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Origins of the name Afghan
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etymological view supported by numerous noted scholars is that the name Afghan evidently derives from Sanskrit Asvakas (q.v), the Assakenoi of Arrian. This view was propounded by scholars like Christian Lassen, J. W. McCrindle, M. V. de Saint Martin, and É. Reclus, and has been supported by numerous modern scholars.
In Sanskrit, the word ashva (Iranian aspa, Prakrit assa) means "horse", and ashvaka (Prakrit assaka) means "horseman", "horse people" , "land of horses" as well as "horse breeders".
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Mainstream theories
Ashvaka
The etymological view supported by numerous noted scholars is that the name Afghan evidently derives from Sanskrit Asvakas (q.v), the Assakenoi of Arrian. This view was propounded by scholars like Christian Lassen, J. W. McCrindle, M. V. de Saint Martin, and É. Reclus, and has been supported by numerous modern scholars.
In Sanskrit, the word ashva (Iranian aspa, Prakrit assa) means "horse", and ashvaka (Prakrit assaka) means "horseman", "horse people" , "land of horses" as well as "horse breeders". Pre-Christian times knew the people of the Hindukush region 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 and Ashvayana respectively. By the time of Indian astronomer Varaha Mihira (6th century A.D), the Ashvakayana of Panini or the Ashvaka(na) of Mahabharata got transmuted to Avagana (= Persian Abagan), the 0-po-kien or A-po-kien of Hiuen Tsang. Classical writers, however, use the respective equivalents Aspasioi (or Aspasii, Hippasii) and Assakenoi (or Assaceni/Assacani, Asscenus) etc. The Aspasioi/Assakenoi (Ashvakas = Cavalrymen) is stated to be another name for the Kambojas of ancient texts because of their equestrian characteristics. Alexander Cunningham and a few other scholars identify these designations with the modern name Afghan.
The relation to the ancient Kambojas remains unclear, as the Indian epic Mahabharata speaks them among the finest horsemen, and ancient Pali texts describe their lands as the land of horses.
The former Aspins of Chitral and Ashkuns (Yashkuns) of Gilgit are identified as the modern representives of the Paninian Asvakayanas (Greek: Assakenoi); and the Asip/Isap (cf. Aspa-zai > Yusufzai ?) in the Kabul valley (between the rivers Kabul and Indus) are believed to be modern representatives of the Paninian Asvayanas (Greek: Aspasioi) respectively.
Abagân
From the 3th century, when the Kushano-Sassanian civilization rose, we meet on the term Abagân. Persian Abagan is the same as Sanskrit Avagan, being referred to in the writings of Varaha Mihira. According to him, the Abagân lived on both sides of the Indus River. They are described as Zoroastrians, while some seem to have adhered to Hinduistic beliefs. The aforementioned Kambojas, also predominantly Zoroastrians, had similarities with this group.
Afghan and Afghanistan
The Pashtuns began to use the term as a self-designation some time in the Middle Ages. In this regard, the Encyclopædia Iranica states:
It further explains:
This information is supported by traditional Pashto literature, for example, in the writings of the 17th-century Pashto poet Khushal Khan Khattak:
The last part of the name "-stan" 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).
Regarding the modern nation or country "Afghanistan", the Encyclopædia Of Islam states:
Until the 19th century, the name was only used for the traditional land of the Pashtuns, while the kingdom as a whole was known as the Kingdom of Cabul, as mentioned by the British statesman and historian Mountstuart Elphinstone.. 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. By the middle of the 19th century, the name "Afghanistan" had become the established name of the country, as evidenced by the writings of German philosopher Friedrich Engels in 1857.
"Afghanistan" became fully recognized by the world community in 1919, after the country re-gained independence over its foreign affairs from the British, and was confirmed as the country's official name in the nation's 1923 constitution.
Earlier references to the region
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 Aryanam Vaeja, Old Persian Aryanam Xša?ra 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 Aryana Afghanistan 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 along with regions centered around Merv and Neishabur was recognized with the name (UniPers: Xorâsân), which in Pahlavi means "Land of the Rising Sun" .
In 19th century, Afghanistan was also known as The Kingdom of Caboul to the Europeans. In many books and maps published in 19th century in the United Kingdom and France, Afghanistan is called as Caboul.
Other theories
There are various other theories about the origins of the name Afghanistan. However, they are not accepted by mainstream scholars.
- 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.
- The "Makhzan-e Afghan" by Nematullah, written in 1612 CE at the Mughal court in India, traces the Afghan or Pakhtun origin from Abraham. It states that King Saul had a son Irmia (Jeremia), who had a son called Afghana. Upon the death of King Saul, Afghana was raised up by King 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.
- 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.
- There are also a few people who tend to link "Afghan" to an Uzbek word "Avagan" said to mean "original".
- By another authority, the name Afghan is said to mean wailing which the Persians are said to have contemptuously used for their plaintive eastern neighbors.
Modern usage
The Taliban used the phrase "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" to refer to their country. 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.
Afghans in the medieval period
The term "Afghanistan", meaning the "Land of Afghans", was mentioned by the sixteenth century Mughal Emperor Babur in his memoirs, referring to the territories of Peshawar-Valley (Kohistan) that were inhabited by Pashtuns (called "Afghans" by Babur).
...“Don't call it Kohistan, but Afghanistan; for there is nothing there but Afghans and disturbances.” Thus it is clear that for this reason the people of the country call their home in their own language Afghanistan, and themselves Afghans. The people of India call them Pathan; but the reason for this is not known. But it occurs to me, that when, under the rule of Muhammadan sovereigns, Musulmans first came to the city of Patna, and dwelt there, the people of India (for that reason) called them Patáns—but God knows! When the peace between the Raja of Lahore and the infidel Gakkhars ended in war, the Gakkhars formed an alliance with their neighbours the Afghans against the Samanians...
...The Afghans erected a fort in the Kohistan (mountains) of Peshawar, which they called Khaibar; and they took possession of the country of Roh. During the ascendancy of the Samanians, these (Afghans and Gakkhars) prevented them from doing any injury to the territories of Lahore. This is why it was that the incursions of the Samanians from first to last were made by way of Sind and Bhatiya. Roh is the name of a particular mountain, which extends in length from Swad and Bajaur to the town of Siwi, ...
He is as well referring to the territories south of Kabulistan and north of Kandahar in the area of Ghazna that were inhabited by nomadic Khilijs (Ghilzais) (Kuchis) who travelling from Sindh to Khorasan and from Khorasan to Sindh (today: Pakistan) (Khilijs are called as well as "Afghans" by Babur). The places or areas they settle are called Afghanistan, too.
See also
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