The Pashtun Household: A Cultural Space for Political Training

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to analyze the role of the Pashtun household (kor) in the evolution of political authority. The Pashtun household serves as the principal context in which senior members of a family transmit the concept of leadership to their descendants. This study focuses on the interconnection between two primary themes: the upbringing of male family members in Pashtun society to fulfil political roles, and the criteria employed by the people to evaluate the concept of political leadership. There is a contention that the Pashtun home offers a conducive atmosphere for males to acquire the necessary skills and readiness to assume the position of a political leader. Once an individual acquires the necessary skills and knowledge to assume a leadership role, he must adhere to the specific requirements established within their local context in order to become a political leader. The data collection for the present study was carried out in Tehsil Killa Saif Ullah, located in the province of Balochistan. The demographic composition of this area primarily consists of people belonging to the Kakar tribe, a Pashtun ethnic group, with the majority of its inhabitants adhering to the Sunni sect of Islam.