Largely shia by religion and farsispeaking, the hazaras traditionally inhabited central afghanistan although because of the war they are now scattered in large numbers across the country and in neighbouring countries as well. Tajiks are believed to have iranian origins, and are also referred to as farsi. This same location introduced the tribes in afghanistan to tea early on, as china sent. The majority of the book focuses on the period from 1747, when modern afghanistan was founded under ahmad shah, to the present. Thomas barfield, a professor of anthropology at boston university, seeks to answer the questions of how afghanistans cultural and political history has both united the country and torn it apart on a cyclical basis and how this cycle has repeated under the current us occupation. Hey all, think you would really like my veteran friends book, does my suicide vest make me look fat. This would tend to decrease the punjabs population further. Aimaq, meaning tribe in turkic mongolic oymaq, is not an ethnic denomination.
By shaista wahab 2010 this is a basic history book and a good choice for teens interested in an overview of afghanistan from prehistory to 2006. Afghan ethnic tensions rise in media and politics the. The races, ethnicities, and tribes of afghanistan are a major conflict in the kite runner, by khaled hosseini. An anthropologist, as was dupree, who personally visited most areas of afghanistan, barfield is able to put the bewildering complexity of tribes, ethnic groups, religious sects, warlords.
Hazaras occupy the rugged central highlands regions in afghanistan. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan from 16thcentury mughal rulers, to daring victorian spies and todays taliban, the travel writer and historian picks his favourites from a rich. Thus we are privileged to see the landscape, the people, and rulers, the events through different eyes. The smaller entities are compared with washington, dc 178 sq km, 69 sq mi or the mall in washington, dc 0. In this falsecolor satellite image vegetation appears fluorescent green, urban areas range in. They live in the valleys north of kabul and in badakhshan. Lying along important trade routes connecting southern and eastern asia to europe and the middle east, afghanistan has long been a prize sought by empire builders.
However, during these days, one sees the resuming of. This wellresearched and lucidly written book examines the effect of the recent wars in afghanistan on the countrys ethnic mosaic, state institutions, and capacity to function as a sovereign state. Da afghanistan qawmona catalog record only historical and genealogical study of pushtun tribes living in afghanistan from 12th century to. Respondents to federal data collections are permitted to report more than one race, and are asked. Ethnic groups of afghanistan colonel by secondary school. Sep 10, 2014 the tool used to assess the availability of studies on afghanistans ethnic groups is the most recent edition of the afghanistan analyst bibliography, which covers sources from the late 1950s to the present. The border was established in 1893 via an agreement between abdur rahman khan, the emir or ruler of afghanistan, and sir mortimer durand, foreign secretary of the british raj. The jewish tribes migrated to afghanistan from isreal where they were kicked. Publications center for afghanistan studies university. Smaller ethnic groups, such as kashmiris, kalash, burusho, brahui, khowar, shina, and turwalis are mainly found in the northern parts of the country. Lc land ownership maps, 1123 available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. Afghanistan culture overview for a long period in history, afghanistan has been ravaged by invasions, civil wars and terrorist activities. Durrani and ghilzai are generally considered to be the most influential according willem vogelsang, author of the 2002 book entitled, the. Few countries have a history so permeated with conquest and conflict than that of afghanistan.
Author thomas barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in afghanistan and ultimately finds. Ethnic groups of afghanistan by yoda noori on prezi. The united states and the rest of the international community feared that afghanistans rival ethnic groups would use their regional power. The nation is composed of a multiethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between central asia, southern asia, and western asia. Even the air of this country has a story to tell about warfare. List of books and articles about taliban online research. May 08, 20 afghans confront sensitive issue of ethnicity afghanistan is set to issue new national ids that will have a persons ethnicity embedded in it electronically but not printed on it. Spanning over 652,000 square miles, the majoritymuslim countrys geography can be divided into the highlands, the northern plains and the southwestern plateau. Despite having a diverse political culture at the national level and being a multinational country. Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostlytribal society. Both in the text and in over a hundred illustrations, he identifies the major patterns of afghan history, society, and culture as they have developed from the stone age to the present. In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistans capital. Most entities are compared with the entire us or one of the 50 states based on area measurements 1990 revised provided by the us bureau of the census.
Afghanistan is a large country in south asia and is home to many different ethnic groups. Mar 27, 20 william dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan from 16thcentury mughal rulers, to daring victorian spies and todays taliban, the travel writer and historian picks his favourites from a rich. Through case studies in the city of herat western afghanistan, the remote provincial capital faizabad northeastern afghanistan, and the village of khadir central afghanistan, sakata discusses traditional islamic concepts of music and musician and interprets modern attitudes towards them both. An increase in the number of afghans voting outside their ethnicity, therefore, is an indicator of greater trust in other ethnicities, and a belief that other subnational. Nov 05, 2017 as stated in the description, all ethnic groups of afghanistan with the exclusion of a few very minor groups with no photographs or much information available. The ancient land and the modern nation of afghanistan are the subject of louis duprees book. Oct 14, 2014 the modern nationstate of afghanistan has formed as a result of two main factors. Afghanistans demographic distribution coupled with a difficult geography poses serious challenges for any form of central rule. Barfields book will become the single best source on afghan history and. This atmosphere has disrupted and overturned much of the countrys social and cultural traditions. Afghanistan is bordered by iran on the west, by pakistan on the east and south, and by turkmenistan, uzbekistan, and tajikistan on the north. Pashtun, tajik, hazara, uzbek, baloch, turkmen, nuristani, pamiri, arab, gujar, brahui, qizilbash, aimaq, and pashai.
Afghanistan, and bin laden from the soviet invasion to september 10, 2001 by. The mazanderani people or tabari people are an iranian people whose homeland is the north of iran tabaristan. Ethnic political mobilization in contemporary afghanistan. As you would expect, there is a diverse range of ethnic groups within the country. Afghanistans 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups. Although soviet union occupation plays a role in the disaster, afghanistan has many different ethnic groups, resulting in the major. Afghanistan history, map, flag, capital, population. Afghan ethnicities presentation notes flashcards quizlet. Main ethnic differences between pashtun and hazara. The afghan national anthem and the afghan constitution mention a total of 14 ethnic groups. Rais provides an informative anaylsis of afghanistans intra and interethnic relations. The people of the potohar plateau in northern punjab, potoharis are sometimes listed separately from punjabis. Rasul bux rais this book examines the prospects for rebuilding state and nation in afghanistan with regard to operation enduring freedom carried out by the international coalition.
Pashtuns make up an estimated 42% of the population of contemporary afghanistan. The princeton legacy library uses the latest printondemand technology to again make. Afghanistan ethnic origins and languages afghanistans. However, during these days, one sees the resuming of a settled life and a return t. It is possible here to lift a piece of bread from a plate and following it back to its origins, collect a dozen stories concerning warhow it affected the hand that pulled it out of the oven, the hand that kneaded the dough, how war impinged upon the field where wheat was grown.
In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistan s capital. This raised the percentage of hazaras in afghanistan from 8% in 1978 to 14% in 1987. Raisa masud and yelda nuri turkmen hazara make up about 20% of the population of afghanistan of mongolian descent sunni muslim have been massacred for ethnic cleansing. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books. As stated in the description, all ethnic groups of afghanistan with the exclusion of a few very minor groups with no photographs or much information available. This is a study of the second largest but least wellknown ethnic group in afghanistan. While the formal census of afghanistan people does not include ethnic orientation, the 2004 constitution lists 14 different ethnicities central intelligence agency, 2015. Afghanistans ethnic divides abubakar siddique senior correspondent covering afghanistan and pakistan for rferls. Minorsky and others, the name afghan appears in the 982 ce hududalalam geography book. The tajiks tadzhiks, are the second largest ethnic group in afghanistan.
Like a number of other afghan ethnic groups, the pushtun extend beyond afghanistan into pakistan where they constitute a major ethnic group of about 14 million. The hazaras now constitute about 9% of afghanistans. Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority. History and conflict between ethnic groups in afghanistan. History and conflict between ethnic groups in afghanistan a young man in kabul, afghanistan by vivian nemenyi afghanistan is a warzone, filled with treachery and hatred spewing from different ethnic groups. Ethnicity concentrated in the mountainous highlands of afghanistan called hazarajathazarajat is an undeveloped rural areadrawn out of valleys, due to persecution in occupied areasmongolian ancestry central asiaoriginated from descendents of traveling mongol soldiers and traders of the silk routereligion. A cultural and political history by thomas barfield is a learned, detailed, well written book by an anthropologist, not a historian. Other major tribes include the wardak, jaji, tani, jadran, mangal, khugiani, safi, mohmand and shinwari. Jul 29, 2010 afghanistan s demographic distribution coupled with a difficult geography poses serious challenges for any form of central rule. Race and ethnicity standards are determined by the u. Ethnicity race, ethnicity, and tribes in afghanistan. On this map, both the baloch and pashtun ethnolinguistic groups straddle the 2640kilometer 1640mile border between afghanistan and pakistan, known as the durand line. The tool used to assess the availability of studies on afghanistans ethnic groups is the most recent edition of the afghanistan analyst bibliography, which covers sources from the late 1950s to the present.
Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south asia bordering china, pakistan, iran, tajikistan, uzbekistan and turkmenistan. The population of afghanistan is around 37,5,635 in 2019, which includes the roughly 3 million afghan citizens living as refugees in both pakistan and iran. Afghans confront sensitive issue of ethnicity afghanistan is set to issue new national ids that will have a persons ethnicity embedded in it electronically but not printed on it. He has spent the past decade researching and writing about security, political, humanitarian and cultural issues in pakistan, afghanistan, and the pashtun heartland along the border region where he was born. Afghanistan s 2004 constitution recognizes 14 ethnic groups. The television and radio dials in afghanistan are crowded with partisan stations that glorify their leaders. Mar 02, 2020 afghanistan, landlocked multiethnic country located in the heart of southcentral asia. A cultural and political history by thomas barfield. Afghanistan population 2020 demographics, maps, graphs. His best friend and half brother, hassan, is hazara. Ethnicity actually brings out a major conflict of the story. What is most remarkable in the study of afghanistans ethnic groups is the disparity in who gets studied and who does not.
As far as pakistan is concerned, its pashtun population is a means of not just securing the core, but is also a medium through which the pakistani state can project power into afghanistan. A cultural and political history princeton studies in. Of the 31 million or so afghan residents, 42% are pashtun, 27% tajik, 9% hazara, 9% uzbek, 4% aimak, 3% turkmen, 2% baloch and 4% fall into an unspecified other group. This, accordingly, lowered the percentage of pashtuns in afghanistans population and raised the percentages of the countrys other ethnic groups until the mid1990s when many of the refugees returned. The kite runner ethnic groups in afghanistan afghanistan has approximately 8 major ethnic groups residing within 34 provinces or ministates, each. For more than 3,000 years, kabul has occupied a strategic location along central and southern asian trade routes. Race and ethnicity classifications state data center. Ethnic groups of pakistan simple english wikipedia, the. The troubled central asian country needs to develop a political system based on a panafghan vision. The taliban emerged as a significant force in afghanistan in 1994 when they were assigned by pakistan to protect a convoy in afghanistan, which marked the.
The crisis and politics of ethnicity in afghanistan. The colonial rivalry between russia and the british in central asia, and internal subjugation of different nations and ethnicities by the rulers of afghanistan. Bookprinted material, pashto, history library of congress. Turkmen are a minority in afghanistan they can also be found near. Available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. The book begins with an introduction, an overview chapter on the afghans, and. Like the closely related gilaks, the mazanderanis are a caspian people who inhabit the south coast of the caspian sea, part of the historical region that used to be called tabaristan and are currently one of the main ethnic groups residing in the northern parts of iran. The majority of the book focuses on the period from 1747, when modern afghanistan was founded under ahmad shah, to. A cip catalogue record for this book is available for the. The modern nationstate of afghanistan has formed as a result of two main factors. The pashtuns speak pashto, which is an indoeuropean language and one of the two official languages of afghanistan. Afghanistan, landlocked multiethnic country located in the heart of southcentral asia.
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