Afghanistan: Ethnic Groups

Filed Under Afghanistan Country Profile |

Many outsiders don’t realize that Afghanistan is actually a very diverse country. There are many different ethnicities.

All of the figures I’m going to cite are just estimates. Nobody’s gone out to do an actual census in the last 20 years. However, I believe these estimates to be fairly reasonable and I think they’ll give you a good picture of the demographics.

Pashtuns

The Pashtuns number about 12 million and represent around 40% of the population of Afghanistan. That’s not an absolute majority but still greater than any other ethnic group. In fact, Afghanistan is named after the Pashtuns. At least in its original meaning, ‘Afghan’ and ‘Pashtun’ are synonymous, referring to the same people.

Pashtuns live predominantly in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan as well as Western Pakistan. Modern Afghanistan was founded by a Pashtun general called Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747. Durrani united all of the Pashtun tribes and engaged in a series of military campaigns against the Persians to the West and North and various Indian states to the East and South.

Durrani created an empire that reached well beyond the borders of the Pashtun homeland. Although subsequent rulers were less capable and lost territories, the Pashtuns were able to cling onto power and to this day remain the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.

As a result of Durrani’s conquests, Afghanistan emerged as a multi-ethnic country. While Eastern and Southern Afghanistan remain Pashtun strongholds, Northern, Central, and Western Afghanistan are inhabited, for the most part, by other ethnic groups.

Tajiks

The Tajiks are the second-largest ethnic group in Afghanistan. They number about 8 million and make up around 30% of the population of Afghanistan.

The Tajiks are of ethnic Persian background and live predominantly in Northern and Western Afghanistan.

Uzbeks

The Uzbeks number about 3 million and make up around 8% of the population. They are found in Northern Afghanistan.

Unlike the Pashtuns and the Tajiks, who may be described as people of Mediterranean Caucasian stock, the Uzbeks are among the ethnic groups who have more of an East Asian appearance.

Hazara

The Hazara also number around 3 million, making up 8% of the population. They are said to be descendants of the Mongols who invaded Central Asia and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. ‘Hazar’ is a Persian word that literally means a thousand, a reference to the standard size of Mongol military units.

Historically, the Hazara have occupied the lowest rung of Afghan society, suffering from widespread discrimination and persecution.

Other Ethnicities

There are various smaller ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Some of the more prominent ones include Aimaqs, Turkmen, Balochis, and Nuristanis.

Aimaqs

The Aimaqs are closely related to the Hazara, but are of mixed Tajik and Mongolian origin. They live in Western Afghanistan. They number somewhere between 1 and 2 million and make up around 4% of the population.

Turkmen

The Turkmen are closely related to the Uzbeks. They number about a million and make up around 3% of the population. They live in Northwestern Afghanistan, close to the border with Turkmenistan.

Balochis

Balochis live in Southwestern Afghanistan and are of Iranian stock. They number about 1 million and thus make up about 2% of the Afghan population. Balochis are also found in Pakistan and Iran.

Nuristanis

Nuristanis are found in Northeastern Afghanistan. Their homeland is called Nuristan. Although Nuristanis are one of the smallest ethnic groups, they are well-known throughout Afghanistan on account of their appearance and the historical circumstances that surround their conversion to Islam.

Many Nuristanis have distinctly European features. Light skin, blonde hair and blue eyes are not uncommon among them. In addition, they are the last group to have converted to Islam.

Until the late 19th century, Nuristanis used to practice Animist beliefs. Their conversion to Islam was by force. Before their conversion to Islam, their homeland was known simply as Kafiristan, the land of the infidels (kafir ‘infidel’). After their conversion, the name was changed to Nuristan, the land of light (nur ‘light’).

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