Punjabis in Afghanistan

History

Punjab lies to the east of the Pashtun region and has shared borders with Afghanistan at various points in history. For several centuries, dynasties centered in modern Afghanistan expanded towards Punjab, such as the Kushans, Kidarites, Hephthalites, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Khaljis and Durranis. Other kingdoms common to both regions include the Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and Kabul Shahis. In his 1857 review of J.W. Kaye's The Afghan War, Friedrich Engels describes Afghanistan as "an extensive country of Asia" which "formerly included... a considerable part of the Punjab." In the 19th century, the Sikh Empire originating in Punjab made a series of incursions towards the Afghan frontiers, capturing large swathes of territory to the Khyber Pass.

Afghan Sikh history is considered to stretch back 200 to 500 years. Not all Sikhs are of Punjabi origin however; a small minority include locals whose ancestors adopted Sikhism during Guru Nanak's 15th century expeditions to Kabul. In the 18th century, Hindu Khatri merchants from Punjab settled in Afghanistan and dominated regional trade. The Sikh and Hindu population in Afghanistan may have numbered as much as 250,000 in the 1940s. Both communities were particularly well-represented in business and government positions. The reign of Zahir Shah was considered prosperous. Some of them were wealthy landowners. In 1947, some Sikhs from Potohar in northern Punjab arrived in Afghanistan while fleeing violence during the partition of India.