The Hazaras of Afghanistan : an historical, cultural, economic and political study

290 Pages·1998·16.1 MB·English

by  Mousavi, Sayed Askar

CURZON
HAZARAS OF
AN HISTORICAL,
POLITICAL SmDY

T H E HAZARAS
O F AFGHANISTAN
An Historical, Cultural, Economic
and Political Study
Sayed Askar Mousavi
C U R Z O N
First Published in 1998
by Curzon Press
15 The Quadrant, Richmond
Surrey, TW9 1BP
0
1998 Sayed Askar Mousavi
Typeset in Sabon by Laserscript Ltd, Mitcham
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Biddles Limited, Guildford and Kings Lynn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0-7007-0630-5
Dedication
To my parents; and to my brother Musa and his son lamil, our
family's two martyrs for freedom . . .

Contents
Acknowledgements
List of lllustrations
Preface Xlll
Introduction
1 Khorasan or Afghanistan?
2 Afghan nationalism as taboo
3 National identity crisis
4 Towards a new approach
1 Who are the Hazaras?
1.1 The theory of the autochthonicity of the Hazaras
1.2 The Hazaras as descendants of the Moghols
1.3 The Hazaras as a mixed race
1.4 Criticism and conclusion
1.5 A new perspective
2 Social structure
2.1 Family
2.2 Genealogy
2.3 Physical structure and environment
2.4 Population
2.5 Geography
3 Culture and belief
3.1 Religion
3.2 Language and art
Contents
4 Socio-economic relations and mode of production 89
4.1 The Barbar era (300 BC-724 AD): Agriculture 89
4.2 The Khorasan era (724 AD-1890): Animal husbandry 90
4.3 The contemporary era (18 90-1978): Industry 94
4.4 Economy 97
4.5 Socio-economic changes 106
5 Socio-political change in Hazara society since the 1890s 11 1
5.1 The causes of the Hazara uprisings 115
5.2 The Hazara uprisings (18 88-1 893) 120
5.3 Reasons for the defeat of the uprisings 129
5.4 Consequences of the failure of the Hazara uprisings 131
6 Old people, new societies 139
6.1 The Hazaras in Pakistan 141
6.2 Iranian Hazaras: the Barbaris or Khawaris 148
6.3 The Central Asian Hazaras 153
7 The Hazaras in contemporary Afghanistan 155
7.1 The Hazaras (1919-78) 156
7.2 Political suppression of the Hazara (19 29-78) 160
7.3 Socio-economic isolation 165
7.4 Cultural isolation 168
7.5 The Hazaras in Kabul (1929-78) 171
8 The Hazaras in the 1980s 175
8.1 Changes in Hazara social conditions: Kabul
and other cities 176
8.2 Changes in Hazara social conditions: Hazarajat
and other Hazara settlements 179
8.3 The Hazara resistance movements (1978-1990) 179
8.4 Towards Political Unity 183
8.5 Hazara Social Transformation 186
9 The Hazaras in the 1990s
9.1 Phase one (1990-95)
9.2 Resistance of West Kabul (1992-95)
9.3 Phase two
9.4 Social and cultural developments
Contents
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Appendixes
Index
Acknowledgements
Any intellectual and academic achievement requires before all else
peace of mind; unfortunately this research was written under
psychological conditions far from peaceful. The painful events that
have taken place in Afghanistan since the 1978 coup d'etat have, I am
sure, shaken and unsettled all conscientious individuals, although as
we say in Farsi 'the ground where the fires burns, is most scorched'.
Research at such a time appeared impossible and overcast by feelings
of guilt; in particular research on the Hazaras, who are the least
known and most neglected people of Afghanistan. Without the
guidance and encouragement of my good friends under these
circumstances, this work would never have been accomplished. I
would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks to the
following. I thank, first and foremost, Dr Schuyler Jones, for his
learned guidance, encouragement, constructive comments, and im-
measurable help; and for showing unfailing good humour and patience
in reading my manuscript several times. I also thank Lis Jones for her
friendship and kindness at a time when I most needed these.
I should also like to thank the British Council for their generous
funding of my long, but hopefully fruitful, years of education; and Peter
Marsden for his timely co-operation and friendship. I am grateful to Dr
Ali Razawi for his very special help and encouragement, for without his
original insistence I would never have begun this work. I thank also my
Hazara friends both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan for their help, in
particular Mr Mohammad Ali Gulzari and Sayed Fazil Hossain Mousavi;
and Shah Wali Shafa~efeo r his constructive comments. My thanks also to
Mr Malcolm Osman for his beautiful and skilful reproductions of my
photographs; to Mr John Todd for his technical expertise; to Hossain
Razawi for his help with the figures; and to Reza Fedai.
And finally, how can I thank Leila, for without her special and
unique support I would never have finished this work.