Pathan Unarmed: Opposition & Memory in the North West Froneier

by Mukulika Banerjee

"This book is the first account of rank and file members of the Khudai Khidmatgar, describing why they joined, what they did, and how they perceived the ethics and aims of the movement. It attempts to answer the question of how notoriously violent Pukhtuns were converted to an ethic of non-violence. It finds the answer rooted in the transformation of older social structures, Islamic revisionism and a local redefinition of the traditional code of honour."--BOOK JACKET.

Genres: History, Pakistan, Anthropology

238 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful anthropological study of the an era in Pathan history when they fervently believed in non-violence as an effective policy to fight the British. Unbelievable but true when you consider the warlike and aggressive image of the Pathan presented today.....

[Haseeb]

This is my grand father and i feel proud to my grand father that he has a good man and serves his life for others

[Mehul Dhikonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feuding bunch of Pathans from the NW border of undivided India lead a 17-year long non-violent struggle for autonomy, independence and self-reliance. Badshah Khan and his Khudai Khidmatgars may have had a bittersweet end to their movement, but they could celebrate their moral victory for their unwavering belief in non-violence in the face of unimaginable atrocities.

The book is a commendable and significant effort in collecting and preserving oral history and brings a forgotten movement to life and offers a brilliant anthropological account of its people and their way of life.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔖 A+

One of my favorite books ever. It's changed how I understand my own place in the world and inspired me to go into ethnographic writing on Pukhtuns too — although in my case, I want to side-step men as much as possible and get to the women (whom we barely get four pages on here). The prose is immaculate, the content fascinating and the analytical threads would have met with Goldilocks' approval — neither too presumptive nor too vague.

[Jasmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

An example of extractivist research doing a disservice to the community it investigates. “Notoriously violent” Pakhtuns who become non-violent inspired by Ghandi’s movement. It is clear what the ideology is behind these sweeping claims. Depicting Pakhtuns as notorious warriors is a narrative originally pushed by the British to justify their failure to colonise Afghanistan… I haven’t finished the book, but I think I’m done.

[Iqra Tasmiae]

In acknowledgments of "A God in Every Stone".