Nanawatai

Pashtoonwali: Nanawatey / Nanawatai (Asylum)
 

Some European scholars regard Nanawatey, one of the several important fixtures in the Pashtoonwali set of principles, as not just asylum for fugitives but an extreme breed of practicing hospitality. A knowledgeable British administrator who served as Political Officer on the Frontier explains that Nanawatey is an “extension of the idea of Melmastia (Hospitality) in an excessive form, stepped up to the highest degree”. It is worth mentioning that the extension of asylum or shelter is only one feature of Nanawatey and that the exact description and true sprit seems to have been overlooked in this simplified quote. As a matter of fact, it is a meant to end ancient clashes and blood feuds, to convert hostility into companionship. Under Nanawatey a remorseful opponent is forgiven and the feuding factions restart serene and gracious relations. In essence, the practice of Nanawatey creates a friendly environment for peaceful co-existence and shared understanding through ultimate resolution.
In any given Pashtoon society, a person may feel repentant over his past aggressive attitudes and want to articulate a need to open up a new period of friendly relations with his rivals in order to live peacefully. Oftentimes he approaches the tribal elders including Khan or Malik (the landlord of the area), Mulvi Sahib (the Religious leader), and Speengeray (the elders of the area) for mediation on his behalf to settle the dispute. The Jirga’s efforts are always approved with support and if the individual seeking to rectify a hostile situation attends their enemy’s Hujra, pleasant relations are most likely to resume.