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During the Mughal Era, there was a tradition of the Afghans (the Pashtun people) being descended from the exiled lost tribes of Israel. This tradition was referenced in 19th century western scholarship and was also incorporated in the "Lost Tribes" literature popular at the time (notably George Moore's ''The Lost Tribes'' of 1861). Recently (2000s), interest in the topic has been revived by Jerusalem anthropologist Shalva Weil, who was quoted in the popular press to the effect that "Taliban may be descended from Jews".〔(Taliban may be descended from Jews ), ''The Telegraph'', 11 January 2010.〕 The traditions surrounding the Afghans (Pashtuns) being remote descendants of the "Lost Tribes of Israel" is to be distinguished from the historical Jewish community in Afghanistan which flourished from about the 7th to the early 20th century, but which has essentially disappeared due to emigration to Israel since the 1950s. ==Mughal-era historiography== (詳細はEncyclopaedia of Islam'', the theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites is traced to ''Maghzan-e-Afghani'', a history compiled for Khan-e-Jehan Lodhi in the reign of Mughal Emperor Jehangir in the 16th century. The ''Maghzan-e-Afghanis Bani-Israel theory has been discounted by modern authorities, due to numerous historical and linguistic inconsistencies. In his universal history ''Mirat-ul-Alam'' – ''The Mirror of the World'' – Bukhtawar Khan describes the journeys of the Afghans from the Holy Land to Ghor, Ghazni, and Kabul. Similarly, Rahmat bin Shah Alam, in his ''Khulasat-ul-Ansab'' and Fareed-ud-Din Ahmad in ''Risala-i-Ansab-i-Afghana'' provide the history of the Afghans and deal with their genealogies. Two of the most famous historical works on the subject are ''Tarikh-i-Afghana'' – ''History of the Afghans'' – by Nimat Allah al-Harawi, which was translated by Bernard Dorn in 1829, and ''Tarikh-i-Hafiz Rahmatkhani'', by Muhammad Zadeek which he wrote in 1770. "Tawarikh-e-Hafiz Rehmat khani"was later translated and provided with foot notes by Khan Roshan khan. These books deal with the early history of the Afghans, their origin and wanderings in general. They particularly discuss the Yusuf Zyes (the Yusefzai, "Sons of Joseph") and their occupation of Kabul, Bajoor, Swat, and Peshawar. In his ''Travels into Bokhara'', which he published in 1835, Sir Alexander Burnes wrote: "The Afghans call themselves Bani Israel, or the children of Israel, but consider the term Yahoodi, or Jew, to be one of reproach. They say that Nebuchadnezzar, after the overthrow of Israel, transplanted them into the towns of Ghore near Bamean and that they were called after their Chief Afghan they say that they lived as Israelites till Khalid summoned them in the first century of the Muhammadans. Having precisely stated the traditions and history of the Afghans I see no good reason for discrediting them… the Afghans look like Jews and the younger brother marries the widow of the elder. The Afghans entertain strong prejudices against the Jewish nation, which would at least show that they have no desire to claim – without just cause – a descent from them. (Sir Alexander Burnes, ''Travels into Bokhara'', Vol. 2:139-141.) Burnes was again in 1837 sent as the first British Envoy to the Court of Kabul. For some time he was the guest of King Dost Mohammad Khan. He questioned the King about the descent of the Afghans from the Israelites. The King replied that "his people had no doubt of that, though they repudiated the idea of being Jews". William Moorcroft traveled during 1819 to 1825 through various countries adjoining India, including Afghanistan. "The Khaibarees," he says, "are tall and have a singularly Jewish cast of features." (Moorcroft, ''Travels in Himalayan Provinces of Hindustan and the Punjab; in Ladakh and Kashmir, in Peshawar, Kabul, Kunduz and Bokhara'', 12) In his book, ''An Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia and Afghanistan'', which he published in 1843, J. B. Frazer says: "According to their own tradition they believe themselves to be descendants from the Hebrews… they preserved the purity of their religion until they met with Islam." (J.B. Frazer, ''A Historical and Descriptive Account of Persia and Afghanistan'', 298) Sir Henry Yule (1902 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', article on Afghanistan) references the tradition: : This story is repeated in great and varying detail in sundry books by afghans, the oldest of which appears to be of the 16th century; nor do we know that any trace of the legend is found of older date. In the version gives by Major Raverty (''Introd. To Afghan Grammar''), Afghana is settled by King Solomon himself in the Sulimani mountains; there is nothing about Nebuchadnezzar or Ghur. The historian Firishta says he had read that the Afghans were descended from Copts of the race of Pharoah. And one of the Afghan histories, quoted by Mr. Bellew, relates "a current tradition" that previous to the time of Kais, Bilo the father of the Biluchis, Uzbak (evidently the father of the Uzbegs), and Afghana were considered as brethren. As Mahommed Uzbeg Khan, the eponymus of the medley of Tartar tribes called Uzbegs, reigned in the 14th century A.D., this gives some possible light on the value of these so-called traditions. Thomas Ledlie wrote in an article in the ''Calcutta Review'' in 1989 that "the Afghans () claim themselves to be of Bani Israel." 〔Thomas Ledlie, More Ledlian, ''Calcutta Review'', January, 1898〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Theory of Pashtun descent from Israelites」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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