An Afghan or an Afghani is the name used to describe a person from the country of Afghanistan. It is, however, hard to combine the varying groups. Often times the Pashtun are refered to as Afghans while other groups hold to their ethnic name (ex. Tajiks are known as Tajiks, etc.). The citizens of Afghanistan are in many ways somewhat distinct from the notion of ethnic Afghans as a result of this understanding. In addition, many Afghans, such as the Tajiks, consider themselves distinct from Iranians since the religious wars between Shias and Sunnis during the Safavid era. The remaining groups are of Turkic, Nuristani and Mongolian ancestry with Jewish (most of whom have left for Israel) origins. A name is a label for a thing, person, place, product (as in a brand name) and even an idea or concept, normally used to distinguish one from another. ... Look up Country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical territory. ... Main areas populated by Pashtuns including overlapping regions The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group mainly of eastern Iranian stock living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and the North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... The Safavids were a long-lasting Turkic-speaking Iranian dynasty that ruled from 1501 to 1736 and first established Shiite Islam as Persias official religion. ... Turkic peoples are Northern and Central Eurasian peoples who speak languages belonging to the Turkic family, and who, in varying degrees, share certain cultural and historical traits. ... The Nuristani are an ethnic/religious group in the Nurestan Province of Afghanistan. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ...

History

For more information see:History of Afghanistan and Durrani Empire // History of Afghanistan Afghanistans history, internal political development, foreign relations, and very existence as an independent state have largely been determined by its geographic location at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia. ... Map of the Afghan Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire was a state in present day Afghanistan. ...

Afghans as a whole draw their modern national identity from the founding of the Durrani Empire in the mid 1700's. From 1747 until 1823 Ahmad Shah and his sons and grandsons held the monarchy. They were the first Pashtun rulers of Afghanistan, from the Sadozai line of the Abdali (known as the Durrani since Ahmad Shah's reign) group of clans. It was under the leadership of Ahmad Shah that the nation of Afghanistan began to take shape following centuries of fragmentation and exploitation. However each ethnic group has its own unique history which makes up the entire Afghan history. Map of the Afghan Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire was a state in present day Afghanistan. ... // Events January 31 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 - The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 14 - First battle of Cape... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shah (1724–1773), founder of the Durrani dynasty in Afghanistan, was the son of Zaman-Khan, hereditary chief of the Abdali tribe. ... The Durrani or Abdali tribe is one of the two largest Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan and are also found in large numbers in western Pakistan. ...

There requires some realization that Afghan nationalism can be synonymous with that of Pashtun nationalism and as a result cannot be conflated into an Afghan national identity as the country is a multiethnic entity. Thus, it is important to note that there have been a variety of groups who have lived in what is today Afghanistan, but were not ethnic Afghans such as the aforementioned Tajiks as well as Uzbeks and Hazaras etc. who are currently divided as to what constitutes a national Afghan identity. Because Afghan history is fraught with regional cleavages it is important to note that any notion of an Afghan nation-state is largely absent until the 18th century and the rise of the Durrani Empire. For this reason, important figures from the past such as Zoroaster and Rumi, who are of ethnic Persian identity but of Tajik extraction, are often not identified as ethnic Afghans or even as Afghan people, 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. Main areas populated by Pashtuns including overlapping regions The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group mainly of eastern Iranian stock living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and the North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ... Zoroaster, in a popular Parsi Zoroastrian depiction. ... Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi or Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi (also known as Mowlavi or Moulana, meaning my guide in Iran, Central and South Asia or Mevlana meaning our guide in Turkey) (September 30, 1207 - December 17, 1273 CE) was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic, who was... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Tajik may refer to: Tajiks, an ethnicity with dwellers in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and China The Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan The Arabic-schooled, ethnically Persian administrative caste of the Turco-Persian society. ...

Pashtun

Main article: Pashtun

Pashtun or Afghan, are a warlike, fierce, and independent people that reside mainly in southern and eastern Afghanistan and spill over into western Pakistan. Considerable pockets also exist throughout other parts of Afghanistan. Smaller groups of Pashtuns are also found in Iran and India as well. Pashtun culture is ancient and much of it is yet to be recorded in contemporary times. There are many conflicting theories, some contemporary, some ancient, about the origins of the Pashtun people, both among historians and the Pashtun themselves. Most scholars agree that the Pashtuns are of Iranian stock and speak an eastern Iranian language. According to the writer W.K. Frazier Tyler writing in his book Afghanistan, "The word Afghan… first appears in history in the Hudud-al-Alam, a work by an unknown Arab geographer who wrote in 982 AD." Until the advent of the modern Afghan state in the 18th century, the word Afghan had been synonymous with Pashtun. Main areas populated by Pashtuns including overlapping regions The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, ethnic Afghan, or Pathan) are an ethno-linguistic group mainly of eastern Iranian stock living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and the North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ...

Tajik

Main article: Tajiks

The Tajiks are amongst the oldest inhabitants of the region, and can trace their roots back to the original Iranian peoples that settled Central Asia in ancient times, such as the Bactrians, Sogdians, and Parthians, but also Persians who fled to Central-Asia during Arab Islamic expansion. The Tajiks also comprise the majority population of Tajikistan and are found in large numbers in Uzbekistan and Iran as well as the western Pakistan and Xinjiang province of China. A related group in Afghanistan known as the Farsiwan are often affiliated with the Tajiks, but are generally of the Shia faith and are mostly distinct from the Hazaras as the Farsiwans are a Mediterrean people and are basically almost identical to the Persians of Iran. Tajiks are, by contrast, considered the Persians of Central Asia. The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China. ... Iranian people are those who speak an Iranian language. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh). ... The Sogdians were an ancient people of Central Asia, who inhabited the region known to the West as Sogdiana. ... Reproduction of a Parthian warrior as depicted on Trajans Column The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled Mesopotamia between ca 190 BCE and 224 CE. Origins Bust of Parthian soldier, Esgh-abad Museum, Turkmenia. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... The Arabs ((Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large ethnic group widespread in the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... Islām is described as a dīn, meaning way of life and/or guidance. Six articles of belief There are six basic beliefs shared by all Muslims: 1. ... Xinjiang (Chinese: 新疆; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang; literal meaning: New Frontier; Uyghur: (Shinjang)), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... The Parsiwan, or simply Parsi (Persian), are found mainly in western Afghanistan and are generally distiguished from the Tajiks by their adherance to Shia Islam as opposed to the Sunni sect favored by the Tajiks. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ...

Hazara

Main article: Hazara

Historically, the Hazara seem to have Turkic-Mongolian origins, but with some Caucasoid admixture from surrounding groups. Linguistically though the Hazara speak Dari, but their variant is interspersed with more Mongolian words, but this is also the case with many Turkic languages such as Uzbek. It may simply be the case that the Hazara are of Uighur Turkic origin as many Turks accompanied the Mongol armies or arrived in the region long before the Mongols. It is however commonly believed by many Afghans that the Hazara are descendants of Genghis Khan's army, which marched into the area 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. The theory regarding a more Turkic origin for the Hazara has equal validity and the relatively small number of actual Mongols in comparison to Turks makes it more likely that the Hazara are descendents of Turkic invaders who were Persianized over time. Unlike most Afghans the Hazara are Shia, which has often set them apart from their neighbors. The Hazara ethnic group resides mainly in the central Afghanistan mountain region called Hazarajat. They make up anywhere between 9-20% of Afghanistans population, but an accurate census has not been taken in decades so there is little information to verify at present. ... Turkic peoples are Northern and Central Eurasian peoples who speak languages belonging to the Turkic family, and who, in varying degrees, share certain cultural and historical traits. ... Uyghurs (also called Uighurs, Uygurs, or Uigurs) (Chinese: 維吾爾 or 维吾尔 in pinyin: wéiwúěr) are a Turkic ethnic group of people living in northwestern China (mainly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they are the dominant ethnic group together with Han people), Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. ... This topic is considered to be an essential subject on Wikipedia. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Mongol Empires largest extent outlined in red; Timur-i-Lenks empire is shaded The Mongol Empire (1206–1368) was the largest contiguous land empire in world history ruling 35 million km² (13. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ...

Uzbek

Main article: Uzbek

The Uzbeks are the main Turkic people of Afghanistan and are found mainly 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 1500s the Uzbeks had settled throughout Central Asia and reached Afghanistan following the conquests of Muhammad Shibani. Most Uzbeks are Sunni Muslim and are closely related to the Turkmen who also can be found in Afghanistan.

Turkmen

Main article: Turkmen people

The Turkmen are the smaller Turkic group who can also be found in neighoring Turkmenistan. Largely Sunni Muslim, their origins are very similar to that of the Uzbeks. Turkmen people (of which the Turkmen plural is properly Türkmenler or Түркменлер in Cyrillic script) form an ethnic group, part of the Turkic peoples. ...

Baluch

Main article: Baloch

The Baluch are another Iranian ethnic group that numbers around 200,000 in Afghanistan. They are most likely an offshoot of the Kurds and reached Afghanistan sometime between 1000 and 1300 BCE. Mainly pastoral and desert dwellers, the Baluch are also Sunni Muslim. Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan and surrounding areas, 1980. ... The Baluch (alternative spelling Baloch) are an ethnic group of Iranian origin. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ...

Nuristani

Main article: Nuristani

The Nuristani are an Indo-Iranian people, representing a third branch of independent of the Iranian and Indo-Aryan groups, who live in isolated regions of northeastern Afghanistan. Better known historically as the Kafirs of what was once known as Kafiristan (now called Nuristan), they were forcibly converted to Islam during the rule of "Iron" Amir Abdur Rahman and their country was renamed "Nuristan" or "Land of Light" as in the light of Islam. Many Nuristanis believe that they are the descendents of Alexander's Greeks, but there is a lack of genetic evidence for this and they are more than likely an isolated pocket of early Aryan invaders. They are largely Sunni Muslim. The Nuristani are an ethnic/religious group in the Nurestan Province of Afghanistan. ... Indo-Iranian can refer to: The Indo-Iranian languages The prehistoric Indo-Iranian people, see Aryan This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... Amir Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan (c. ...

Culture

Main article: Culture of Afghanistan

The culture of Afghanistan has been around for millenia. ...

Contributions to Humanity

The different ethnic groups that today make up Afghanistan made significant contributions in poetry, architecture, art, music, and religion. Prominent individuals are:

• Literature:
  • Ibn Sina (Avicenna), one of the greatest philosophers and scientists in history - Tajik
  • Jalaundin-e-Rumi, one of the greatest Persian poets - Tajik
  • Khushal Khan Khattak, the greatest Pashtun poet - Pashtun
  • Abdur Rahman Baba, a famous Pashtun poet - Pashtun
  • Sana'i of Ghazni, a great Persian poet of the Ghaznavid era - Tajik
  • Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedel, a famous Persian poet - Tajik
  • Jami of Heart, the last great Sufi poet of the medieval times - Tajik

• Theology And Philosophy:
  • Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi school of thought within Sunni Islam - Tajik
  • al-Bukhari, choronologist of Hadiths - Tajik
  • Sayyid Jamal al-Din Afghani, the last great Muslim philosopher - Pashtun or Tajik (not known)

• Kings And Conquerors:
  • Babur, the founder of the Moghul Dynasty in India - Mongol
  • Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of modern Afghanistan - Pashtun

Modern prominent individuals include mucisians: This article needs cleanup. ... Avicenna was the greatest of the medieval Islamic physicians, whose work had a direct impact on the Renaissance. ... Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi or Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi (also known as Mowlavi or Moulana, meaning my guide in Iran, Central and South Asia or Mevlana meaning our guide in Turkey) (September 30, 1207 - December 17, 1273 CE) was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic, who was... Khushal Khan Khattak Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1690) wrote in Pashtu during the reign of the Mughal (Mongol) emperors in the seventeenth century. ... Sana can refer to: Sana Shintani, Konami Bemani singer Sanaá, the capital of Yemen Sana, Haute-Garonne, a commune in the Haute-Garonne département, in France Sana, a village in the northern part of the prefecture of Chalkidiki a Latin word meaning healthy, as in the Latin proverb Mens sana... The Ghaznavid Empire was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 977 to 1186. ... Youth seeking his fathers advice Miniature illustration to the Haft Awrang of Jami, in the story A Father Advises his Son About Love See Sufi outlook on male love Freer and Sackler Galleries, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Persian youth playing chess with two suitors Illustration to the Haft... Medieval Times locations. ... Imam Abu Hanifa (699 - 765) was an important Islamic scholar and jurist and is considered the founder of the Hanifi school of fiqh. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari محمد بن اسماعيل بن ابراهيم بن المغيرة بن بردزبه البخاري (born 810 - died 870), Arabic author of the most generally accepted collection of traditions (Hadith) from Muhammad, was born at Bokhara (Bukharä), of an Iranian family, in AH... The Hadith (الحديث, pl. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur or Zahiriddin Mohammad Bobur (ظهير الدين محمد بابر also spelled Baber or Babar), (b. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... See Ahmad Shah Qajar for the Persian ruler (1909-1925). ...

• Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti
• Ahmad Zahir
• Farhad Darya

... and poets: Famous contemporary Afghani classical musician and composer, born in Kharabat area of Kabul Afghanistan, died 1994 in Germany under unclear circumstances. ... Ahmad Zahir (June 14, 1946 - June 14, 1979), was an Afghan musician. ... Farhad Darya Farhad Darya (born September 22, 1962 in Gozargaah, Kabul province of Afghanistan) is a world renowned Afghan singer. ...

• Mohammad Rahim el-Ham
• Abdul Ali Mustaghni
• Ustad Khalilullah Khalili

Language

Afghans speak a variety of languages of which the largest are Pashto and Dari (Farsi). Other significant languages include the Turkmen and the Uzbek. Pashto and Persian are the official languages of Afghanistan. Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ... Dari is the local name for the Persian language in Afghanistan. ...

Religion

The majority of Afghans are Sunni Muslims. The remaining are mostly Shiites. Before the Muslim conquest of the region various religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrians and Nestorianism significantly influenced Afghan culture. Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... The term Buddha is a word in ancient Indian languages including Pāli and Sanskrit which means one who has awakened. It is derived from the verbal root budh, meaning to awaken or to be enlightened, and to comprehend. It is written in devanagari script as Hindi: and pronounced as... Basic beliefs What can be said to be common to all Hindus is the belief in Dharma (duties and obligations), Reincarnation (rebirth), Karma (actions, leading to a cause and effect relationship), and Moksha (salvation) of every soul through a variety of paths, such as Bhakti (devotion), Karma (action) and Jnana... Zoroastrianism was adapted from an earlier, polytheistic faith by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) in Persia very roughly around 1000 BC (although, in the absence of written records, some scholars estimates are as late as 600 BC). ... Nestorianism is the Christian doctrine that Jesus existed as two persons, the man Jesus and the divine Son of God, rather than as a unified person. ...

Symbols

Flag Ratio: 1:2

The Flag of Afghanistan has three stripes which represent three stages in Afghan history. The black represents the 19th century when Afghanistan was occupied, the red symbolizes the fight for independence and the green represents the fight for independence. In the past on the flags before communist takeover the black represented sovereignty, the red symbolized progress and development and the green represented Islam. [1] Image File history File links Based on the flag provided by the CIA World Factbook. ... Image File history File links Based on the flag provided by the CIA World Factbook. ... FIAV usage code 56 See Vexillological symbols for its meaning File links The following pages link to this file: Flag of France Flag of Luxembourg Flag of Nepal Flag of Burkina Faso Flag of Poland Flag of the Vatican City Flag of Australia Solomon Islands Flag of Chad Flag of... Afghanistans flag, from 2001 to Present. ... // History of Afghanistan Afghanistans history, internal political development, foreign relations, and very existence as an independent state have largely been determined by its geographic location at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Identity

The Afghan identity began to develop as Pashtun identity under the rule of Ahmad Shah who united the Pashtun (Afghan) chiefdoms in the late 18th century. Another boost took place under the rule of Nadir Shah who with Pashtun support further centralized the government. In Afghanistan everyone can be called Afghan and they all call themselves Afghans, but the Hazareas who consider themselves Afghani. Even Pashtuns from Pashtunistan NWFP and Balochistan (I.e Durand Line) also consider themselves as "Afghan" but usually rejected by the people of Pakistan. Because internationally they represent "Pakistan" with a green Pakistani Passport. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Tomb of Nadir Shah, a popular tourist attraction in Mashhad Nadir Shah (Nadir Qoli Beg, also Tahmasp-Qoli Khan) (October 22, 1688 - June, 1747) ruled as shah of Iran (1736–47) and was the founder of the short-lived Afsharid dynasty. ...

See also

• Culture of Afghanistan
• Demographics of Afghanistan
• Durrani Empire
• Durand Line
• Hazara
• History of Afghanistan
• Pashtun
• Tajiks
• Pashtunistan