Buddhists in Pakistan??

[Apprentice]

There was also a single Jew in Afghanistan until the late 90s. Not a family, one single individual. So numbers are no means of gauging minority of faith.

As for the 'Ethnicity' of the Gandhara people, I think the term 'Ethnicity' means different ideas for you and me. A basic contemporary definition of 'Ethnicity' is as follows:

An ethnic group or ethnicity is a category of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural,or national experiences.

Therefore, ethnicity if a very subjective and abstract concept. The Gandhara people's 'ethnicity' would be the Gandhara people as they identified as such at the time. When the Gandhara Civilization collapsed, the same people reoriented themselves into new group identities and thus changed their 'ethnicity'.

So are their descendants the Pashtuns?

I thought Pashtuns and Baloch were all later Iranian migrants

 

[Icarus]

So are their descendants the Pashtuns?

I thought Pashtuns and Baloch were all later Iranian migrants

I think this brief reading shall serve you well:

Gandhara Civilization - Ancient History Encyclopedia

 

[Apprentice]

Are there any Buddhists in Gilgit Baltistan. Al the Census figures I look at fr Azad Kashmir and Norhern Areas show 100% Muslim population. But Baltistan used to be part of Ladakh. Is it possible there are some Buddhists in Gilgit Baltistan?

 

[Pakistani till death]

What is his ethnicity? Would love to know. Thanks

They moved to islamabad from Karachi as far as i know. I'm not sure about their ethnicity though. Sorry.

 

[Zibago]

They moved to islamabad from Karachi as far as i know. I'm not sure about their ethnicity though. Sorry.

Burman or Bengali

 

[Spring Onion]

Over 35,000 Buddhists, Baha’is call Pakistan home - The Express Tribune

How is this possible? Which ethnic group are they from and which area do you live in?

I read in another Express Tribune that there were 4 Buddhist families from North Waziristan IDPs.

Hindus, Buddhists and Baha’is among IDPs - The Express Tribune

But they can't be indigenous Pashtuns. There are no indigenous Pashtun Hindus so how can there be Pashtun Buddhists?

Where have they migrated from?

North Pakistan and Afghanistan were the places that had offered green pastures for Budhhist of subcontinent who were fleeing main stream subcontinent. North Pakistan and Afghanistan were their destination which were peaceful areas for them. That is why you can see traces of Bhuddists in KpK specially Swat etc etc.

 

[Spring Onion]

So are their descendants the Pashtuns?

I thought Pashtuns and Baloch were all later Iranian migrants

It is believed that Tantric Buddhism took birth in Swat Valley.

"It is generally accepted that Tantric Buddhism first developed in Swat under King Indrabhuti. One of the original Siddhas, Indrabhuti flourished in the early eighth century AD and was the king of Oddiyana in the Kabul valley. His son Padmasambhava, a legendary Buddhist mystic from the valley who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet, is credited with establishing the first Buddhist monastery here. Indrabhuti's sister, Lakshminkaradevi, was also an accomplished siddha of the 9th century AD."

 

[Kambojaric]

Some of the Buddhists might be Balti (Tibetans, most of whom converted to Islam).

Balti people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

There is no such thing as nor has there ever been Pashtun or Baloch Hindus.
.

So who they heck were Kabul Shahis, Pashtun Hindus from Mars?

Kabul Shahi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dubious]

Over 35,000 Buddhists, Baha’is call Pakistan home - The Express Tribune

How is this possible? Which ethnic group are they from and which area do you live in?

I read in another Express Tribune that there were 4 Buddhist families from North Waziristan IDPs.

Hindus, Buddhists and Baha’is among IDPs - The Express Tribune

But they can't be indigenous Pashtuns. There are no indigenous Pashtun Hindus so how can there be Pashtun Buddhists?

Where have they migrated from?

Nepal, Bhutan, China, Northern areas...could be from anywhere....Really old traditional followers who stayed away from media?

Bahai are not Buddhists....if its 35k of Buddhists and Bahai....it is not a surprise....

There were large Buddha statues in Afghanistan - which led to world anger when they were broken down by Al Qaedah...so there had to be some Buddhists that the statue was for....

 

[Apprentice]

So who they heck were Kabul Shahis, Pashtun Hindus from Mars?

Kabul Shahi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As pr my understanding Kabul Shahs were not Pashtuns. Pashtuns seem to be later Iranian immigrants.

The original Kabul Shahis, from what I knew, are ancestors of the Hindkowans (a sub-ethnicity of Punjabis).

Nepal, Bhutan, China, Northern areas...could be from anywhere....Really old traditional followers who stayed away from media?

Bahai are not Buddhists....if its 35k of Buddhists and Bahai....it is not a surprise....

There were large Buddha statues in Afghanistan - which led to world anger when they were broken down by Al Qaedah...so there had to be some Buddhists that the statue was for....

Bamyan statues were just historical artifacts standing there

North Pakistan and Afghanistan were the places that had offered green pastures for Budhhist of subcontinent who were fleeing main stream subcontinent. North Pakistan and Afghanistan were their destination which were peaceful areas for them. That is why you can see traces of Bhuddists in KpK specially Swat etc etc.

So when did this migration take place?

Some of the Buddhists might be Balti (Tibetans, most of whom converted to Islam).

Balti people - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Would love to know the stats for Balti buddhists in Pakistan

It says in your link there are Buddhists in Kharmang Valley, which is in Pakistan's side of Kashmir

But the Census figures for Northern Areas describe the area as 100% Muslims

 

[Dubious]

Bamyan statues were just historical artifacts standing there

Someone must have built them and that someone must have had support to build them that tall....And those someone must have had some form of progeny!

 

[Apprentice]

Someone must have built them and that someone must have had support to build them that tall....And those someone must have had some form of progeny!

The figures were built in Buddhist time, centuries or even millennia ago

Their progeny is probably now MMuslim or emigrated

 

[Dubious]

Their progeny is probably now MMuslim or emigrated

kind of sums it up...probably they are not!

 

[Apprentice]

kind of sums it up...probably they are not!

I wish the Cnsus gave data on where Buddhists live in Pakistan and their languages. That would clear up all the confusion

But I don't know where I can even find the Census data for Pakistan...like an official census report