The Origin of the Yusufzai Tribe: Myth and Reality

Abstract

The origins of the Pashtun tribes are shrouded in mystery. The lack of information on the topic allowed certain religious clerics of the seventeenth century to fill the gap with unverified claims of linking Pashtuns with Bani Israel and other Semitic races. With the passage of time, the Israelite origins of the Pashtun tribes became very popular among the masses. However, modern historical, linguistic, and scientific research proved that these claims of the early writers were based on their subjective desires instead of reality. This paper intends to trace the origin of the Yusufzai tribe from ancient sources of history and recent linguistic and genetic study. The article reveals some unexplored literary sources and recent scientific information on the origin of Yusufzai to reach an authentic conclusion.