Pathans of Punjab
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (Approx. 25-30 million) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Pakistan
|
|
| Languages | |
| Pashto • Punjabi • Hindustani • Urdu • Hindi | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Pashtuns • Rohilla • Pathans of Bihar • Pathans of Gujarat • Pathans of Sindh • Pathans of Uttar Pradesh • Pathans of Rajasthan • Muhajir people |
The Pathans of Punjab (Punjabi: پنجابی پٹھان (Shahmukhi); Pashto: د پنجاب پښتانه; also called Punjabi Pathans are originally Pashtun people (Pathans) who have settled in the Punjab region of Pakistan and north India. Most of these Pashtun communities are scattered throughout the Punjab and have over time assimilated into the Punjabi identity.
These non-frontier Pathans are usually known by the town or locality in which they are settled, e.g., Qasuria Pathans or Multani Pathans.
Colonies of Pathans (Pashtun people) arriving in Punjab are accounted for by Sir Densil Ibbetson in the following manner:
During the Lodi and Suri dynasties many Pathans migrated to Punjab especially during the reign of Bahlol Lodhi and Sher Shah Suri. These naturally belonged to the Ghilzai section from which those kings sprung.
The history of Pathans in India is much earlier. Trapusa and Bahalika, variously assumed to be merchants or slaves from Balkh were the first lay-person to accept Buddha. It should be noted that during that time, the regions west of HinduKush , including Afghanistan were ruled by Mauryan empire and their vassal states of Indo-Greeks. These Indo-Greeks were staunch followers of Vishnu and Buddha and ruled large parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They gave rise to the Hellenistic form of Buddhism which competed with the Mathura form.
...
Wikipedia