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THE PEOPLE THE figure of 12 million population for Afghanistan is an estimated one, as the project adopted four years ago for a new and complete census has not yet been completed. The Afghans are entirely Muslim, with the exception of minority groups of Hindus and Jews in various parts of the country, but these number less than one per cent of the population. From this figure, about 60% are composed of the Pakhtoons (Pashtoons). They occupy the provinces of Nangarhar (in the east), Paktya (in the south), Kabul and Kandahar, Herat, Kataghan and Mazar-i-Sharif, too, have Pakhtoons residing in them. The speak Pakhto and, of course, are mostly also able to converse in Persian, the other main language of the country. Next to them in numbers are the Tajiks, Persian-speaking peoples who live in Badakshan, Kataghan, Kabul and Herat. These make up about a quarter of the Afghan population. The rest of the population is made up of the people of Afghan Turkestan, Kirghiz and Turkman, speaking Turkish dialects; Hazaras, living in central mountainous areas and speaking Persian; and Nooristanis speaking various dialects mentioned in the previous chapter. On the whole, Afghans are a pastoral and agricultural people. Whether north or south, east or west, they are mainly busy farming, rearing cattle—sheep, goats and cows—and herding donkeys, horses and camels, mostly for transportation of their products to markets within the country for bartering. There are roughly about two million Pakhto-speaking nomads who travel constantly from summer pastures in Central and northern Afghanistan to their warm winter quarters in the eastern and southern lowlands. Life under somewhat hard geophysical conditions has made the Afghans a hardy people. They are warm-hearted, honest, trusting, generous and tolerant people, and mind their own business so long as they are not interfered with. They work hard and live their own quiet lives. They learn fast and use what they have learnt for the good of their society. They are slowly becoming aware of the limitations of their life as compared to that of the more advanced nations of the world, and are therefore increasingly determined to bridge the gap in material comforts which exists between them and the rest of the world. This calls for more hard work and more united effort on the part of the nation, and they readily accept their task for the attainment of a high degree of progress. They wholeheartedly support all plans and projects which are to bring them and their country more prosperity and a higher standard of life. They are excedingiy patriotic and this is a tradition with the Afghans. They have an intense love for independence and would like all nations of the world to enjoy it without interference by anyone. Their love of freedom and self-respect is described in these words by the famous Afghan thinker and philosopher of modern times, Sayyed Jamaluddin Afghani: "Self-respect is the guiding light of the Pakhtoons and they prefer death rather than to lose their self-respect by passing under the rule and yoke of others . . ." Physically the Afghans are tall and well-built. Their complexion is light tan. They have dark hair, usually dark eyes, somewhat long heads and long straight noses. Other types also exist in small numbers. They love the open air and are fond of sports, which range from wrestling and weight-throwing to hunting and marksmanship. Their favourite games, too, show their trait of toughness. One of 68