Hazara

Table of contents 1 Hazaras 1.1 Geography 1.2 History 1.3 Language 1.4 Religion 1.5 Political

Hazaras

Geography

The Hazara ethnic group resides mainly in the central Afghanistan mountain region called 'Hazarajat'. They make 20-30% of Afghanistan's population. There are also significant populations of Hazaras in Pakistan and Iran.

History

Historically Hazaras seem to have Mongolian origins, as evidenced by physical attributes and parts of the culture and language. It is commonly believed that Hazaras are descendents of Genghis Khan's army.

Language

The langage 'Hazaragi' is a unique dialect of the Persian language, with many Mongolian and Turkish elements.

Religion

Hazaras are predominantly Shia (twelver) Muslims, although there are significant populations of Sunni and Ismaili Hazaras in the north and northwestern Afghanistan. The Aimagh (Chahar Aimag) Hazaras for instance are predominantly Sunni.

Political

Politically, most Hazaras have fallen under the Hizb-e-Wahdat party since the early 1990s. The most influential person of the party was Ustad Adbul Ali Mazari[?], who was taken captive and killed by the Taliban. The martyrdom made him the symbolic leader of this ethnic group.