A group of Pashtun tribesmen (1879-1880)

This photograph of a group of mountain tribesmen, most likely Afghan Pashtuns, is from an album of rare historical photographs depicting people and places associated with the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The term “Afghan” is very ancient and originally was used to denote only Pashto speakers or the Pashtun people, the dominant ethnic group in the country.Nowadays Afghan refers to any citizen of Afghanistan, regardless of tribal heritage. These men, apparently warrior tribesmen, are wearing traditional loose-fitting clothing and longis (turbans) and holding jezails (elongated heavy Afghan muskets) or possibly long wooden sticks.

Credit: Library of Congress