The great majority of pashtuns live in the countryside, while the afghan cities are more influenced by persian civilisation and culture. Afghanistan a nation of minorities by nassim jawad r e p o r t minority rights group international m r g a minority rights groups international report 922 afghanistan. Raceethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health critical. Islam is the religion of more than 99% of afghanistans citizens. As the largest ethnic group in afghanistan anywhere between 42 and 60 percent of the population, pashtuns have been the. Several major religions have their origins in the middle east, including judaism, christianity, and islam.
Ethnicity race, ethnicity, and tribes in afghanistan. Pakistan and afghanistan institute for the study of war. Pashtun peoples are the largest ethnic group in the south of the country, while tajiks and uzbeks are concentrated along the norther borders, and the hazara in the central highlands. The history of the middle east dates back to ancient times, with the geopolitical importance of the region being recognized for millennia. A cultural and political history by thomas barfield is a learned, detailed, well written book by an anthropologist, not a historian. Nov 03, 2015 the us lost the war after neglecting and sidelining the majority ethnic group in afghanistan i. They form an ethnic majority in uzbekistan accounting for 75. Most middle eastern countries out of 18 are part of the arab world. The economist explains the roots of afghanistans tribal tensions. Contributors to the volume are established scholars in their fields and successfully focus on the pertinent issues with a good mix of facts, analysis, and theoretical orientation. Though all afghans face the threat of violence, the risks are especially high for many of its ethnic and religious minorities, who have. Karzai wins majority in afghanistan election the new york times. Ethnic supremacy seeing revival in afghanistan asia times.
The contributions are pertinent and valuable to students of comparative politics generally, as well as to specialists on the selected countries. Myanmars election minority report asia the economist. Afghanistan and pakistan ethnic groups national geographic. Pashtuns are the most common out of all the different ethnic groups in afghanistan 42% total population of afghanistan speak pashtu they live mainly in the southeast of afghanistan or in the capital, kabul, the pashtuns amir and baba live in kabul. The shuriaenezar group was a key player in the afghan civil war that followed the antisoviet jihad. Leading in numbers for the largest ethnic group is the pashtuns, known by many other names such as pakhtuns, the pathans, or the persian afghans. The types of diversity in asia are cultural, religious, economic and historical. The ethnic groups have adapted to mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests, while on the coasts of asia, resident ethnic groups have adopted various methods of harvest and transport. List of books and articles about afghan history online. Thomas barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in afghanistan, explaining what unites them as afghans despite the regional, cultural, and. Tajiks, the countrys secondlargest group after pushtuns, are ancient too.
Available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostlytribal society. The crisis and politics of ethnicity in afghanistan. Pashtun, tajik, hazara, uzbek, aymaq, turkmen, baloch, pashai, nuristani, gujjar, arab, brahui, pamiri, kyrgyzand a few others. French and german and does not take into consideration books and. The human rights of minorities amnesty international.
There is a substantial amount of intermarriage between the ethnic groups. On this map, both the baloch and pashtun ethnolinguistic groups straddle the 2640kilometer 1640mile border between afghanistan and pakistan, known as the durand line. Name the 4 ethnic groups that make up the majority of afghanistan s population. Topping the list of all these ethnic groups are the pashtuns, tajiks, uzbeks and the hazaras. Afghanistan runs the risk of being forgotten by the world. In this falsecolor satellite image vegetation appears fluorescent green, urban areas range in. 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. The pashtun element in afghan society openedition books. Pashtun make up the largest ethnic group in afghanistan, followed by tajiks, hazara, uzbek, aimaks, baloch, and others. Mounting evidence indicates that racialethnic differences in morbidity and mortality are tied to socioeconomic resources hayward, crimmins, miles, and yu, 2000. The total number of tajiks in afghanistan was around 4.
Afghanistan is bordered by pakistan to the east and south. The us lost the war after neglecting and sidelining the majority ethnic group in afghanistan i. Afghanistan is bordered by iran on the west, by pakistan on the east and south, and by turkmenistan, uzbekistan, and tajikistan on the north. Thus we are privileged to see the landscape, the people, and rulers, the events through different eyes. Most are former warlords, who cut deals over the distribution. Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the mughal empire in the sixteenth century to the taliban resurgence today. Despite a plethora of books about afghanistan in the last few years, a good. In the eastern and south central portions afghans or pashtuns, who make up the countrys largest ethnic group, are dominant, and baluchis live in the extreme south. Educational levels are related within and across the generations in each racial ethnic group.
Arabs constitute the majority ethnic group in the region, followed by turks. 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. Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring tajikistan, a country that was created north of. All told, 14 recognised ethnic groups live in afghanistan today. Ethnic conflict can erupt when a majority group controls the state, having at its disposal the institutions of government and the legitimate exercise of force, as well as the funding and infrastructure needed to carry out military operations. Afghanistans ethnic diversity does not mean that the members of the different ethnic groups do not interact. Dari, also called farsi afghan persian, pashto afghan, and various turkic tongues mainly uzbek and turkmen are the countrys principal languages. The main insurgent group in afghanistan, taliban, does not have a sectarian agenda, and there is. List the percentage of the population and origin of the group next to the label. Most analysis on afghanistan has been written from a biased and now outdated cold war viewpoint, seeing afghanistan only as a minor player in the superpower game rather than in human terms. In the 90s, afghanistans civil war broke down largely along ethnic lines.
Report hazaras and afghan insurgent groups refworld. Multilingualism is common throughout the country, especially in the major cities. May 08, 20 in the 90s, afghanistan s civil war broke down largely along ethnic lines. 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 pashtuns also pukhtuns or pushtuns, historically known as ethnic afghans or pathans, are. The following is a list of contemporary ethnic groups. There has been constant debate over the classification of ethnic groups.
In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistan s capital. Before the period of war when a rigid ethnic hierarchy reigned, suppression of dissent happened as part of an ethnic despotism far more efficient and centralized, with far wider reach over the countrys territory. Jan 03, 20 afghan census dodges questions of ethnicity and language. Demographics top at least two major ethnic groupsthe pashtuns and the baluchslive on both sides of the durand line. The vast majority of kunduzs district chiefs are affiliated with jamiat. The taliban are fighting the opposition on several fronts. Largely because of data availability, most of this evidence is based on the health experiences of blacks and whites, with much less evidence on. This report is principally about the peoples of afghanistan, how war and power. They are of iranian descent and primarily speak dari. 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. Apr 12, 2016 an approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below. An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below.
Afghan minority language editions books for afghanistan. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in afghanistan, comprising 42 percent of the population or. There are several other smaller ethnic groups scattered around the country, such as the nuristanis, who live in the remote mountains northeast of kabul along the pakistan border. This work provides encyclopedic coverage of a wide array of central, north, and east asian ethnic groups, including those in eastern russia, kazakhstan, uzbekistan, kyrgyzstan, turkmenistan, tajikistan, afghanistan, china, taiwan, japan, and the koreas. After centuries of discrimination, abuse, and even ethnic cleansing, the countrys thirdlargest ethnic group has at last managed to find peace and even prosperity in the new afghanistan. Ethnicity, space, and politics in afghanistan scholarlycommons. Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring tajikistan, a country that was created north of afghanistan in 1991. Tajiks are the second largest ethnic group in afghanistan, after the pashtuns and comprise between 2530% of the population. The modern uzbek language has been derived from the chagatai language which was prominent in the timurid empire.
These are the worst figures since the united nations assistance mission in afghanistan began publishing its casualty figures in 2009. But what is actually known about these ethnic groups in terms of their culture. Afghanistans national anthem recognizes 14 ethnic groups among the countrys 27 million people. The tool used to assess the availability of studies on afghanistan s ethnic groups is the most recent edition of the afghanistan analyst bibliography, which covers sources from the late 1950s to the present. Bamyan program for culture and conflict studies naval. The afghan national anthem and the afghan constitution mention a total of 14 ethnic groups. For more than 3,000 years, kabul has occupied a strategic location along central and southern asian trade routes.
Tribalism is not a feature of every ethnic group in afghanistan. They speak the hazaragi variant of persian, one of the two official languages of afghanistan they are the thirdlargest ethnic group in afghanistan, also making up a significant minority group in the neighboring pakistan, with a population of. Ethnic groups in afghanistan ethnic group 20042014 estimate pashtun 42% tajik 27% of this 1% are qizilbash hazara 8% uzbek 9% aimaq 4% turkmen 3% baloch 2% others pashayi, nuristani, arab, brahui, pamiri, gurjar, etc. 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. Karzai wins majority in afghanistan election the new. Pushtuns are the largest minority in afghanistan possibly 8. Especially those that enjoy targeting afghanistan in order to disrupt its ethnic diversity refering to readers from dubai, etc. Taliban, taleban religious cults, sects and movements. The study and understudy of afghanistans ethnic groups.
Afghanistan is a large country in south asia and is home to many different ethnic groups. Name the 4 ethnic groups that make up the majority of afghanistans population. These ethnic groups have bold differences, besides the fact that they all have been going off of each other for hundreds of years. Uzbeks are the largest turkic group in uzbekistan and the entire of central asia. A cultural and political history princeton studies in muslim. Perceiving them as a formidable ethnic group, the pakistani establishment has. According to 2010 data from the us department of state, the largest ethnic group in afghanistan is the pashtun including kuchis, comprising 42% of. 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 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 persianspeaking ethnic groups, as well as the turkic minorities, live in the. The taliban are sunni muslims and mostly pashtun the majority ethnic group of afghanistan, while the opposition alliance comprises religious and ethnic minorities, including shiites, tajiks, hazaras and uzbeks. In the late eighteenth century, kabul was established as afghanistans capital.
China considers larger role in afghanistan peace process. Pashtuns make up an estimated 42% of the population of contemporary afghanistan. The pashtun are the largest minority, making up some 38 percent of the population, but like the tajik 25 percent, hazara 19 percent and uzbek 6 percent they are part of a group whose majority lives in another country. They practice subsistence farming and also keep livestock. Jan 18, 2020 in a multiethnic country with no clear demographic majority, an overwhelming hold on power by one group can bode ill. The last national census was conducted in the 1970s. Pir roshan is believed to have written a number of pashto books while fighting with the mughals. Afghanistan is a giant mix of a many of ethnic groups. Afghanistan is a multilingual country with one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. Jan 25, 2016 china considers larger role in afghanistan peace process. Afghan census dodges questions of ethnicity and language. Ethnic identity and genealogies program for culture and conflict.
To this day, each ethnic group has its chief power broker. Membership of an ethnic group tends to be associated with shared ancestry, history, homeland, language or dialect and cultural heritage. List of books and articles about ethnic conflict online. Kunduz program for culture and conflict studies naval. The pashtuns lie south of the hindu kush, but pashtun groups are scattered all over the country.
The kharoti clan are the second largest ghilzai pashtun tribal group. They claim to be descendants of alexander the great. The pashtuns founded the kingdom of afghanistan in 1747, and have been the dominant ethnic group in the country ever since. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads. The nation is composed of a multi ethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between central asia, southern asia, and western asia. Afghanistan s beautiful architecture is seen in their mosques and homes. The tajiks in afghanistan tend to live in settled communities as opposed to a nomadic lifestyle. The largest ethnic group, the pashtuns, who before 1979 dominated the government. Conrad schetter, ethnicity and the political reconstruction of afghanistan, center for development studies zef. The population of the country is divided into the following ethnolinguistic groups. Only about 31% of the adult population over 15 years of age can read, and female literacy levels are on average only 17%. The taliban are fighting the opposition on several fronts to extend their rule over the entire country. Afghan ethnicities presentation notes flashcards quizlet.
The us strategy of appeasing the minority over the majority was always going to backfire. Afghanistan s ethnic diversity does not mean that the members of the different ethnic groups do not interact. Asia is quickly becoming one of the most important regions of the worldculturally, economically, and politically. Nov 20, 2001 there is no majority ethnic group in afghanistan. Afghanistan s brutal conflict shows little sign of abating, with over 3,804 civilians killed and 7,189 injured during 2018. Afghanistan, iran, and pakistan ali banuazizi, myron weiner syracuse university press, aug 1, 1988 history 404 pages. The fragmented state of the more than 35 million pashtuns in pakistan and afghanistan is a key factor in this crisis. What is most remarkable in the study of afghanistan s ethnic groups is the disparity in who gets studied and who does not. The party was founded by ahmed shah masood in an effort to offset the power of pashtun ethnic majority in afghanistan. The correlation between years of education of father and mother in the hrs is 0. A cultural and political history princeton studies in. What is most remarkable in the study of afghanistans ethnic groups is the disparity in who gets studied and who does not. Conrad schetter, ethnicity and the political reconstruction of afghanistan, center for development studies zef university of bonn, germany, working paper 3, 2004.
Pashtuns are the most common out of all the different ethnic groups in afghanistan42% total population of afghanistan speak pashtu they live mainly in the southeast of afghanistan or in the capital, kabul, the pashtuns amir and baba live in kabul. This report seeks to shed light on the situation for one ethnic group in the country, and is. Studies show that we all learn to read more easily if we begin to do so in our mother tongue, but storybooks for children in these. Aug 14, 2011 according to 2010 data from the us department of state, the largest ethnic group in afghanistan is the pashtun including kuchis, comprising 42% of afghans.
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