Afghanistan has history of Hinduism, there are lots of remanent of Hindu-Buddhist temple in East Afghanistan. But I don't know if ancient Hindu Kamboja are the ancestors of Afghans.
Can you tell me what religion Balochs followed before converting to Islam.
Can you clarify if Ancient Kamboja are the ancestors of modern day Pathans.
That is difficult to say with certainty; the origins of those who call themselves Pathans today is wrapped in mystery. It is likely that today's Pathans are an amalgamation of more than one original ethnic group.
The Kamboja of epic times, that is, Kambojas mentioned from proto-historic times, were in two groups: the Kamboja proper, and the Parama Kamboja.
The former, the Kamboja, were evidently part of the tribes who seem to have come into India, or formed in India out of the individual families and groups that migrated over the Hindu Kush after the split from the Indo-Iranians. They are reported to have spoken the same language as the members of other tribes, and mingled closely with them. They may have been the ancestors of today's Kamboh, but unlikely to have contributed to the Pathan ethnic configuration.
The Parama Kamboja were different. They are reported as having lived north of the accepted Indo-Aryan groupings, perhaps in what later came to be known as Ferghana; spoke a distinctly different dialect - while comprehensible to the plains-dwelling Indo-Aryans, there were distinctive nouns, and distinctive verbs, which were declined differently from the declinations in the grammatical forms codified by Panini; while the Indo-Aryans described themselves as tall and fair, the Parama Kamboja were described by the epic poets as exceptionally tall and exceptionally fair; they were great horse breeders and blanket makers, and their horses and blankets made exceptional, princely gifts. They fought at Kurukshetra, as cavalry, and were devastating in that role.
The Parama Kamboja are now thought to be part of the Scythians who dominated the steppes before the conquests of Genghis and the subsequent Turkicisation of the steppes. Some of the eastern Scythians were driven out of Ferghana by the Yueh-Chi,fleeing their unrelenting enemy, the Hiung Nu. Under the shock of this attack, sometime in the first two centuries BC, the Scythians - including the Parama Kamboja elements, presumably - migrated to Balkh.
Further attacks followed, and it is possible that sections of these tribes went south from Balkh, to the southern parts of present-day Afghanistan, now known as Sogdiana=Sakasthan=Seistan. From there, they moved to dominate the Sind-Malwa-Rajasthan-Gujarat-Gangetic Doab, all the way to Mathura.
Another section may have moved earlier, perhaps two hundred years earlier, and may have formed the tribes known as Aspasioi or Aspakioi to the Macedonian army. But this is nowhere close to being established.
To sum up this very little understood topic: The Kamboja were not part of the groups that formed the Pathans. The Parama Kamboja may have been, but this is not certain.
Note: this was written entirely from memory without consulting references, and should be read in that light.
Most probably it is you as an Indian who is suffering from an Identity crisis.
The Indus valley was /is situated in what is known today as Pakistan and major parts of Afghanistan, neighbouring Iran the ancient Persian empire civilisation from the south and the mesopotamian civilisation from the north.
What was India at that time, no one seems to know and if you can enlighten this forum with some facts, please do.
What a sad decline from the quality of the earlier note.
North-Western India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. I believe most Pakistanis in PDF must be aware of the fact that Indian school curriculum (of History) was compiled by self Proclaimed Marxist Historians. It's the same as in Wikipedia/Publications of any reputed university in the world. You can check them online.
What is the point being made here? What is the influence of "self Proclaimed Marxist Historians"? Can you name one who hS compiled this "school curriculum"? Which school curriculum are you referring to, that is, which school exam does your remark relate to?
