving Pashtuns as "Children of Israel." Let us logically, linguistically, and historically scrutinize these misleading assumptions:

**1. Logical and Historical Refutation of the Bani Israel Theory**

During the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's reign in the 17th century, Niamatullah Harawi wrote "Makhzan-e-Afghani," in which he attempted to link the Pashtun lineage to Prophet Jacob and Qais Abdur Rashid. However, there is a historical gap of 1,200 to 1,500 years from the time of Nebuchadnezzar (586 BC) to the 7th century AD, for which this theory has no historical or written record.

DNA and Linguistics: Modern genetic (DNA) research and linguistics have completely rejected this theory. Pashtuns are of Indo-Aryan/Indo-Iranian origin, and their language and culture have no connection to Semitic/Jewish nations.

**2. The "Child Found on the Road" and "Cooking Pot" Story**

The compilers of Makhzan-e-Afghani were court historians unfamiliar with the geography of tribal areas and Pashto idioms. The story fabricated about the word "Karlani" or "Karlari"—that a child was found and exchanged for a cooking pot (karhai)—is mere folk etymology and storytelling.

Logic: Can great and mighty warrior tribes of millions, such as the Wazir, Mahsud, Afridi, Khattak, Bangash, Orakzai, Banusi, Dawar, etc., be the descendants of a single unknown child? Absolutely not!

Court Prejudice: During the Mughal era, the tribal Karlani Pashtuns refused to accept Mughal subjugation and fiercely resisted them, for example, through the Roshani Movement and the wars of Khushal Khan Khattak. Court historians attempted to demean these freedom-loving tribes by questioning their lineage.

**3. The Reality: "Karlaris are the Original and Most Ancient Pashtuns"**

If one objectively examines the antiquity of Pashtun tribes, it becomes blatantly clear that Karlanis are the true and foundational mountainous element of the Pashtuns:

**Ancient Greek History and Evidence of Paktya and Pakt:** Over 2,500 years ago, the Greek historian Herodotus mentioned the "Pactyans" who lived in the Sulaiman Range and the Spin Ghar mountains. Who were they? They were these very Karlani tribes—Afridi, Khattak, Wazir, etc.—who have inhabited these mountain ranges for thousands of years.

**Pure Pashto Language and Dialect:** According to linguists, the Pashto spoken by the Karlani tribes, known as the hard or intermediate dialect, is the oldest and purest form of Pashto. The purity of their language proves that this nation remained secure in its mountain fortresses for centuries and did not mix with outside nations.

**The Spirit of Pashtunwali:** Karlani tribes in Waziristan, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, Bannu, Kohat, etc., have always lived an independent life. They never accepted the slavery of the crowns of Delhi or Kabul. If the essence of Pashtunwali is "honor" and "freedom," the Karlanis are the most magnificent and original reflection of Pashtunness.

**4. Conclusion**

The Karlanis are not a "later-formed group" or a "tribe picked off the road"; rather, they are the foundation and the pillar of antiquity of the Pashtun nation. Mythological books from the Mughal era, like Makhzan-e-Afghani, cannot serve as the definitive scientific source for Pashtun tribal history. The Karlari tribes inhabit the very region where Pashtunness, the Pashto language, and Pashtunwali were born and flourished.