People group profile · PG046349
The Pathan (Marwadi) of India
The Pathan (Marwadi) of India, numbering about 285,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a socioreligious community of Muslim warriors of Afghan origin, distributed across India, speaking Pushto and local languages, the name believed derived from the native word Pukhtana, traditionally employed as soldiers.
They are a diaspora people in the Pashtun people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Marwari (India).
Fast facts
- Country
- India
- Population
- 285,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Pashtun
- Primary language
- Marwari (India) (rwr)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Southern Asia, Asia
- Location
- Rajasthan: Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jodhpur, and Pali districts; Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh states; thoughout India
Where they live
Gospel status
The Pathan (Marwadi) are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Pathan (Marwadi)
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
Primary language
Marwari (India) · Indo-European family
100% speak Marwari (India)
Gospel resources in Marwari (India)
- Bible available, published 2023
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Pathan (Marwadi)
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
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