Pashtuns of Kashmir (also called Kashmiri Pathans) include ethnic Pashtun community who ventured into Kashmir region from the Pashtun areas of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pathans in Kashmir initially arrived for business but chose settled here. The descendants of those immigrants have carved out their lives, while resisting cultural assimilation. There are large communities of people throughout the region Kashmir who claim Pashtun ancestry do not speak Pashto, instead speaking a dialect of the local language. "Pathan" is the local Hindavi term for an individual who belongs to the Pashtun ethnic group, or descends from it. The Pathans originate from the regions of Eastern Afghanistan and Northwestern Pakistan, ethnolinguistically known as Pashtunistan. The exact numbers of the Pathan communities of Kashmir are not known.^[1][2]

Many Pathans in Kashmir have adopted local culture and use the local language as their first language.

In the Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, there exist several Pashtun communities belonging to tribes such as the Lodi Pathans, Yusufzai Pathans, Afridi Pathans, Durrani Pathans. The majority of Pathans are mainly settled in central Azad Kashmir and they have adopted the local Pahari languages.

The district is the home of the proud "Suddhan" the tribe which was the first to take up arms against the Dogra rule, and docs rightfully claim the greatest share in the subscquent fighting and sacrifices. They claim to be Saddozai Pathans, much to the amusement of the other tribes. Their slender claim, however, scems to be based more on their fair complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair, and, of course, the high fighting qualities, which they share with Pathans.^[3] Sudhans also known as Sudhozais historically link themselves with Afghanistan and trace their roots to the Pashtuns and moved to the Poonch District of the Kashmir region several centuries ago. Their common ancestor is Jassi Khan, who was an Afghan chief. He earned the name of 'Sudhan', a word from Sanskrit meaning justice, fair and honest'. Jassi Khan arrived in Kashmir with a sizeable group of followers about five hundred years ago. The new arrivals had to fight for their existence, but with Jassi Khan's leadership, they quickly emerged as a solid and powerful tribe. Sudhans have a history of fighting against the domination of Sikhs and Dogras and of never reconciling to their rule. Their uprising in 1947 turned into a general revolt against the Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan Army fully supported the Sudhans and some other tribes in their fight to liberate Azad Kashmir. With the active support of Pashtun tribal lashkars, from Khyber and Waziristan tribal agencies, they eventually liberated a small region, now called. 'Azad Kashmir'.^[4]

Many Pashtuns in the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir have adopted Kashmiriyat and use the Kashmiri language as their second language, and the Pashtuns settled in areas of the Jammu division have adopted other local languages as a second language. Many Pashtunwali customs, aspects of Pashtun culture and the Pashto language are still practiced among the communities, though the culture and language is facing a decline among the younger generations, due to cultural assimilation.^[5][6]

There are a large number of Pashto-speak Pashtuns in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Although their exact numbers are hard to determine, it is at least in.^[7][8][9] ...excess of 100,000 for it is known. In 1954 over 100,000 nomadic Pashtuns living in Kashmir Valley were granted Indian citizenship. Today jirgas are frequently held. Those settled and living in the Kashmir Valley speak Pashto, and are found chiefly in the southwest of the valley, where Pashtun colonies^[10]to time been founded. The most interesting are the Kukikhel Afridis of Dramghaihama, who retain all the old customs and speak Pashto. They wear colorful dress and carry swords and shields. The Afridis and the Machipurians, who belong to the Yusufzai tribe, are liable to military service, in return for which they hold certain villages free of revenue. There are a few families in the capital city of Srinagar which claim their origins to Yusufzai and Achakzai tribes. The Pashtuns chiefly came in under the Afghan rule, but many were brought by Maharaja Gulab Singh under the Dogra rule for service on the frontier and are now found mainly in south-west region of Jammu. There is also a good number of nomadic kochi Pashtuns clan living in north and south state of Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu they usually reside in Poonch District and Jammu District who also speak Dogri (a Punjabi dialect) along with Pashto. While in districts of Bandipora District, and Baramulla District in the north while districts of Ganderbal District of southern Kashmir. Pashto is also spoken in two villages, Dhakki and Changnar (Chaknot), located on the Line of Control in Kupwara district of northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. In response to demand by the Pashtun community living in the state, Kashir TV has recently launched a series of Pushto-language programs.

Some solitary families of Sadozai, Achakzai Pashtuns are well known in Srinagar whose roots go to Kabul and Kandahar. Many Pashto-speaking Afghans/ Pashtuns are also notably found in Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police as well. Very few people know that Afghan President, Najibullah Ahmadzai has himself studied at St. Joseph's School (Baramulla) .

A further small, scattered Pashtun population still exists in some major cities of India with large Muslim populations, with the majority of Pashto-speaking individuals residing in the Indian State of West Bengal and Assam. There is large Pashtun people and they belong to Ghilzai, Yousufzai, Kharoti, Afridi, Shinwari, Durrani Tribes, who also have adopted local languages of the respective areas they live in, as their second language. These Pathans, numbering around 14,161, have retained the use of the Pashto language and are still able to speak and understand it. Along with the pashto speaking Pathans, there are also groups of those who have completely mixed with the local cultures and some belong to high cultural strata. In July 1954 (shortly after the partition), some 100,000 Pashtun tribesmen living in Jammu and Kashmir who previously did not hold nationality effectively became Indian citizens.^[11] According to The Hindu, the ceremony was presided by the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad at the village of Gutlibagh near Srinagar, during which citizenship certificates were presented in batches. The prime minister paid a tribute to the Pashtun community for its "role in the country's liberation struggle" and also to Pashtun nationalist leaders such as Bacha Khan. Leaders of the Pashtun community pledged their loyalty to their adopted homeland.^[11]

• Afghans in India
• Pathans of Madhya Pradesh
• Pathans of Punjab
• Pathans of Uttar Pradesh

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• Pathans in Kashmir Preserve Identity