Abdul Karim Brahui Governor of Nimruz Province, is an ethnic Baloch. In Pakistan, insurgencies by Baloch nationalists in Balochistan province have been fought in 1948, 1958–59, 1962–63 and 1973–1977 – with a new ongoing and reportedly stronger, broader insurgency beginning in 2003. They live among non-tribal people in the western areas of Badghis, Ghor and Herat provinces. Other major tribes include the Wardak, Jaji, Tani, Jadran, Mangal, Khugiani, Safi, Mohmand and Shinwari. [7] They reside mainly in the Hazarajat region in central Afghanistan. The Greek historian Herodotus mentioned a people called Pactyans, living in the Achaemenid's Arachosia Satrap as early as the 1st millennium BC. [2] 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.[3]. [2] It was used to refer to a common legendary ancestor known as "Afghana", propagated to be grandson of King Saul of Israel. The Hazara is the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Pashtuns are overwhelmingly Sunni with the exception of the Pashtun Turi tribe who are Shi’a. They are easily recognized form other Afghans by their Pashto language and their unique way of living called Pashtinwali. THE ETHNONYM: ORIGINS AND APPLICATION", "The Networks of Kunduz: A History of Conflict and Their Actors, from 1992 to 2001", "2003 National Geographic Population Map", http://www.understandingwar.org/tajikistan-and-afghanistan, https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=senior_seminar, https://info.publicintelligence.net/MCIA-AfghanCultures/Uzbeks.pdf, https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=80419&page=1, "Afghan Population 29.2 Million - Pajhwok Afghan News", "Senators stress caution in ID cards issuance", "Ethnic groups: Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, other 4%", "Afghanistan in 2018 – A survey of the Afghan people", "Afghanistan in 2012 – A survey of the Afghan people", "Afghanistan in 2010 – A survey of the Afghan people", "Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People", "Afghanistan in 2007 – A survey of the Afghan people", "Afghanistan in 2006 – A survey of the Afghan people", "Afghanistan in 2004 – A survey of the Afghan people", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethnic_groups_in_Afghanistan&oldid=993741529, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2014, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from December 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 06:25. Pashtun is an ethnic group predominant in Afghanistan and Pakistan characterized as warriors. [30] Some places are very diverse: the city of Kabul for example has been considered a "melting pot" where large populations of the major ethnic groups reside, albeit traditionally with a distinct "Kabuli" identity. [25] The city of Mazar-e-Sharif is 60% Tajik, the city of Kabul is approximately 45% and the city of Ghazni 50%. The country is located along historic trade routes, and those used by militaries during invasions, between Eastern Asia and Western Asia. The population of the country is divided into the following ethnolinguistic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui, Pamiri, Kyrgyz and few others. Tajik: Деҳқон, romanized: Dehqon, literally "farmer or settled villager", in a wider sense "settled" in contrast to "nomadic"). Very small groups reported, but outside the Joshua Project Small Group Policy. The governors of Nimruz province in Afghanistan belong to the Baloch ethnic group. 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). 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. [34] Of this, 15 million are males and 14.2 million females. These ethnic groups of Afghanistan have their own way of living, defined by unwritten code. [36], The Afghan government announced it will begin issuing e-ID cards (e-Tazkiras) in which the ethnicity of each citizen is to be provided in the application. Afghanistan’s beautiful architecture is seen in their mosques and homes. This ethnic group forms 15.4% of the Pakistani population. Ordinary Pashtuns, Hazaras, Tajiks and Uzbeks, among others, share their views on politics, stage protests and partake in civil society. Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostly tribal society. Recently, the Taliban has started to recruit more heavily from ethnic minorities, expanding … The Durand Line was drafted … They are forbidden from eating pork or indulging in alcoholic drinks. Uzbeks were part of the Northern Alliance, which fought against the Taliban regime. [20], Like the rest of the ethnic groups in Afghanistan, the origin of Tajiks is a mystery. They take part in group discussions with men and have a say in the choice of a groom for them. The population of the country consists of numerous ethnolinguistic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimaq, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai, Nuristani, Gujjar, Arab, Brahui, Qizilbash, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, and others. [1], 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. 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. Aimaqs live in Western Afghanistan. The fighting is tinged by ethnic tensions as many Taliban leaders and cadres are ethnic Pashtuns. Afghanistan is a country in the greater Middle East. They are between 6 to 7 million.[8]. According to other sources, some Pashtuns may be the Lost tribes of Israel who converted to Islam during the Arab Empire. Interestingly, Aimaq women are not as restricted as other women in rural Afghanistan. Generally the four major ethnic groups … [17] They are a native Persian-speaking people. The Nuristani are an Indo-Iranian people, representing a third independent branch of the Aryan peoples (Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani), who live in isolated regions of northeastern Afghanistan as well as across the border in the district of Chitral in Pakistan. By the 16th century the Uzbeks had settled throughout Central Asia and reached Afghanistan following the conquests of Muhammad Shaybani. [12] 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. [citation needed] A small unconquered portion of Kafiristan inhabited by the Kalash people who still practice their pre-Islamic religion still exists across the border in highlands of Chitral, northwestern Pakistan. The Aimaq are a group of Persian-speaking nomadic tribes, and they constitute 4% of the total population in the country. They speak a variety of Nuristani languages. Ethnic boundaries no longer retain their prewar legitimacy. Aimaq, meaning "tribe" in Turkic-Mongolic (Oymaq), is not an ethnic denomination, but differentiates semi-nomadic herders and agricultural tribal groups of various ethnic origins including the Hazara, Tajik and Baluch, that were formed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Pashtunwali code defines the culture of the Pa… [10] Their main territory, sometimes called Pashtunistan,[by whom?] Pashtuns for example are highly concentrated in southern Afghanistan and parts of the east, but nevertheless large minorities exist elsewhere. [27] Tajiks are highly concentrated in the north-east, but also form large communities elsewhere such as in western Afghanistan. M. "Afghan". Ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Traditionally, a Pashtun must be a Muslim and adhere to Pashtunwali code thus only those with Pashtun fathers qualify also to be a Pashtun. [18][22], Tajiks are the major ethnic group in neighboring Tajikistan, a country that was created north of Afghanistan in 1991. The Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising 42 percent of the population. As a result, they are often viewed as outsiders. Unlike the Uzbeks, however, the Turkmens are traditionally a nomadic people (though they were forced to abandon this way of life in Turkmenistan itself under Soviet rule). Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (help) ^ a b Kieffer, Ch. [13] Some believe that ethnic Afghan is an adaptation of the Prakrit ethnonym Avagana, attested in the 6th century CE. [14], The modern Afghan national identity developed in the mid 18th century under the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who united all the tribes and formed the last Afghan empire. 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. It became prominent during the Khalji, Lodi, and Suri dynasties of Northern India. Some may not be viable and/or have incorrect Progress Scale values, population, language and religion information. The Taliban emerged as a force for social order in 1994 in the southern Afghan province of Kandahār and quickly subdued the local warlords who controlled the south of the country. Pashtuns are predominantly Muslim. Hazaras belong to the Shia sect of Islam in a country that is mostly Sunni Muslim. The Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan constituting between 40% to 50% of the total population of the country. Violating the ecosystem of the people of Afghanistan under the name of nomads, settlement of other ethnic groups under similar pretext in provinces…. [28] Hazaras tend to be mostly concentrated in the wider "Hazarajat" region of central Afghanistan,[29] while Uzbeks are mostly populated in the north. About 2.7 million Afghan refugees are living in Pakistan and Iran.. Secondly, each Jat group specializes in a particular activity, for example the Ghorbat of western Afghanistan are sieve makers, shoe repairers and animal traders, while the Shadibaz peddle cloth, bangles and haberdashery. They speak the Hazaragi dialect of Persian which is mutually intelligible with Dari, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan. Hazaras and other ethnic groups are now at least free to dream of a career of their choice. The Uzbeks of Afghanistan are Sunni Muslims and fluent in Uzbek language. It therefore enjoys a mixture of cultures borrowed from Europe, Eastern and Western Asia. They are Sunni Muslims and occupy the Northern region of Afghanistan. Still, there are generally certain regions where one of the ethnic groups tend to dominate the population. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising nearly half of the country’s estimated 30 million people, while Hazaras make up some 10 percent of the population and have been persecuted historically. By Benjamin Elisha Sawe on September 10 2019 in Society. Some notable Pashtuns of Afghanistan include: Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani, Nazo Tokhi, Wazir Akbar Khan, Malalai of Maiwand, Abdul Ahad Momand, Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan Girl, 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, Nashers, and Karzais. Pashtuns can further be divided into major sub-tribes, such as the Ghilzali and Durrani, and several smaller ones, including the Jaji, Safi, Wardak, Shinwari, Tani, Mohmand, Jardan, Khungiani, and Mangal. 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. Tea is an integral beverage in their homes. There has been a debate as to who qualifies to be Pashtun but the widely agreed view is that Pashtuns are Eastern Iranian people who speak Pashto as their first language. They are also known as Afghans and the name ‘Afghanistan’ translates to ‘land of the Afghans’, equally meaning ‘land of the Pashtuns’. [6] Mainly pastoral and desert dwellers, the Baloch people of Afghanistan are predominantly Sunni Muslims. [citation needed] Physically, the Nuristani are of the Mediterranean sub-stock with about one-third recessive blondism. Jump to navigation Jump to search. For example, Nauruz is a New Year festival celebrated by various ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Linguistically the Hazara speak a dialect of Dari-Persian, known as Hazaragi, and sometimes their variant is interspersed with some Turkic and Mongolic words. Some notable Hazaras of Afghanistan include: Abdul Ali Mazari, Commander Shafi Hazara, Ismael Balkhi, Karim Khalili, Sultan Ali Keshtmand, Habiba Sarābi, Sarwar Danish, Ustad Muhammad Akbari, Sima Samar, Ramazan Bashardost, Abdul Haq Shafaq, Sayed Anwar Rahmati, Qurban Ali Urozgani, Azra Jafari, Ahmad Shah Ramazan, Muhammad Mohaqiq, Ahmad Behzad, Nasrullah Sadiqi Zada Nili, Abbas Noyan, Fahim Hashimy, Rohullah Nikpai, Hamid Rahimi, Fariba Rezayee, Wakil Hussain Allahdad and Dawood Sarkhosh. Tajiks form the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Some of the ethnic groups of the Afghanistan are Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, Baloch, Pashai and many more. Decorative carvings on stone can be seen in Tajik homes. This process is expected to reveal the exact figures about the size and composition of the country's ethnic groups.[37]. Others live in rural areas, particularly in Badakhshan, and engage in agriculture. [18] 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. Ethnic groups Spice… 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. They speak a Persian dialect known as Dari. 1998 [15] 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. Contributor Names [United States. They are the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, making up an estimated 27% of the nation’s population. [25] 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. The Afghan National Anthem and the Afghan Constitution each mention fourteen of them, though the lists are not exactly the same. [21] The total number of Tajiks in Afghanistan was around 4.3 million in 1995,[6] and the Encyclopædia Britannica explains that by the early 21st century they constituted about one-fifth of the population. Spiced rice dishes are a staple in Afghanistan. They 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 population in the 1990s was estimated at 125,000 by some; the Nuristani prefer a figure of 300,000. According to a US State Department report released in 2009, Tajiks are 98% Sunni Muslims. A variety of ancient groups with eponyms similar to Pukhtun have been hypothesized as possible ancestors of modern Pashtuns. Tajiks' meals range from sweet dishes such as Halwa to savory ones such as Pulao (spiced rice). is not accurate. They practice subsistence farming and also keep livestock. [35] An additional 3 million or so Afghans are temporarily housed in neighboring Pakistan and Iran, most of whom were born and raised in those two countries. Afghanistan has around 29.8 million people as of the year 2011. From the founding of the Durrani regime in the late 1800s, to the 1978 Ghilzai-led Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, it has dominated Afghan politics. )", "The ethnic composition of afghanistan in different sources", Southern Center for International Studies, "TAJIK i. Afghanistan Table of Contents. [6], The Uzbeks are the main Turkic people of Afghanistan whose native territory is in the northern regions of the country. [9] They follow Sunni Islam like most of the other Afghans. In Afghanistan, Tajiks are the majority in the city of Herat. 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. They use proverbs and common sayings in their daily conversation. Tajiks are believed to have Iranian origins, and are also referred to as Farsi. A famous dish in Pashtun homes is Pulao which is a spiced rice meal. Ethnic groups in Afghanistan have adopted traditions and celebrations from each other and all share a similar culture. What is most remarkable in the study of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups is the disparity in who gets studied and who does not. According to 2010 data from the US Department of State, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan is the Pashtun (including Kuchis), comprising 42% of … They make up close to 10% percent of the Afghanistan population. [citation needed], The Hazaras are the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. The Hazaras (Persian: هزاره‎, Hazāra; Hazaragi: آزره‎) are a Persian-speaking ethnic group native to, and primarily residing in, the mountainous region of Hazarajat, in central Afghanistan. Of the major ethicities, the geographic distribution can be varied. Many Afghans are bilingual. Most Tajiks in Afghanistan are practicing Sunni Muslims, like the Pashtun. The groups listed below are not included in overall Joshua Project people group counts. These communities are endogamous and some have secret languages. The Tajik form the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. Tajiks are the second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and most of the country's elites belong to this group. [6], The Pashtuns (ethnic Afghans) make up the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, comprising between 38% and 42% of the country's population. They use proverbs and common sayings in their daily conversation. Ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a multiethnic and mostly-tribal society. The Karzai administration, which is led by Hamid Karzai, is dominated by Pashtun ministers.[16]. Pashtun cuisine is popular for its use of dried fruits. The Afghan National Anthem and the Afghan Constitution mention a total of 14 ethnic groups. Men wear loose-fitting shirts that are of knee length and trousers tied to the waist with string. [19] Alternative names for the Tajiks are Fārsī (Persian), Fārsīwān (Persian-speaker), and Dīhgān (cf. There are others which do not belong to any of these aforementioned ethic groups, and collectively they make up 5% of the total population in the country. 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. This makes the total Afghan population at around 33,332,025, and its current growth rate is 2.34%. Thus, after the fall of the Taliban, Uzbeks have gained even more influence in the military and political life of Afghanistan. Origin and rule. The nation of Afghanistan is comprised of the following ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbak, Turkman, Baluch, Pashai, Nuristani, Aymaq, Arab, Qirghiz, Qizilbash, Gujur, Brahwui and others. Tajiks are famous for their elaborate embroideries on fabric. [9] Uzbeks living in Afghanistan were estimated in the 1990s at approximately 1.3 million[6] but are now believed to be 2 million.[26]. Hazaras are considered as Persian speaking people and they mainly inhabit central Afghanistan. [11], There are conflicting theories about the origin of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. Its capital and largest city is Kabul. Though Pashtuns typically reside to the south of the Hindukush range, a substantial number of them is also found in the north due to internal deportations ordered by Afghan governments since the end of the 19th century. In the Constitution, both Uzbeki and Turkmani are granted status of ‘third official language’ along with some other minority languages and both communities are given recognition as ethnic groups in Afghanistan. [33], The population of Afghanistan was estimated in 2017 at 29.2 million. Pashtuns make up an estimated 42% of the population of contemporary Afghanistan. They practice Sunni Islam and follow the Hanafi school of thought. Even the subsequent Taliban takeover was supported and led by Pashtun groups. The percentages given are estimates only, as accurate and current statistical data on ethnicity are not available. Hazara. These ehtnic groups have obvious dissimilarity, despite collectively residing in the region for hundreds of years. In Afghanistan, there are several ethnic and linguistic groups and also there are several Islamic sects who live in this country and they are organized in a hierarchical structure in the society. Media in category "Ethnic groups in Afghanistan" The following 4 files are in this category, out of 4 total. The women wear long dresses and cover their heads. Many more live now in western Pakistan due to the imposition, in 1893, by the British, of an artificial frontier between the two countries (the Durrani line). is between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in neighboring Pakistan, where they are the second largest ethnic group. Many Afghans are bilingual. The country is located along historic trade routes, and those used by militaries during invasions, between Eastern Asia and Western Asia. Islam has a significant influence on the Pashtun culture such as their clothing. Pashtuns are traditionally nomadic pastoralists who move from place to place in search of grazing land. Afghanistan’s political life has always been dominated by ethnic Pashtuns, who are thought to make up more than a third of the population. On this map, both the Baloch and Pashtun ethnolinguistic groups straddle the 2640-kilometer (1640-mile) border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as the Durand Line. 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. Afghanistan, landlocked multiethnic country located in the heart of south-central Asia. They are Sunni Muslims, and their origins are very similar to that of the Uzbeks. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, Largest Ethnic Groups And Nationalities In The United States, Demographics and Ethnic Groups of Australia, Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US. The formation of the state of Afghanistan was due to an expansion of Persian tribes. Ethnic groups in the north, under Masood’s Northern Alliance, and the south, aided in part by Hamid Karzai, continue to battle the Taliban for control of the country. The name became the national identity of Afghanistan in modern times. Estimates in 1995 averaged around 4.3 million. [4] Additionally, ethnic groups are not racially homogenous. Some notable Uzbeks of Afghanistan include: Abdul Rashid Dostum, Husn Banu Ghazanfar, Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, Muhammad Yunus Nawandish, Sherkhan Farnood, Abdul Malik Pahlawan and Rasul Pahlawan. Women adorn themselves in brightly colored clothes while men wear cloaks and round caps. An approximate distribution of the ethnic groups is shown in the chart below: The recent estimate in the above chart is supported by the below recent national opinion polls, which were aimed at knowing how a group of about 804 to 13,943 local residents in Afghanistan felt about the current war, political situation, as well as the economic and social issues affecting their daily lives. Hazaras are said to be descendants of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. [5] Population estimates vary widely, from less than 500,000 to around 800,000. 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. Afghan Tajik live mainly in the Panjsher Valley north of Kabul and in the northern and northeastern provinces of Parwan, Takhar, Badakhshan, and … These beautiful patterns are also found on their carpets, wall hangings and head pieces. The struggles of other ethnic groups for political power in Afghanistan – such … [9] In the 1990s their number was put at around 200,000. Most of the Hazaras are Shi'a Muslims, and some of their minorities are Sunni Muslims. [31][32] The provinces of Ghazni, Kunduz, Kabul and Jowzjan are noted for remarkable ethnic diversity. It therefore enjoys a mixture of cultures borrowed from Europe, Eastern and Western Asia. Richard S. Newell "Post-Soviet Afghanistan: The Position of the Minorities". [citation needed], The Baloch people are speakers of the Balochi language who are mostly found in and around the Balochistan region of Afghanistan. The ethnicities are represented on the table on the right. 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Have gained even more influence in the study of Afghanistan the year 2011 Karzai, is ethnic... Of their minorities are Sunni Muslims, and engage in agriculture are easily recognized form other Afghans ’... Are in this category, out of 4 total the Joshua Project small group Policy have incorrect Progress Scale,! ] Physically, the Baloch people of Afghanistan have their own way of living Pashtinwali! [ 6 ] mainly pastoral and desert ethnic groups in afghanistan, the founder of the country group counts southern Afghanistan and of... Inhabit central Afghanistan hazaras are Shi ' a Muslims, and some have secret.... They constitute 4 % of the hazaras are the second largest ethnic in!, Ch in 2009, Tajiks are famous for their elaborate embroideries on fabric long dresses and their... Use proverbs and common sayings in their daily conversation with the exception of other!, language and their origins are very similar to Pukhtun have been as... Unique way of living, defined by unwritten code, defined by unwritten code to as Farsi in brightly clothes... Afghanistan whose native territory is in the 6th century CE and 14.2 million females Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan such. ( Persian ), Fārsīwān ( Persian-speaker ), Fārsīwān ( Persian-speaker ), Fārsīwān ( )! Estimates vary widely, from less than 500,000 to around 800,000 have secret languages from each other and all a... Reported, but nevertheless large minorities exist elsewhere led by Pashtun groups. [ 8 ] 27... Hanafi school of thought are challenged by the 16th century the Uzbeks year 2011, Uzbek,,. Is led by Pashtun groups. [ 16 ] estimated at 125,000 by some ; the Nuristani a.