Dr. Sayed Wiqar Ali Shah Kakakhel of Qaid-i-Azam University who has PhD in history from the University of Oxford, thinks that there are no Afghans (Pashtuns) settled on the Sulieman mountains range !
The snippet is from his article “Origin of the Afghans : Myths and reality”, published in ‘Journal of Asian civilizations’.
The learned historian should be informed that the highest peak of the Sulieman mountain range is located in the region inhabited by the Sherani tribe of Pashtuns [1].
Ibn-i-Batuta ( 1304 – 1368) associates the Suliman mountain range with Afghans (Pashtuns). He writes :
“Their (Afghans’) principal mountain is called Koh Suleiman. It is related that the Prophet of God Suleiman (peace be upon him) climbed this mountain and looked out over the land of India, which was [then] covered with darkness, but returned without entering it, so the mountain was named after him. It is in this mountain that the king of Afghan resides”.
The distance between Ziarat Kaka Sahib in Nowshera district (Wiqar Ali Shah’s place of origin) and Takht-i-Sulaiman peak is 314 km. He could have reached the Suleiman mountains in a day by car to see for himself if there are any Pashtuns dwelling there.
He also believes that Panini (Indian grammarian) was a Pakhtun !
Kakakhel also erroneously believes that Sher Shah Sur did not know Pashto.
Sher Shah actually did know Pashto. Kakakhel should check Tarikh-i-Shershahi (written in circa 1580 AD). [Tarikh-SherShahi, English translation by H.M.Elliot, p-135].
Not actually related to this article, but this site in general is very informative.
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Abaad osa.