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] groups of Afghanistan]] ] groups of Afghanistan]]
] is a ]. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ]. The ethnic groups of the country are as follow: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and some others. The ] mentions a total of 14 ethnic groups. ] is a ]. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ]. The ethnic groups of the country are as follow: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and some others. The ] mentions a total of 14 ethnic groups.


==National identity== ==National identity==
{{Further|Afghan|Afghan (ethnonym)|Name of Afghanistan}} {{Further|Afghan|Afghan (ethnonym)|Name of Afghanistan}}
The term "]" has been mentioned as early as the 3rd century AD referring to the ] inhabiting the lands between the ] and the ], mainly south of the ] around the ]. It became prominent during the ], ], and ] dynasties of ]. Believed to be synonymous with "] speaker" (Pashto speaker), the name became the national identity of Afghanistan in modern times.<ref name="Kieffer">{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afgan-in-current-political-usage-any-citizen-of-afghanistan-whatever-his-ethnic-tribal-or-religious-affiliation |title=Afghan |first=Ch. M. |last=Kieffer |publisher=] |quote=From a more limited, ethnological point of view, “Afḡān” is the term by which the Persian-speakers of Afghanistan (and the non-Paṧtō-speaking ethnic groups generally) designate the Paṧtūn. The equation Afghans = Paṧtūn has been propagated all the more, both in and beyond Afghanistan, because the Paṧtūn tribal confederation is by far the most important in the country, numerically and politically.}}</ref> Despite being of various ethnic groups, in a research poll that was conducted in 2009, 72% of the population labelled their identity as Afghan first, before ethnicity.<ref name="ABCBBCARD">, February 9th, 2009, p. 38–40</ref> The term "]" is synonymous with the ethnonym "]" and has been mentioned as early as the 3rd century, referring to the tribes inhabiting the lands south of the ] around the ]. It became prominent during the ], ], and ] dynasties of ]. The name became the national identity of Afghanistan in modern times.<ref name="Kieffer">{{cite web|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afgan-in-current-political-usage-any-citizen-of-afghanistan-whatever-his-ethnic-tribal-or-religious-affiliation |title=Afghan |first=Ch. M. |last=Kieffer |publisher=] |quote=From a more limited, ethnological point of view, “Afḡān” is the term by which the Persian-speakers of Afghanistan (and the non-Paṧtō-speaking ethnic groups generally) designate the Paṧtūn. The equation Afghans = Paṧtūn has been propagated all the more, both in and beyond Afghanistan, because the Paṧtūn tribal confederation is by far the most important in the country, numerically and politically.}}</ref> Despite being of various ethnic groups, in a research poll that was conducted in 2009, 72% of the population labelled their identity as Afghan first, before ethnicity.<ref name="ABCBBCARD">, February 9th, 2009, p. 38–40</ref>


While national ] is not uniform, at the same time, the various ethnic groups have no clear boundaries between each other and there is much overlap.<ref name=LOC></ref> Additionally, ethnic groups are not racially homogenous. Due to their higher population figures, the ] is perhaps the most dominant within the country, creating some uniformity. A lot of national and cultural aspects of the country reflect the Pashtun culture. For example, among others things, the Pashtun attan dance, performed to ], has become the Afghan national dance; the ] has become a symbol of the national outfit; and the ] is in the Pashto language. While national ] is not uniform, at the same time, the various ethnic groups have no clear boundaries between each other and there is much overlap.<ref name=LOC></ref> Additionally, ethnic groups are not racially homogenous. Even though all ethnic groups in Afghanistan have their own culture and traditions, there are certain tradiditions and celebrations that the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan have adopted from each other. ] is the Persian New Year, which was originally only celebrated by the ] of Afghanistan, but is now adopted by all of the inhabitants of Afghanistan. Or the ] which is originally a dance performed by ], is now the National dance of Afghanistan.


Since ] is fraught with regional cleavages any notion of an Afghan ] is absent until the rise of the ] and ] in the early-18th century. Important Persian figures from the past such as ] and ] are generally not identified as ethnic Afghans, at least according to academics, while they are generally included within the context of the collective history of the modern nation-state in the geographic sense.<ref>]. 2002. "." Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-19841-5.</ref> Since ] is fraught with regional cleavages any notion of an Afghan ] is absent until the rise of the ] and ] in the early-18th century.


==Ethnic groups== ==Ethnic groups==
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===Pashtun=== ===Pashtun===
{{Further|Pashtun people|List of Pashtuns|Pashtun tribes}} {{Further|Pashtun people|List of Pashtuns|Pashtun tribes}}
] areas in orange.]]
] of Afghanistan]] ] of Afghanistan]]
The ] (ethnic Afghans) make up the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising between 42% and 60% of the country's population.<ref>See: The ] (ethnic Afghans) make up the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising between 40% of the country's population.<ref>See:
* {{cite web |author=|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af|title=Afghan Population: 31,108,077 (July 2013 est.) |publisher=]|work=Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)|accessdate=7 June 2013}} * {{cite web |author=|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2119.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=af&regionCode=sas&#af|title=Afghan Population: 31,108,077 (July 2013 est.) |publisher=]|work=Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)|accessdate=7 June 2013}}
* {{cite web |author=|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/key_maps/ethnic_pashtun.stm|title=Ethnic groups|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=7 June 2013|quote=Pashtun: Estimated to be in excess of 45% of the population, the Pashtuns have been the most dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.}} * {{cite web |author=|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/key_maps/ethnic_pashtun.stm|title=Ethnic groups|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=7 June 2013|quote=Pashtun: Estimated to be in excess of 45% of the population, the Pashtuns have been the most dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.}}
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* {{cite web|url=http://www.hewad.com/ethnic.htm |title=The ethnic composition of afghanistan in different sources|accessdate=April 22, 2012}}</ref> Their ancestral territory, sometimes called ], is between the ] mountains in Afghanistan and the ] in neighboring Pakistan, where they are the second largest ]. After the rise of the Hotaki dynasty in 1709 and the Durrani Empire in 1747, Pashtuns expanded by forming communities north of the Hindu Kush and elsewhere in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0311/feature2/images/mp_download.2.pdf |title=Ethnic map of Afghanistan|format=PDF|publisher=]|work=Thomas Gouttierre, Center For Afghanistan Studies, ]; Matthew S. Baker, ]|year=2003|accessdate=24 October 2010}}</ref> Smaller populations of Pashtuns are also found in the eastern section of ], next to the border with Afghanistan.<ref></ref> * {{cite web|url=http://www.hewad.com/ethnic.htm |title=The ethnic composition of afghanistan in different sources|accessdate=April 22, 2012}}</ref> Their ancestral territory, sometimes called ], is between the ] mountains in Afghanistan and the ] in neighboring Pakistan, where they are the second largest ]. After the rise of the Hotaki dynasty in 1709 and the Durrani Empire in 1747, Pashtuns expanded by forming communities north of the Hindu Kush and elsewhere in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0311/feature2/images/mp_download.2.pdf |title=Ethnic map of Afghanistan|format=PDF|publisher=]|work=Thomas Gouttierre, Center For Afghanistan Studies, ]; Matthew S. Baker, ]|year=2003|accessdate=24 October 2010}}</ref> Smaller populations of Pashtuns are also found in the eastern section of ], next to the border with Afghanistan.<ref></ref>
] ] at the 2011 ] in Kabul.]] ] ] at the 2011 ] in Kabul.]]
There are conflicting theories about the origin of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. A variety of ancient groups with ]s similar to ''Pukhtun'' have been hypothesized as possible ancestors of modern Pashtuns. The Greek historian ] mentioned a people called '']'', living in the ]'s ] ] as early as the ].<ref name="Heredotus"> of ''The History of Herodotus'' (trans. ]; originally written 440&nbsp;BC) (retrieved 10 January 2007)</ref> Since the 3rd century AD and onward they are mostly referred to by the ] ''"]"'', a name believed to be given to them by neighboring Persian people.<ref name="Habibi">{{cite web |url=http://www.alamahabibi.com/English%20Articles/Afghan_and_Afghanistan.htm |title=Afghan and Afghanistan |work=]|publisher=alamahabibi.com|year=1969|accessdate=2010-10-24}}</ref> Some believe that ethnic ''Afghan'' is an adaptation of the Prakrit ethnonym '']'', attested in the 6th century CE.<ref name="Kieffer"/> It was used to refer to a common legendary ancestor known as ''"]"'', propagated to be grandson of ].<ref name=Brit-Pashtun>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/445546/Pashtun |title=Pashtun |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref> There are conflicting theories about the origin of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. A variety of ancient groups with ]s similar to ''Pukhtun'' have been hypothesized as possible ancestors of modern Pashtuns. The Greek historian ] mentioned a people called '']'', living in the ]'s ] ] as early as the ].<ref name="Heredotus"> of ''The History of Herodotus'' (trans. ]; originally written 440&nbsp;BC) (retrieved 10 January 2007)</ref> Since the 3rd century AD and onward they are mostly referred to by the ] ''"]"'', a name believed to be given to them by neighboring Persian people.<ref name="Habibi">{{cite web |url=http://www.alamahabibi.com/English%20Articles/Afghan_and_Afghanistan.htm |title=Afghan and Afghanistan |work=]|publisher=alamahabibi.com|year=1969|accessdate=2010-10-24}}</ref> Some believe that ethnic ''Afghan'' is an adaptation of the Prakrit ethnonym '']'', attested in the 6th century CE.<ref name="Kieffer"/> It was used to refer to a common legendary ancestor known as ''"]"'', propagated to be grandson of ].<ref name=Brit-Pashtun>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/445546/Pashtun |title=Pashtun |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref>


According to scholars such as ] and others, the name ''Afghan'' appears in the 982 CE ] geography book. ] referred to a group of Afghans in the 11th century as various tribes living on the western frontier mountains of ] and Persia, which would be the area between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. According to other sources, some Pashtuns may be the ] who converted to Islam during the ]. Since the 13th century, some Pashtun tribes conquered areas outside their traditional Pashtun homeland by pushing deeper into ], often forming kingdoms such as the ].<ref name=Brit-Pashtun/> According to scholars such as ] and others, the name ''Afghan'' appears in the 982 CE ] geography book. ] referred to a group of Afghans in the 11th century as various tribes living on the western frontier mountains of ] and Persia, which would be the area between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. According to other sources, some Pashtuns may be the ] who converted to Islam during the ]. Since the 13th century, some Pashtun tribes conquered areas outside their traditional Pashtun homeland by pushing deeper into ], often forming kingdoms such as the ].<ref name=Brit-Pashtun/>


The modern Afghan national identity began to develop in the mid 18th century under the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who united all the tribes and formed the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html |title=Afghanistan |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref> Pashtuns are the traditional rulers of Afghanistan since the rise of the ] in 1709 or more specifically when the ] was created in 1747. They practice ] and follow the ] ]. The ], which is led by ], is dominated by Pashtun ministers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scis.org/SA_L2_A4_teacher_resource_2_10_p115.pdf |title=Afghan Government 2009 |work=Central Intelligence Agency |date=September 28, 2009 |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref> In the ], all of the eleven cadidates were Pashtuns. The modern Afghan national identity began to develop in the mid 18th century under the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who united all the Pashtun tribes and formed the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html |title=Afghanistan |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref> Pashtuns are the traditional rulers of Afghanistan since the rise of the ] in 1709 or more specifically when the ] was created in 1747. They practice ] and follow the ] ]. The ], which is led by ], is dominated by Pashtun ministers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scis.org/SA_L2_A4_teacher_resource_2_10_p115.pdf |title=Afghan Government 2009 |work=Central Intelligence Agency |date=September 28, 2009 |publisher=] |accessdate=2011-03-21}}</ref> In the ], all of the eleven cadidates were Pashtuns.


Some notable Pashtuns of Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ]s, Gailanis, and ]s. The ] were all Pashtuns, except one who ruled for only ten months in 1932. Some notable Pashtuns of Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], ]s, Gailanis, and ]s. The ] were all Pashtuns, except one who ruled for only ten months in 1932.
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{{Further|Tajik people|Farsiwan|Qizilbash}} {{Further|Tajik people|Farsiwan|Qizilbash}}
] of Afghanistan]] ] of Afghanistan]]
Tajiks form the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are ] and of unknown origin like the rest of the Afghans. Their official recognition began during the 11th century, referring to the groups of Persians in the area who were the "Turks' rivals, models, overlords (under the ]), and subjects (from ] times on)."<ref name="Perry">{{cite web |first=John |last=Perry |title=TAJIK i. THE ETHNONYM: ORIGINS AND APPLICATION |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tajik-i-the-ethnonym-origins-and-application |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |date=July 20, 2009 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> Before the 20th century they were called ]s.<ref name=Brit-Tajik/> Sub-groups of the Tajiks often include the ] and the ], but "neither can properly be called Tajiks."<ref name="Perry"/> The major difference between them is that Qizilbash are generally of the ] while the Tajiks practice Sunni Islam. Tajiks form the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are a ] people and closely related to the ] of ], often regarded as a sub-group of the Persians.<ref name="Perry">{{cite web |first=John |last=Perry |title=TAJIK i. THE ETHNONYM: ORIGINS AND APPLICATION |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tajik-i-the-ethnonym-origins-and-application |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |date=July 20, 2009 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> As a self-designation, the term ''Tajik'', which earlier on had been more or less pejorative, has become acceptable only during the last several decades, particularly as a result of ] administration in Central Asia.<ref name="EofI-Tadjik">{{cite encyclopedia |author=C.E. Bosworth, B.G. Fragner |title = TĀ<u>DJ</u>ĪK| encyclopedia = ]| edition = CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0| publisher = Koninklijke Brill NV| location = Leiden, The Netherlands| year = 1999}}</ref> Alternative names for the Tajiks are ''Fārsī'' (Persian), ''Fārsīwān'' (Persian-speaker), and ''Dīhgān'' (cf. {{lang-tg|Деҳқон, '']''}}, literally "farmer or settled villager", in a wider sense "settled" in contrast to "nomadic").<ref name=EofI-Afghanistan>{{cite encyclopedia |author=M. Longworth Dames, G. Morgenstierne, and R. Ghirshman |title = AF<u>GH</u>ĀNISTĀN| encyclopedia = ]| edition = CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0| publisher = Koninklijke Brill NV| location = Leiden, The Netherlands| year = 1999}}</ref> The ] are often included in sub-groups of the Tajiks, but according to some scholars, neither the Qizilbash nor the ] "can properly be called Tajiks."<ref name="Perry"/> The major difference between them is that Qizilbash and the Farsiwan are generally of the ], while the majority Tajiks practice Sunni Islam.
The area now known as Afghanistan was ruled by ancient Persian emperors beyond the modern boundaries from first hand, but they have lost control to the many invading powers, such as the ], ], ], and finally to the ]. The Tajiks were only able to rule and at the same time legitimize their rule as second- or even as immediate sub-rulers with some significant influence on the foreigners – with the exception of the short 10-month rule of ] in 1929.<ref name=Newell>Richard S. Newell "Post-Soviet Afghanistan: The Position of the Minorities". ''Asian Survey'', Vol. 29, No. 11 (Nov., 1989), pp. 1090–1108. Publisher: University of California Press</ref> The total number of Tajiks in Afghanistan was around 4.3 million in 1995,<ref name="LoC"/> and the ] explains that by the early 21st century they constituted about ] of the population.<ref name="Perry"/><ref name=Brit-Tajik>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/581024/Tajik |title=Tajik |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |quote=There were about 5,000,000 in Afghanistan, where they constituted about one-fifth of the population. |accessdate=November 6, 2011}}</ref>


The native areas of Tajiks were invaded and ruled by ancient ], ], ], and finally by the ] who are said to have annahilated Persian cities before setteling in them. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, large number of Tajiks fled the conquest of their native homeland by ] ] and settled in northern Afghanistan.<ref name="Wörmer">{{cite web |url=http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/fachpublikationen/wrm_2012_the_networks_of_Kunduz.pdf |quote=While non-Pashtun settlers from inside Afghanistan such as Tajiks, Hazara or Baluch people moved to ] during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as well, the most considerable wave of non-Pashtun immigration to the northeast occurred in the 1920s. By this time between one-and two-hundred thousand Tajiks and Uzbeks fled the conquest of their homeland by ] ] and settled in northern Afghanistan |title=The Networks of Kunduz: A History of Conflict and Their Actors, from 1992 to 2001 |last1=Wörmer |first1=Nils |date=2012 |website=Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik |publisher=] |page=8 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/afghanistan/afghanistancollection/afghanglossary/afghanglossary.html |title=Afghanistan: Glossary |quote=tajiks An ethnic minority group migrated from former Russian Turkestan, ethnically and linguistically Persian, residing north of the Hindu Kush and around Kabul |publisher=] |accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref> Tajiks were only able to rule and at the same time legitimize their rule as second- or even as immediate sub-rulers with some influence on the foreigners – with the exception of the short 10-month rule of ] in 1929.<ref name=Newell>Richard S. Newell "Post-Soviet Afghanistan: The Position of the Minorities". ''Asian Survey'', Vol. 29, No. 11 (Nov., 1989), pp. 1090–1108. Publisher: University of California Press</ref> The total number of Tajiks in Afghanistan was around 4.3 million in 1995,<ref name="LoC"/> and the ] explains that by the early 21st century they constituted about ] of the population.<ref name=Brit-Tajik>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/581024/Tajik |title=Tajik |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |quote=There were about 5,000,000 in Afghanistan, where they constituted about one-fifth of the population. |accessdate=November 6, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Perry"/> Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring ], a country that was created north of Afghanistan in 1991.<ref name=Brit-Tajik/> During the late 19th century and early 20th century, large number of Central Asian Tajiks fled the conquest of their native homeland by ] ] and settled in northern Afghanistan.<ref name="Wörmer">{{cite web |url=http://www.swp-berlin.org/fileadmin/contents/products/fachpublikationen/wrm_2012_the_networks_of_Kunduz.pdf |quote=While non-Pashtun settlers from inside Afghanistan such as Tajiks, Hazara or Baluch people moved to ] during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as well, the most considerable wave of non-Pashtun immigration to the northeast occurred in the 1920s. By this time between one-and two-hundred thousand Tajiks and Uzbeks fled the conquest of their homeland by ] ] and settled in northern Afghanistan |title=The Networks of Kunduz: A History of Conflict and Their Actors, from 1992 to 2001 |last1=Wörmer |first1=Nils |date=2012 |website=Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik |publisher=] |page=8 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/afghanistan/afghanistancollection/afghanglossary/afghanglossary.html |title=Afghanistan: Glossary |quote=tajiks An ethnic minority group migrated from former Russian Turkestan, ethnically and linguistically Persian, residing north of the Hindu Kush and around Kabul |publisher=] |accessdate=15 March 2008}}</ref>


Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring ], a country that was created north of Afghanistan in 1991.<ref name=Brit-Tajik/> In Afghanistan, large numbers of Tajiks can be found in the cities of Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Ghazni. Many are known to be in the ] (ANSF) while some in the major cities are bureaucrats, doctors, teachers, professors, traders, and ]s. Others live in rural areas, particularly in ], and engage in agriculture. The ethnic Tajiks are the closest rivals to Pashtuns for political power and prestige in Afghanistan. At the same time, they often engage in business partnerships and marriage contracts with each other. The ] which opposed the Taliban government was dominated by Tajiks. Some notable Tajiks from Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. In Afghanistan, Tajiks are the majority in the cities of Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Ghazni. Many are known to be in the ] (ANSF) while some in the major cities are bureaucrats, doctors, teachers, professors, traders, and ]s. Others live in rural areas, particularly in ], and engage in agriculture. The ethnic Tajiks are the closest rivals to Pashtuns for political power and prestige in Afghanistan. At the same time, they often engage in business partnerships and marriage contracts with each other. The ] which opposed the Taliban government was dominated by Tajiks. Some notable Tajiks from Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].


===Hazara=== ===Hazara===
{{Further|Hazara people}} {{Further|Hazara people}}
] of Afghanistan]] ] of Afghanistan]]
The ] is the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.<ref name="Khazeni">{{cite web |work=Arash Khazeni, Alessandro Monsutti, Charles M. Kieffer |title=HAZĀRA |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-1 |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |date=December 15, 2003 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> They are ] and reside mainly in the ] region in central Afghanistan. The Hazaras seem to have partial ] origins with admixture from surrounding indigenous, ] groups. Linguistically the Hazara speak a dialect of Persian, known as ], and sometimes their variant is interspersed with ] words. It is commonly believed that the Hazara are descendants of ]'s army, which invaded Afghanistan during the 12th century. Proponents of this view hold that many of the Mongol soldiers and their family members settled in the area and remained there after the ] dissolved in the 13th century, converting to Islam and adopting local customs. Most of the Hazaras practice ], while most of the other Afghans are ]. Hazaras living in Afghanistan were estimated in 1995 at about one million<ref name="LoC"/> and now they are between 1.5 <ref name=Brit-Hazara>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/257908/Hazara |title=Hazara |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate=November 6, 2011}}</ref> to 3 million. There are sizable Hazara communities in ] particularly in the city of ], and in Iran among the ]. The ] is the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.<ref name="Khazeni">{{cite web |work=Arash Khazeni, Alessandro Monsutti, Charles M. Kieffer |title=HAZĀRA |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-1 |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |date=December 15, 2003 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> They are ] and reside mainly in the ] region in central Afghanistan. The Hazaras seem to have partial ] origins with admixture from surrounding indigenous, ] groups. Linguistically the Hazara speak a dialect of Persian, known as ], and sometimes their variant is interspersed with ] words. It is commonly believed that the Hazara are descendants of ]'s army, which invaded Afghanistan during the 12th century. Proponents of this view hold that many of the Mongol soldiers and their family members settled in the area and remained there after the ] dissolved in the 13th century, converting to Islam and adopting local customs. Most of the Hazaras practice ], while most of the other Afghans are ]. Hazaras living in Afghanistan were estimated in 1995 at about one million<ref name="LoC"/> and now they are between 6-7.<ref name=Brit-Hazara>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/257908/Hazara |title=Hazara |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate=November 6, 2011}}</ref> to 8-9 million. There are sizable Hazara communities in ] particularly in the city of ], and in Iran among the ].
Some notable Hazaras of Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Some notable Hazaras of Afghanistan include: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].
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{{Further|Uzbeks}} {{Further|Uzbeks}}
] of Afghanistan]] ] of Afghanistan]]
The ] are the main Turkic people of Afghanistan whose native territory is in the northern regions of the country. Most likely the Uzbeks migrated with a wave of Turkic invaders and intermingled with local Iranian tribes over time to become the ethnic group they are today. By the 16th century the Uzbeks had settled throughout Central Asia and reached Afghanistan following the conquests of ]. The Uzbeks of Afghanistan are Sunni Muslims and usually bilingual, fluent in both Persian and ].<ref name="Dupree">{{cite web |work=] |date=July 1982 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-iv-ethnography |title=Af<u>gh</u>anistan: (iv.) ethnocgraphy |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> Uzbeks living in Afghanistan were estimated in the 1990s at approximately 1.3 million<ref name="LoC"/> but are now believed to be 2 million.<ref name=Brit-Uzbek>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/621020/Uzbek |title=Uzbek, |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate=2011-11-06}}</ref> The ] are the main Turkic people of Afghanistan whose native territory is in the northern regions of the country. Most likely the Uzbeks migrated with a wave of Turkic invaders and intermingled with local Iranian tribes over time to become the ethnic group they are today. By the 16th century the Uzbeks had settled throughout Central Asia and reached Afghanistan following the conquests of ]. The Uzbeks of Afghanistan are Sunni Muslims and usually bilingual, fluent in both Persian and ].<ref name="Dupree">{{cite web |work=] |date=July 1982 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-iv-ethnography |title=Af<u>gh</u>anistan: (iv.) ethnocgraphy |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |accessdate=2014-04-10}}</ref> Uzbeks living in Afghanistan were estimated in the 1990s at approximately 7 million<ref name="LoC"/> but are now believed to be 9 million.<ref name=Brit-Uzbek>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/621020/Uzbek |title=Uzbek, |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica |accessdate=2011-11-06}}</ref>


===Aimaq=== ===Aimaq===
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==Ethnic composition== ==Ethnic composition==
] groups of Afghanistan]] ] groups of Afghanistan]]
As of 2013, the total population of Afghanistan is 27.5 million,<ref>http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/04/30/afghan-population-set-reach-275m-year</ref> with additional three million or so temporarily living in neighboring ] and ]. The government began issuing computerized ID cards in which the ethnicity of each citizen is to be provided in the application.<ref name="14m Afghans to get computerised ID cards in a year">{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/02/24/14m-afghans-get-computerised-id-cards-year |title=14m Afghans to get computerised ID cards in a year |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |editor=Ghulam Hussain Zakiri |date=February 24, 2013 |accessdate=2013-05-04}}</ref> This process is expected to reveal the exact figures about the size and composition of the various ] living in the country.<ref name="Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance">{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/03/26/senators-stress-caution-id-cards-issuance |title=Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |editor=Abasin Zaheer |date=May 26, 2013 |accessdate=2013-05-04}}</ref> {{As of|2013}}, the total population of Afghanistan is 27.5 million,<ref>http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/04/30/afghan-population-set-reach-275m-year</ref> with additional three million or so temporarily living in neighboring ] and ]. The government began issuing computerized ID cards in which the ethnicity of each citizen is to be provided in the application.<ref name="14m Afghans to get computerised ID cards in a year">{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/02/24/14m-afghans-get-computerised-id-cards-year |title=14m Afghans to get computerised ID cards in a year |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |editor=Ghulam Hussain Zakiri |date=February 24, 2013 |accessdate=2013-05-04}}</ref> This process is expected to reveal the exact figures about the size and composition of the various ] living in the country.<ref name="Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance">{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/03/26/senators-stress-caution-id-cards-issuance |title=Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News |editor=Abasin Zaheer |date=May 26, 2013 |accessdate=2013-05-04}}</ref>


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:
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| align=center|38-50% | align=center|35-50%
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| align=center|9% | align=center|9%
| align=center|12-19% | align=center|19-25%
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| align=center|100,000 individuals | align=center|100,000 individuals
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| Others (], ], ], ], ], ], etc.) | Others (], ], ], ], ], ], ], etc.)
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| align=center|6.9% | align=center|6.9%
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| Others (Pashayi, Nuristani, Arab, etc.) | Others (Pashayi,Sadat, Nuristani, Arab, etc.)
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| align=center|1.4% | align=center|1.4%

Revision as of 22:26, 5 October 2014

Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a multiethnic society. The population of the country is divided into a wide variety of ethnolinguistic groups. The ethnic groups of the country are as follow: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Sadat, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui, Pamiri and some others. The Afghan National Anthem mentions a total of 14 ethnic groups.

National identity

Further information: Afghan, Afghan (ethnonym), and Name of Afghanistan

The term "Afghan" is synonymous with the ethnonym "Pashtun" and has been mentioned as early as the 3rd century, referring to the tribes inhabiting the lands south of the Hindu Kush around the Sulaiman Mountains. It became prominent during the Khilji, Lodi, and Suri dynasties of Northern India. The name became the national identity of Afghanistan in modern times. Despite being of various ethnic groups, in a research poll that was conducted in 2009, 72% of the population labelled their identity as Afghan first, before ethnicity.

While national culture of Afghanistan is not uniform, at the same time, the various ethnic groups have no clear boundaries between each other and there is much overlap. Additionally, ethnic groups are not racially homogenous. Even though all ethnic groups in Afghanistan have their own culture and traditions, there are certain tradiditions and celebrations that the different ethnic groups in Afghanistan have adopted from each other. Nowruz is the Persian New Year, which was originally only celebrated by the Persian people of Afghanistan, but is now adopted by all of the inhabitants of Afghanistan. Or the Attan which is originally a dance performed by Pashtuns, is now the National dance of Afghanistan.

Since Afghan history is fraught with regional cleavages any notion of an Afghan nation state is absent until the rise of the Hotakis and Durranis in the early-18th century.

Ethnic groups

Pashtun

Further information: Pashtun people, List of Pashtuns, and Pashtun tribes
Pashtuns of Afghanistan

The Pashtuns (ethnic Afghans) make up the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising between 40% of the country's population. Their ancestral territory, sometimes called Pashtunistan, is between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in neighboring Pakistan, where they are the second largest ethnic group. After the rise of the Hotaki dynasty in 1709 and the Durrani Empire in 1747, Pashtuns expanded by forming communities north of the Hindu Kush and elsewhere in Afghanistan. Smaller populations of Pashtuns are also found in the eastern section of Iran, next to the border with Afghanistan.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the 2011 Afghan Independence Day in Kabul.

There are conflicting theories about the origin of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. A variety of ancient groups with eponyms similar to Pukhtun have been hypothesized as possible ancestors of modern Pashtuns. The Greek historian Herodotus mentioned a people called Pactyans, living in the Achaemenid's Arachosia Satrap as early as the 1st millennium BC. Since the 3rd century AD and onward they are mostly referred to by the ethnonym "Afghan", a name believed to be given to them by neighboring Persian people. Some believe that ethnic Afghan is an adaptation of the Prakrit ethnonym Avagana, attested in the 6th century CE. It was used to refer to a common legendary ancestor known as "Afghana", propagated to be grandson of King Saul of Israel.

According to scholars such as V. Minorsky and others, the name Afghan appears in the 982 CE Hudud-al-Alam geography book. Al-Biruni referred to a group of Afghans in the 11th century as various tribes living on the western frontier mountains of Ancient India and Persia, which would be the area between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. According to other sources, some Pashtuns may be the Lost tribes of Israel who converted to Islam during the Arab Empire. Since the 13th century, some Pashtun tribes conquered areas outside their traditional Pashtun homeland by pushing deeper into South Asia, often forming kingdoms such as the Delhi Sultanate.

The modern Afghan national identity began to develop in the mid 18th century under the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who united all the Pashtun tribes and formed the last Afghan empire. Pashtuns are the traditional rulers of Afghanistan since the rise of the Hotaki dynasty in 1709 or more specifically when the Durrani Empire was created in 1747. They practice Sunni Islam and follow the Hanafi school of thought. The Karzai administration, which is led by Hamid Karzai, is dominated by Pashtun ministers. In the 2014, Afghan presidential election, all of the eleven cadidates were Pashtuns.

Some notable Pashtuns of Afghanistan include: Nazo Tokhi, Akbar Khan, Ayub Khan, Malalai of Maiwand, Abdul Ahad Momand, Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan Girl, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Hedayat Amin Arsala, Abdul Rahim Wardak, Sher Mohammad Karimi, Abdul Salam Azimi, Zalmai Rassoul, Omar Zakhilwal, Ghulam Farooq Wardak, Anwar ul-Haq Ahady, Daud Shah Saba, Mohammad Gulab Mangal, Gul Agha Sherzai, Asadullah Khalid, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Mohammad Ishaq Aloko, Mohammed Omar, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Ahmad Zahir, Nashenas, Ubaidullah Jan, Naghma, Farhad Darya, Suhaila Seddiqi, Shukria Barakzai, Fauzia Gailani, the Hotakis, Durranis, Tarzis, Gailanis, and Karzais. The monarchs of Afghanistan were all Pashtuns, except one who ruled for only ten months in 1932.

Tajik

Further information: Tajik people, Farsiwan, and Qizilbash
Tajiks of Afghanistan

Tajiks form the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are a Persian-speaking people and closely related to the Persians of Iran, often regarded as a sub-group of the Persians. As a self-designation, the term Tajik, which earlier on had been more or less pejorative, has become acceptable only during the last several decades, particularly as a result of Soviet administration in Central Asia. Alternative names for the Tajiks are Fārsī (Persian), Fārsīwān (Persian-speaker), and Dīhgān (cf. Template:Lang-tg, literally "farmer or settled villager", in a wider sense "settled" in contrast to "nomadic"). The Qizilbash are often included in sub-groups of the Tajiks, but according to some scholars, neither the Qizilbash nor the Farsiwan "can properly be called Tajiks." The major difference between them is that Qizilbash and the Farsiwan are generally of the Shia sect, while the majority Tajiks practice Sunni Islam. The area now known as Afghanistan was ruled by ancient Persian emperors beyond the modern boundaries from first hand, but they have lost control to the many invading powers, such as the Greeks, Turks, Arabs, and finally to the Mongols. The Tajiks were only able to rule and at the same time legitimize their rule as second- or even as immediate sub-rulers with some significant influence on the foreigners – with the exception of the short 10-month rule of Habibullah Kalakani in 1929. The total number of Tajiks in Afghanistan was around 4.3 million in 1995, and the Encyclopædia Britannica explains that by the early 21st century they constituted about one-fifth of the population.

Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring Tajikistan, a country that was created north of Afghanistan in 1991. During the late 19th century and early 20th century, large number of Central Asian Tajiks fled the conquest of their native homeland by Russian Red Army and settled in northern Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, Tajiks are the majority in the cities of Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul, and Ghazni. Many are known to be in the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) while some in the major cities are bureaucrats, doctors, teachers, professors, traders, and shopkeepers. Others live in rural areas, particularly in Badakhshan, and engage in agriculture. The ethnic Tajiks are the closest rivals to Pashtuns for political power and prestige in Afghanistan. At the same time, they often engage in business partnerships and marriage contracts with each other. The Northern Alliance which opposed the Taliban government was dominated by Tajiks. Some notable Tajiks from Afghanistan include: Habibullah Kalakani, Burhanuddin Rabbani, Ahmad Shah Massoud, Ahmad Zia Massoud, Mohammed Fahim, Yunus Qanuni, Ismail Khan, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Atta Muhammad Nur, Amrullah Saleh, Wasef Bakhtari, Abdul Latif Pedram, Massouda Jalal, Baz Mohammad Ahmadi, Mohammed Daud Daud, Abdul Basir Salangi, and Fawzia Koofi.

Hazara

Further information: Hazara people
Hazaras of Afghanistan

The Hazara is the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. They are Persian-speaking and reside mainly in the Hazarajat region in central Afghanistan. The Hazaras seem to have partial Mongolian origins with admixture from surrounding indigenous, Iranian-speaking groups. Linguistically the Hazara speak a dialect of Persian, known as Hazaragi, and sometimes their variant is interspersed with Mongolian words. It is commonly believed that the Hazara are descendants of Genghis Khan's army, which invaded Afghanistan during the 12th century. Proponents of this view hold that many of the Mongol soldiers and their family members settled in the area and remained there after the Mongol empire dissolved in the 13th century, converting to Islam and adopting local customs. Most of the Hazaras practice Shia Islam, while most of the other Afghans are Sunni. Hazaras living in Afghanistan were estimated in 1995 at about one million and now they are between 6-7. to 8-9 million. There are sizable Hazara communities in Pakistan particularly in the city of Quetta, and in Iran among the Afghan refugees.

Some notable Hazaras of Afghanistan include: Karim Khalili, Habiba Sarabi, Sarwar Danish, Sima Samar, Ramazan Bashardost, Abdul Haq Shafaq, Sayed Anwar Rahmati, Qurban Ali Oruzgani, Azra Jafari, Abdul Ali Mazari, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Rohullah Nikpai, Hamid Rahimi, and Fariba Rezayee.

Uzbek

Further information: Uzbeks
Uzbeks of Afghanistan

The Uzbeks are the main Turkic people of Afghanistan whose native territory is in the northern regions of the country. Most likely the Uzbeks migrated with a wave of Turkic invaders and intermingled with local Iranian tribes over time to become the ethnic group they are today. By the 16th century the Uzbeks had settled throughout Central Asia and reached Afghanistan following the conquests of Muhammad Shaybani. The Uzbeks of Afghanistan are Sunni Muslims and usually bilingual, fluent in both Persian and Uzbek. Uzbeks living in Afghanistan were estimated in the 1990s at approximately 7 million but are now believed to be 9 million.

Aimaq

Further information: Aymāq

Aimaq, meaning "tribe" in Turkic (Qaymaq), is not an ethnic denomination, but differentiates semi-nomadic herders and agricultural tribal groups of various ethnic origins including the Tajik, Hazara and Baluch, that were formed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They live among non-tribal people in the western areas of Badghis, Ghor and Herat provinces. They are Sunni Muslims, speak dialects of the Persian language close to Dari, and refer to themselves with tribal designations. Population estimates vary widely, from less than 500,000 to around 800,000. A group of about 120,000 live in neighboring Iranian Khorasan.

Turkmen

Further information: Turkmen people

The Turkmen are the smaller Turkic group who can also be found in neighboring Turkmenistan and Iran particularly around Mashad. They are Sunni Muslims, and their origins are very similar to that of the Uzbeks. Unlike the Uzbeks, however, the Turkmen are traditionally a nomadic people (though they were forced to abandon this way of life in Turkmenistan itself under Soviet rule). In the 1990s their number was put at around 200,000.

Baloch

Further information: Baloch people and Brahui people
Baloch of Nimruz Province, Afghanistan

The Baloch people are speakers of Balochi whos are mostly found in and around the Balochistan region of Afghanistan. In the 1990s their number figure was put at 100,000 but they are around 200,000 today. Large number of Baloch also live in neighboring Balochistan, Pakistan and well as in the Sistan and Baluchistan region of Iran. They are most likely an offshoot of the Kurds and reached Afghanistan sometimes between 1000 and 1300 BCE. Mainly pastoral and desert dwellers, the Baloch are also Sunni Muslim. Abdul Karim Brahui Governor of Nimruz Province, is Baloch.

Nuristani

Further information: Nuristani people
Pashai boy

The Nuristani are an Indo-Iranian people, representing a fourth independent branch of the Aryan peoples (Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Nuristani, and Dardic), who live in isolated regions of northeastern Afghanistan as well as across the border in the district of Chitral in Pakistan. They speak a variety of Nuristani languages. Better known historically as the Kafirs of what was once known as Kafiristan (land of pagans), they converted to Islam during the rule of Amir Abdur Rahman and their country was renamed "Nuristan", meaning "Land of Light" (as in the light of Islam). A small unconquered portion of Kafiristan inhabited by the Kalash tribe who still practice their pre-Islamic religion still exists across the border in highlands of Chitral, northwestern Pakistan. Many Nuristanis believe that they are the descendants of Alexander the Great's ancient Greeks, but there is a lack of genetic evidence for this and they are more than likely an isolated pocket of early Aryan invaders. Physically, the Nuristani are of the Mediterranean sub-stock with about one-third recessive blondism. They follow Sunni Islam like most of the other Afghans. The population in the 1990s was estimated at 125,000 by some; the Nuristani prefer a figure of 300,000.

Smaller groups

Smaller groups include Pashai, Pamiri, Kyrgy, Arab, and Gujjar.

Ethnic composition

Ethnolinguistic groups of Afghanistan

As of 2013, the total population of Afghanistan is 27.5 million, with additional three million or so temporarily living in neighboring Pakistan and Iran. The government began issuing computerized ID cards in which the ethnicity of each citizen is to be provided in the application. This process is expected to reveal the exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnic groups living in the country.

An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below:

Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
Ethnic group World Factbook / Library of Congress Country Studies (2004-present estimate) World Factbook / Library of Congress Country Studies (pre-2004 estimates)
Pashtun 42% 35-50%
Tajik 27% 25-26.3% (of this 1% is Qizilbash)
Hazara 9% 19-25%
Uzbek 9% 9%
Aimak 4% 500,000 to 800,000 individuals
Turkmen 3% 2.5%
Baloch 2% 100,000 individuals
Others (Pashai, Sadat, Nuristani, Arab, Brahui, Pamiri, Gujjar, etc.) 4% 6.9%

The above 2004–present suggested estimations are some what supported by recent national opinion polls, which were aimed at knowing how a group of about 804 to 7,760 local residents in Afghanistan felt about the current war, political situation, as well as the economic and social issues affecting their daily lives. Seven of the surveys were conducted between 2004 to 2012 by the Asia Foundation and one between 2004 to 2009 by a combined effort of the broadcasting companies NBC News, BBC, and ARD.

To one specific question at the end of the long questionnaires, "which ethnic group do you belong to?", the results of the 804 to 7,760 Afghans showed as:

Ethnic group "Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (2004–2009) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2006) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2007) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2008) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2009) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2010) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2011) "A survey of the Afghan people" (2012)
Pashtun 38-46% 40.9% 40% Not reported Not reported 42% 41% 40%
Tajik 37-39% 37.1% 35% " " 31% 31% 33%
Hazara 6-13% 9.2% 10% " " 10% 11% 11%
Uzbek 5-7% 9.2% 8% " " 9% 9% 9%
Aimak 0-0% 0.1% 1% " " 2% 1% 1%
Turkmen 1-2% 1.7% 3% " " 2% 2% 2%
Baloch 1-3% 0.5% 1% " " 1% 1% 1%
Others (Pashayi,Sadat, Nuristani, Arab, etc.) 0-4% 1.4% 2% " " 3% 3% 5%
No opinion 0-2% 0% 0% " " 0% 0% 0%

See also

References

  1. ^ Kieffer, Ch. M. "Afghan". Encyclopædia Iranica. From a more limited, ethnological point of view, "Afḡān" is the term by which the Persian-speakers of Afghanistan (and the non-Paṧtō-speaking ethnic groups generally) designate the Paṧtūn. The equation Afghans = Paṧtūn has been propagated all the more, both in and beyond Afghanistan, because the Paṧtūn tribal confederation is by far the most important in the country, numerically and politically.
  2. ^ ABC NEWS/BBC/ARD POLL – AFGHANISTAN: WHERE THINGS STAND, February 9th, 2009, p. 38–40 Cite error: The named reference "ABCBBCARD" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. Peter R. Blood, ed. Afghanistan: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 2001.
  4. See:
  5. "Ethnic map of Afghanistan" (PDF). Thomas Gouttierre, Center For Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Matthew S. Baker, Stratfor. National Geographic Society. 2003. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  6. People-in-Country Profile
  7. Chapter 7 of The History of Herodotus (trans. George Rawlinson; originally written 440 BC) (retrieved 10 January 2007)
  8. "Afghan and Afghanistan". Abdul Hai Habibi. alamahabibi.com. 1969. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
  9. ^ "Pashtun". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  10. "Afghanistan". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  11. "Afghan Government 2009" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. Southern Center for International Studies. September 28, 2009. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
  12. ^ Perry, John (July 20, 2009). "TAJIK i. THE ETHNONYM: ORIGINS AND APPLICATION". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  13. C.E. Bosworth, B.G. Fragner (1999). "TĀDJĪK". Encyclopaedia of Islam (CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0 ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.
  14. M. Longworth Dames, G. Morgenstierne, and R. Ghirshman (1999). "AFGHĀNISTĀN". Encyclopaedia of Islam (CD-ROM Edition v. 1.0 ed.). Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. Richard S. Newell "Post-Soviet Afghanistan: The Position of the Minorities". Asian Survey, Vol. 29, No. 11 (Nov., 1989), pp. 1090–1108. Publisher: University of California Press
  16. ^ "Ethnic Groups". Library of Congress Country Studies. 1997. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  17. ^ "Tajik". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 6, 2011. There were about 5,000,000 in Afghanistan, where they constituted about one-fifth of the population.
  18. Wörmer, Nils (2012). "The Networks of Kunduz: A History of Conflict and Their Actors, from 1992 to 2001" (PDF). Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. Afghanistan Analysts Network. p. 8. Retrieved 2014-04-10. While non-Pashtun settlers from inside Afghanistan such as Tajiks, Hazara or Baluch people moved to Kataghan during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as well, the most considerable wave of non-Pashtun immigration to the northeast occurred in the 1920s. By this time between one-and two-hundred thousand Tajiks and Uzbeks fled the conquest of their homeland by Russian Red Army and settled in northern Afghanistan
  19. "Afghanistan: Glossary". British Library. Retrieved 15 March 2008. tajiks An ethnic minority group migrated from former Russian Turkestan, ethnically and linguistically Persian, residing north of the Hindu Kush and around Kabul
  20. "HAZĀRA". Arash Khazeni, Alessandro Monsutti, Charles M. Kieffer. Encyclopædia Iranica. December 15, 2003. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  21. "Hazara". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  22. ^ "Afghanistan: (iv.) ethnocgraphy". L. Dupree. Encyclopædia Iranica. July 1982. Retrieved 2014-04-10.
  23. "Uzbek,". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  24. Library of Congress, Aimaq
  25. http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2013/04/30/afghan-population-set-reach-275m-year
  26. Ghulam Hussain Zakiri, ed. (February 24, 2013). "14m Afghans to get computerised ID cards in a year". Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  27. Abasin Zaheer, ed. (May 26, 2013). "Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance". Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  28. "Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Retrieved 2010-09-18.
  29. "Country Profile: Afghanistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Afghanistan. August 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
  30. "The World Factbok – Afghanistan". The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agency. University of Missouri. October 15, 1991. Retrieved 2011-03-20. _#_Ethnic divisions: Pashtun 50%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 12-15%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and other {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 64 (help)
  31. "PEOPLE – Ethnic divisions:". The World Factbook/Central Intelligence Agency. University of Missouri. January 22, 1993. Retrieved 2011-03-20. Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%; minor ethnic groups include Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 54 (help)
  32. ^ See:
    • "Afghanistan in 2011 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. p. 251. Retrieved 2012-11-13. 15. Appendix 3: Interview Questionnaire... D-10. Which ethnic group do you belong to? SINGLE RESPONSE ONLY Pashtun 41%, Tajik 32%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 11%, Turkmen 5%, Baloch 1%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 1%, Arab 1%, Sadat 1%
    • "Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2010. pp. 225–226. Retrieved 2011-03-20. D-9. Which ethnic group do you belong to? SINGLE RESPONSE ONLY Pashtun 42%, Tajik 31%, Uzbek 9%, Hazara 10%, Turkmen 2%, Baloch 1%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 2%, Arab 2%
    • "Afghanistan in 2007 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2010. pp. 225–226. Retrieved 2011-03-20. The 2007 survey interviewed 6,406 Afghans, Which ethnic group do you belong to? SINGLE RESPONSE ONLY Pashtun 40%, Tajik 35%, Uzbek 8%, Hazara 10%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 1%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 1%, Arab 1%
    • "Afghanistan in 2006 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. pp. 83–88. Retrieved 2012-11-28. A total of 6,226 respondents were surveyed in the study, out of which 4888 (78.5%) were from the rural areas and 1338 (22%) were from the urban areas. Ethnicity: Pashtun 40.9, Tajik 37.1, Uzbek 9.2, Hazara 9.2, Turkmen 1.7, Baloch 0.5, Nuristani 0.4, Aimak 0.1, Arab 0.7, Pashayi 0.3
    • "Afghanistan in 2004 – A survey of the Afghan people" (PDF). Kabul, Afghanistan: The Asia Foundation. 2004. Retrieved 2012-11-28. The 2004 survey interviewed 804 Afghans, Which ethnic group do you belong to? Pashtun 46%, Tajik 39%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 6%, Turkmen 1%, Baloch 0%, Nuristani 1%, Aimak 0%, Arab 1%, Pashaye 0%, Other 1%.

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