View source for Hazaras

{{short description|Persian-speaking ethnic group mainly in Afghanistan}}
{{About-distinguish-text|the ethnic group of Afghanistan|the Hindko-speaking [[Hazarawal]] people of the [[Hazara region|Hazara]] region in Pakistan, or with the historic [[Khazar]]}}
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{{Cleanup reorganize|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Hazara<br />{{lang|fa|{{Nastaliq|هزاره}}}}
| native_name      = Azra<br />{{lang|haz|{{Nastaliq|آزره}}}}
| image            = Hazara schoolgirls in Bamyan, Afghanistan.jpg
| caption          = Hazara schoolgirls in [[Bamyan]]
| population       = {{circa|4.5–8 million}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hazara |publisher=[[Joshua Project]] |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12076 |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref><ref name="sciencedirect">{{cite journal |last1=He |first1=Guanghin |display-authors=etal |date=2019 |title=A comprehensive exploration of the genetic legacy and forensic features of Afghanistan and Pakistan Mongolian-descent Hazara |journal=[[Forensic Science International: Genetics]] |volume=42 |pages=e1–e12 |doi=10.1016/j.fsigen.2019.06.018|pmid=31257046 |quote=There are approximately 7˜8 million Hazara people residing in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, European, Australia, Canada, and Indonesia. Hazara is the third-largest ethnic group in Afghanistan with a population size of over 2.84 million [7.5% of the population in 2019] and also a large minority group with over 0.65 million people [0.3% of the population in 2019] in Pakistan.}}</ref>{{efn|The World Hazara Council estimates a worldwide population of up to 14 million,<ref>{{Cite web |title=ENDURING AND OVERCOMING: THE STRUGGLE OF THE HAZARAS IN AFGHANISTAN |trans-title=Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FAAE/Reports/RP13256076/faaerp27/faaerp27-e.pdf |date=October 2024}}</ref> which is not backed up by any unbiased source.}}
| region1          = [[Afghanistan]]
| pop1             = {{circa|3.7 million}}
| ref1             = <ref>{{cite web |title=Hazaras in Afghanistan |url=https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12076/AF |website=Joshua Project |access-date=3 May 2025 |language=en}}.</ref>{{efn|Most unbiased sources estimate that Hazaras make up approximately 9% of [[Population of Afghanistan|Afghanistan's total population]].<ref name="reliefweb.int">{{cite web |url=https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghan-ethnic-groups-brief-investigation |via=ReliefWeb |publisher=    NATO CFC |title=Afghan Ethnic Groups: A Brief Investigation |date=14 August 2011 |access-date=18 September 2021 |archive-date=18 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918053054/https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghan-ethnic-groups-brief-investigation |url-status=live |quote=According to 2010 data from the US Department of State, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan is the Pashtun (including Kuchis), comprising 42% of Afghans.1 The Tajiks are the second largest ethnic group, at 27% of the population, followed by the Hazaras (9%), Uzbeks (9%), Aimaq (4%), Turkmen (3%), Baluch (2%) and other groups that make up 4%. }}</ref><ref name="Iranica-Afghanistan" /><ref name="hazara0">{{cite web |title=Afghanistan |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Afghanistan/Plant-and-animal-life#ref21423 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=en |quote=[...] Ḥazāra [...] constitute nearly one-tenth [of Afghans].}}</ref><ref name="hazara1">{{cite web|url=https://migrant-integration.ec.europa.eu/library-document/minorities-afghanistan-hazara-0_de|title=Minorities in Afghanistan: The Hazara|date=25 February 2010
|publisher=[[European Commission]]|access-date=5 May 2025 |quote=The fifth ÖIF-länderinfo (5th-country information) reveals the current situation about the Hazara minority in Afghanistan, which account for approximately 9 per cent of the total population.}}</ref><ref name="hazara2">{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/mrgi/2008/en/107199|title=World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – Afghanistan: Hazaras|date=2008 |publisher=[[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]]|access-date=5 May 2025 |quote=Though their exact number is uncertain and as with other communities are contested, relatively recent estimates have suggested that Hazaras make up around 9 per cent of the population.}}</ref><ref name="hazara3">{{cite web|url=https://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/country-information/rir/Pages/index.aspx?doc=453535|title=Situation of the Hazaras|date=28 July 2011 |publisher=[[Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada]]|access-date=5 May 2025 |quote=At just nine percent, or approximately 2.7 million of Afghanistan's estimated population of 29,835,392 people (US 8 July 2011), the Hazaras are a minority ethnic group.}}</ref><ref name="hazara4">{{cite web|url=https://minorityrights.org/country/afghanistan/|title=Afghanistan |date=2 November 2023 |publisher=[[Minority Rights Group International]]|access-date=5 May 2025 |quote=[N]o reliable current data on ethnicity in Afghanistan exists, though surveys have pointed to some rough estimates of the population. However, previous estimates have put the population at Pashtun 42 per cent, Tajik 27 per cent, Hazara 9 per cent, Uzbek 9 per cent, Turkmen 3 per cent, Baluchi 2 per cent and other groups making up the remaining 8 per cent.}}</ref><ref name="hazara5">{{cite web|url=https://www.bilderreisen.at/themen/afghanistan-fakten.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com|title=Afghanistan – Zahlen & Fakten |publisher=[[Der Fischer Weltalmanach]] 1969, 2019 (Frankfurt: S. Fischer Verlag)|access-date=8 May 2025 |language=german}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/afghanistan|title=Population of Afghanistan |publisher=World Population Review|access-date=5 May 2025}}</ref> Some sources, however, claim the figure is as low as 3%,<ref name="hazara5" /><ref name="libwashington">{{Cite web | url=https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/40616/Mobasher_washington_0250E_17869.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y | title=Political Laws and Ethnic Accommodation: Why Cross-Ethnic Coalitions Have Failed to Institutionalize in Afghanistan | website=digital.lib.washington.edu | first=Mohammad Bashir | last =Mobasher | publisher=University of Washington}}</ref><ref name="sciencedirect" /><ref name="hazara6">{{cite web |title=Who are the Hazara people of Afghanistan? |url=https://www.britannica.com/video/who-are-the-Hazara-people/-258711 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=6 May 2025 |language=en |quote=While some accounts maintain that the Hazaras are one of Afghanistan's largest ethnic groups — albeit commanding about 20, not 67, percent of the population — others believe they constitute less than 9 percent.}}</ref> while others suggest it could be as high as 20%.<ref name="Khazeni-2003" /><ref name="ngm2"/><ref name="hazara6" /> The World Hazara Council even claims that around 8 to 10 million Hazaras reside in Afghanistan,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2024 |title=ENDURING AND OVERCOMING: THE STRUGGLE OF THE HAZARAS IN AFGHANISTAN |trans-title=Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FAAE/Reports/RP13256076/faaerp27/faaerp27-e.pdf}}</ref> which would make up to a quarter of the total Afghan population and is not backed up by any unbiased source.}}
| region2          = [[Pakistan]]
| pop2             = {{circa|0.4–1 million}}
| ref2             = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/mrgi/2018/en/65021|title=World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples – Pakistan: Shi'a and Hazaras|date=June 2018|publisher=[[United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]]|access-date=7 May 2025|quote=The majority of Hazaras in Pakistan, approximately 500,000, live in the city of Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan.}}</ref><ref name="sciencedirect" /><ref>{{Cite journal|title=The migrant Hazara Shias of Pakistan and their social determinants for PTSD, mental disorders and life satisfaction|first1=Sara Rizvi|last1=Jafree|first2=Syed Mujtaba Hasnain|last2=Nadir|first3=Qaisar Khalid|last3=Mahmood|first4=Syeda Khadija|last4=Burhan|date=26 March 2023|journal=Journal of Migration and Health|volume=7|article-number=100166|doi=10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100166|pmid=36794096|pmc=9922968|quote=Recent reports state that there are up to 1 million Hazara Shias living in Pakistan, of which 0.7 million live in Balochistan [...]. Other reports claim that the population of Hazara Shias in Balochistan is approximately 0.4 to 0.5 million [...].}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pakistan-country-policy-and-information-notes/country-policy-and-information-note-hazaras-pakistan-july-2022-accessible|title=Country policy and information note: Hazaras, Pakistan, July 2022 (accessible)
|date=24 April 2025|publisher=[[Government of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=7 May 2025|quote=n a total population of nearly 243 million, an estimated 600,000 to one million Hazaras live in Pakistan.}}</ref>
| region3          = [[Iran]]
| pop3             = 500,000
| ref3             = <ref name="W.I.Smyth">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-afghan-shiite-fighters-in-syria|title=Iran's Afghan Shiite Fighters in Syria|first=Phillip|last=Smyth|date=3 June 2014|publisher=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy|access-date=22 June 2017}}</ref>
| region4          = Europe
| pop4             = 130,000
| ref4             = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-29/young-hazara-refugees-make-dangerous-journey-to-europe/7206420|title=Austria holds refugee talks as young Hazaras flee persecution to make 'dangerous' journey to Europe&nbsp;– ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|date=29 February 2016|website=mobile.abc.net.au|access-date=19 August 2017}}</ref>
| region6          = [[Turkey]]
| pop6             = 26,000
| ref6             = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hazara.net/2014/06/afghan-hazara-refugees-seek-justice-in-turkey/|title=Afghan Hazara Refugees Seek Justice in Turkey|date=3 June 2014}}</ref>
| region5          = [[Australia]]
| pop5             = 41,766
| ref5             = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-diversity-census/2021|title=Cultural Diversity|date=10 August 2021|website=Australian Bureau of Statistics|access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref>
| region7          = [[Indonesia]]
| pop7             = 3,800
| ref7             = <ref>{{citation |title=Afghan Hazaras' new life in Indonesia: Asylum-seeker community in West Java is large enough to easily man an eight-team Afghan football league |date=21 March 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date=5 August 2016 |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/03/afghan-hazaras-new-life-indonesia-201436121639956520.html}}</ref>
| region8          = [[Canada]]
| pop8             = 3,580
| ref8             = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810035501&geocode=A000011124 | title=Census Profile, 2021 Census – Ethnic or Cultural Background – Canada – provinces & territories | date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
| languages        = {{hlist|'''[[Persian language|Persian]]'''<br />([[Dari]], [[Hazaragi]])}}
| religions        = {{hlist|'''[[Islam]]'''<br />(majority [[Shia Islam|Shia]], minority [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]])}}<ref name="culturalorientation" /><ref name="شناسنامه الکترونیکی" />
| related          = {{hlist|[[Aimaqs]], [[Uzbeks]], [[Tajiks]], [[Turkic peoples]], [[Mongolic peoples]]}}<ref>{{Citation |last=Spuler |first=B. |title=Aymak |date=24 April 2012 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/aymak-SIM_0904?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-2&s.q=Aymak |publisher=Brill |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Haber-2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Haber |first1=M |last2=Platt |first2=DE |last3=Ashrafian Bonab |first3=M |display-authors=etal |year=2012 |title=Afghanistan's Ethnic Groups Share a Y-Chromosomal Heritage Structured by Historical Events |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=3 |article-number=e34288 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...734288H |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0034288 |pmc=3314501 |pmid=22470552 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|jstor = 23345249|title = Ethnic Brother or Artificial Namesake? The Construction of Tajik Identity in Afghanistan and Tajikistan|last1 = Brasher|first1 = Ryan|journal = Berkeley Journal of Sociology|year = 2011|volume = 55|pages = 97–120}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bolaq.org/2020/09/sunni-hazaras-of-afghanistan/|title=Sunni Hazaras of Afghanistan|date=17 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="دلجو-2018">{{Cite book |last=دلجو |first=عباس |title=تاریخ باستانی هزاره‌ها |date=2018 |publisher=موسسه انتشارات مقصوی، کابل |isbn=978-9936-624-00-9 |location=کابل، افغانستان |pages=37, 167, 257}}</ref><ref name="Babur-1826b">{{Cite book |last=Babur |first=(Emperor of Hindustan) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ztbAAAAQAAJ&q=turkoman+hazaras&pg=PA173 |title=Memoirs of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Baber: Emperor of Hindustan |date=1826 |publisher=Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Martínez-Cruz |first1=Begoña |last2=Vitalis |first2=Renaud |last3=Ségurel |first3=Laure |last4=Austerlitz |first4=Frédéric |last5=Georges |first5=Myriam |last6=Théry |first6=Sylvain |last7=Quintana-Murci |first7=Lluis |last8=Hegay |first8=Tatyana |last9=Aldashev |first9=Almaz |last10=Nasyrova |first10=Firuza |last11=Heyer |first11=Evelyne |date=2011 |title=In the heartland of Eurasia: the multilocus genetic landscape of Central Asian populations |journal=European Journal of Human Genetics |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=216–223 |doi=10.1038/ejhg.2010.153 |pmid=20823912 |pmc=3025785 |issn=1476-5438|quote=Our study confirms the results of Li et al's study that cluster the Hazara population with Central Asian populations, rather than Mongolian populations, which is consistent with ethnological studies. Our results further extend these findings, as we show that the Hazaras are closer to Turkic-speaking populations from Central Asia than to East-Asian or Indo-Iranian populations.}}</ref><ref name="Chen-2019">{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Pengyu |last2=Adnan |first2=Atif |last3=Rakha |first3=Allah |last4=Wang |first4=Mengge |last5=Zou |first5=Xing |last6=Mo |first6=Xiaodan |last7=He |first7=Guanglin |date=18 August 2019 |title=Population background exploration and genetic distribution analysis of Pakistan Hazara via 23 autosomal STRs |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03014460.2019.1673483 |journal=Annals of Human Biology |language=en |volume=46 |issue=6 |pages=514–518 |doi=10.1080/03014460.2019.1673483 |issn=0301-4460 |pmid=31559868 |s2cid=203569169 |quote=Overall, we genotyped 25 forensic-related markers in 261 Quetta Hazara individuals and provided the first batch of 23-autosomal STRs for forensic genetics and population genetics research. 23-autosomal STRs included in Huaxia Platinum were polymorphic in the Hazara population and could be used as powerful tool for forensic investigations. Population genetic comparisons based on two datasets via PCA, MDS and phylogenetic relationship reconstruction consistently indicated that the Quetta Hazara in Pakistan shared significant genetic components with Central Asians, especially for Turkic-speaking populations.|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="Temirkhanov"/><ref name="Bacon"/><ref name="bigenc">[https://old.bigenc.ru/ethnology/text/4727612 "Хазарейцы • Большая российская энциклопедия – электронная версия"]. bigenc.ru. In Russian: ''"Упоминаются с 16 в. До 19 в. говорили на монг. языке."''</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=July 2025}}
| footnotes        = 
}}

The '''Hazaras''' ({{langx|fa|هزاره|Hazāra}}; {{langx|haz|آزره|Āzrə}}) are an [[ethnic group]] and a principal component of [[Demographics of Afghanistan|Afghanistan's population]]. They are one of the largest [[ethnic groups in Afghanistan]], primarily residing in the [[Hazaristan]] (Hazarajat) region in [[central Afghanistan]]. Hazaras also form significant minority communities in [[Pakistan]], mainly in [[Quetta]], and in [[Iran]], primarily in [[Mashhad]]. They speak [[Dari]] and [[Hazaragi]], dialects of [[Persian languages|Persian]]. Dari, also known as Dari Persian, is an [[Languages of Afghanistan|official language of Afghanistan]], alongside [[Pashto]].

Between [[Hazara genocide|1888 and 1893]], more than half of the Hazara population was [[List of massacres against Hazaras|massacred]] under the [[Emirate of Afghanistan]],<ref name="Iranica">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-2|title=HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica|date=15 December 2003 |author=Alessandro Monsutti |access-date=16 December 2012}}</ref> and they have faced [[Persecution of Hazaras|persecution]] at various times over the past decades.<ref>{{cite book |author=Mousavi |first=S. A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXl0DwAAQBAJ&q=Tulai+Hazaras&pg=PT59 |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan |date=2018 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-80016-0}}</ref> Widespread ethnic discrimination,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hazaras in Afghanistan |url=https://minorityrights.org/communities/hazaras/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Minority Rights Group |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2024 |title=Hazaras and Shias: Violence, Discrimination, and Exclusion Under the Taliban |url=https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2024/05/hazaras-and-shias-violence-discrimination-and-exclusion-under-taliban/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=www.jurist.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Plight of Hazaras Under the Taliban Government |url=https://thediplomat.com/2024/01/the-plight-of-hazaras-under-the-taliban-government/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[religious persecution]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=KabulNow |date=27 October 2024 |title=Taliban Intensifies Campaign Against "Banned" Books in Central Afghanistan |url=https://kabulnow.com/2024/10/taliban-intensifies-campaign-against-banned-books-in-central-afghanistan/ |access-date=1 November 2024 |website=KabulNow |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/Hazaras(AfghanistanAndPakistan) |date=3 December 2025 |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2014-09-01/debates/14090127000001/Hazaras(AfghanistanAndPakistan)}}</ref><ref name="Afghanistan-2022">{{Cite web |date=6 September 2022 |title=Afghanistan: ISIS Group Targets Religious Minorities {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/06/afghanistan-isis-group-targets-religious-minorities |access-date=20 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref> organized attacks by terrorist groups,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deliberate Attacks On Civilians And Hazaras Are War Crimes, Says HRW |url=https://www.afintl.com/en/202405049862 |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Afghanistan International |date=4 May 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Afghanistan-2022"/> harassment, and arbitrary arrest for various reasons have affected Hazaras.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taj |first=Zareen |date=10 April 2024 |title=Taliban Gender Apartheid: Genocide of Hazara Women |url=https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/taliban-gender-apartheid-genocide-of-hazara-women |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=genocidewatch |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Zan |date=22 January 2024 |title='I was arrested for the crime of being a Hazara and a woman': The Taliban's 'bad hijab' campaign targets Hazara women |url=https://zantimes.com/2024/01/22/i-was-arrested-for-the-crime-of-being-a-hazara-and-a-woman-the-talibans-bad-hijab-campaign-targets-hazara-women/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Zan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> There have been numerous cases of torture of Hazara women,<ref>{{Cite web |title=/8am.media/eng/one-experience-two-perspectives-inside-the-lives-of-women-in-talibans-detention-centers-in-kabul/ |date=6 April 2024 |url=https://8am.media/eng/one-experience-two-perspectives-inside-the-lives-of-women-in-talibans-detention-centers-in-kabul/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Manish |first=Abdul Wahed |date=18 September 2023 |title=The Taliban Abducted a Hazara Girl from Islamic Darul Uloom for Forced Marriage. |url=https://www.voc-news.com/en/2023/09/19/the-taliban-abducted-a-hazara-girl-from-islamic-darul-uloom-for-forced-marriage/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Voice of Citizen News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 October 2023 |title=Strange Exiles; Taliban Tortured Hazara Girls under the Name of Unbelievers and Rejectionists {{!}} Jade Abresham |url=https://jade-abresham.com/english/?p=6553 |access-date=20 June 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref> land and home seizures,<ref>{{Cite web |last=rmasumi1 |date=13 October 2023 |title=Taliban Confiscate Hazara Land |url=https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/statement-on-forcible-displacement-and-land-confiscation-of-hazaras-by-taliban |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=genocidewatch |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 October 2021 |title=Afghanistan: Taliban Forcibly Evict Minority Shia {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/10/22/afghanistan-taliban-forcibly-evict-minority-shia |access-date=20 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Watch |first=Genocide |date=19 July 2024 |title=Intensifying persecution of Hazaras in Afghanistan |url=https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/intensifying-persecution-of-hazaras-in-afghanistan |access-date=1 November 2024 |website=genocidewatch |language=en}}</ref> deliberate economic restrictions, economic marginalization of the [[Hazara region (Afghanistan)|Hazara region]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=#6: Life under the Taliban |url=https://www.vidc.org/en/detail/6-life-under-the-taliban |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=www.vidc.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Iltaf |first=Maisam |date=23 January 2024 |title=Taliban's Disruption of Aid Programs Push Hazaras To the Brink |url=https://kabulnow.com/2023/09/talibans-disruption-of-aid-programs-push-hazaras-to-the-brink/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=KabulNow |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unfair Distribution of Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan |url=https://bamyanfoundation.org/unfair-distribution-of-humanitarian-aid |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Bamyan Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> and appropriation of Hazara agricultural fields and pastures leading to their forced displacement from [[Afghanistan]].{{efn|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Qazi |first=Shereena |title=Why are Hazaras being evicted from their homes in Afghanistan's Daikundi? |url=https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/why-are-hazaras-being-evicted-from-their-homes-in-afghanistan-s-daikundi-50324 |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Why are Hazaras being evicted from their homes in Afghanistan's Daikundi? |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=8am.media/eng/the-massacre-of-hazaras-in-oruzgan-ethnic-prejudice-and-land-grab-politics/ |date=27 September 2023 |url=https://8am.media/eng/the-massacre-of-hazaras-in-oruzgan-ethnic-prejudice-and-land-grab-politics/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=23 January 2024 |title=Law of the Gun |url=https://kabulnow.com/2024/01/law-of-the-gun/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=KabulNow |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.landinfo.no/asset/2057/1/2057_1.pdf|title=The conflict between Hazaras and Kuchis over the pasture and land}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=/kuchi-land-grabbers-speed-up-construction-works-on-hazara-settlements-in-ghaznis-jaghatu-district/ |date=17 December 2022 |url=https://8am.media/eng/kuchi-land-grabbers-speed-up-construction-works-on-hazara-settlements-in-ghaznis-jaghatu-district/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Opinion: The gradual genocide of Hazara in Afghanistan |url=https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/opinion-the-gradual-genocide-of-hazara-in-afghanistan/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=www.massey.ac.nz |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Between a rock and a hard place: The Hazaras in Afghanistan |url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place-the-hazaras-in-afghanistan |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=orfonline.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Baloch |first=Shah Meer |date=29 August 2021 |title=Hazara Shias flee Afghanistan fearing Taliban persecution |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/29/hazara-shias-flee-afghanistan-fearing-taliban-persecution |access-date=14 April 2025 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title="Who are the Hazaras and what are they escaping By Reuters". |website=[[Reuters]] |date=22 September 2016 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN11S0Z4/}}</ref>}}

== Etymology ==

The etymology of the word "Hazara" is disputed, with differing opinions on its origin.

[[Nasir Khusraw|Nasir Khusraw Balkhi]], the 11th-century Persian-language poet and scholar, refers to the word "Hazara" ({{transliteration|fa|Hazāra}} {{lang|fa|هزاره}}) in his poetry:<ref name="Mousavi-1998-35">{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=35 |language=en}}</ref>
{{blockquote|{{lang|fa|'''هزاران قول خوب و نغز و باریک'''<br />'''از او یابند چون تار هزاره'''}}<br /><br />''Hazaran qaul-e khob-o naghz-o barik''<br />''Azo yaband chon tar-e Hazara''<br /><br />Translation:<br />''It is from wisdom that spring thousands of fine and thoughtful words''<br />''As does music from the strings of a Hazara [[dutar|tar]]''}}

One of the earliest mentions of the Hazaras appears in the ''[[Baburnama]]'', written by [[Babur]], the founder of the [[Mughal Empire]], in the early 16th century. The text specifically refers to prominent [[Hazara tribes]], including the [[Sultan Masudi]]<ref name="Babur">Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur (1921).[https://www.rarebooksocietyofindia.org/book_archive/196174216674_10156335502831675.pdf "Memoirs Of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Babur. Volume 1."]. Oxford University Press. Pages 44, 243, 279."</ref> and [[First Campaign against Turkoman Hazaras|Turkoman Hazaras]].<ref name="Babur-1826a">{{Cite book |last=Babur |first=Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ztbAAAAQAAJ&q=turkoman+hazaras&pg=PA173 |title=Memoirs of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Baber: Emperor of Hindustan |publisher=Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green |year=1826 |language=en}}</ref>

*Historian [[Abdul Hai Habibi]] suggests that the word "Hazara" ({{transliteration|fa|Hazāra}} {{lang|fa|هزاره}}) is of ancient origin, derived from the term "Hazala" ({{transliteration|fa|həzālə}} {{lang|fa|هزاله}}), which gradually evolved into "Hazara" over time, and originally meant "good-hearted."<ref>یزدانی، حسینعلی. پژوهشی در تاریخ هزاره‌ها. چاپخانه مهتاب. ص 96</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=هزاله – لغت‌نامهٔ دهخدا |trans-title=''[[Dehkhoda Dictionary]]'' |url=https://abadis.ir/fatofa/%D9%87%D8%B2%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87/<!--&#124;url-status=live-->}}</ref>
*The name "Hazara" ({{transliteration|fa|Hazāra}} {{lang|fa|هزاره}}) is thought to derive from the Persian word "Hazar" ({{transliteration|fa|Hazār}} {{lang|fa|هزار}}), meaning "thousand." It may be a translation of the [[Mongolic languages|Mongolic]] word {{transliteration|mn|[[mingghan]]}}, which referred to a military unit of thousand soldiers during the time of [[Genghis Khan]].<ref>{{cite book |first=H. F. |last=Schurmann |title=The Mon-gols of Afghanistan: An Ethnography of the Moghôls and Related Peoples of Afghanistan |publisher=La Haye |year=1962 |page=115}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Poladi, Hassan |title=The Hazâras |publisher=Stockton |year=1989 |page=22|title-link=The Hazaras (book) |author-link=Hassan Poladi }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Mousavi, Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan |trans-title=An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Richmond |year=1998 |pages=23–25|title-link=The Hazaras of Afghanistan |author-link=Syed Askar Mousavi }}</ref> The term might have been used as a substitute for the Mongolic word to represent the group of people.<ref name="Khazeni-2003">{{cite encyclopedia |first1=Arash |last1=Khazeni |first2=Alessandro |last2=Monsutti |first3=Charles M. |last3=Kieffer |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |title=HAZĀRA |url=http://iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-1 |date=15 December 2003 |access-date=23 December 2007}}</ref> Sayed Askar Mousavi, however, questions the theory that these military units were permanently settled by direct order of Genghis Khan or his commanders in what is now Hazarajat. He argues that no known primary sources support such a claim, and views this interpretation as lacking historical foundation.<ref name="Mousavi-1998-35"/> Nevertheless, a number of other historians maintain that Mongol military garrisons were indeed left behind in the region following the 13th-century invasions, and that these settlements played a significant role in the ethnogenesis of the Hazara people.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite book | url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofst0002mina/page/728/mode/2up?q=genghis&view=theater | title= Encyclopedia of the stateless nations: ethnic and national groups around the world | date=2007 | last1=James | first1=Minahan  | publisher= Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press }} p. 728.</ref><ref name="Temirkhanov" /> According to [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani|Rashid al-Din]], the Mongols established permanent military units across [[Central Asia]], including in [[Khorasan]]. He specifically mentions a commander named Tumay, who was stationed as a military governor (amir) in Khorasan, indicating long-term garrison activity in the area.<ref name="Rashid al-Din">Рашид-ад-дин. [https://www.academia.edu/127839506/Рашид_ад_дин_Сборник_летописей_Т_I_кн_2_М_Л_1952 Сборник летописей. Т.I, кн.2. М., Л., 1952] Москва. p. 275-276. In Russian: ''"Тысяча Илак-Туа, который был старшим братом Элджигитая от кости тамгалык ветви племени сулдус; из их потомства в этом государстве — Тумай, который был в Хорасане эмиром-тысяцким."''</ref>

In their [[Hazaragi|native language]], the Hazaras refer to themselves as "Azra" ({{transliteration|haz|āzrə}} {{lang|haz|آزره}}) or ({{transliteration|haz|əzrə}} {{lang|haz|ازره}}).<ref>{{Cite book|last=دلجو|first=عباس|script-title=fa:تاریخ باستانی هزاره‌ها|date=2018 |publisher=موسسه انتشارات مقصوی، کابل|isbn=978-9936-624-00-9|location=کابل، افغانستان|page=199}}</ref>

==Origin==
Despite being one of the principal population groups in Afghanistan,<ref>{{Citation |last=Monsutti |first=Alessandro |title=Hazāras |date=1 July 2017 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/hazaras-COM_30419 |access-date=7 May 2022 |publisher=Brill |language=en |quote=The Hazāras are a principal component of the population of Afghanistan. |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], THREE}}</ref> the origins of the Hazara people have not been fully reconstructed. Genetic and linguistic analyses describe Hazaras as an ethnically [[Multiracial people|mixed group]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Bosworth |first=C. E. |title=Hazāras |date=24 April 2012 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/hazaras-SIM_8617?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.cluster.Encyclopaedia+of+Islam&s.q=Hazaras |access-date=8 May 2022 |publisher=Brill |language=en |quote=The Hazāras are almost certainly an Ethnically mixed group, whose components may or may not be related to each other. |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Second Edition}}</ref> with varying degrees of ancestry linked to contemporary [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]], [[Mongolic peoples|Mongolic]], and [[Iranic peoples|Iranic]] populations.{{efn|<ref name="دلجو-2018"/><ref name="Babur-1826b"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Hartl |first1=Daniel L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cfvILxY9tCIC |title=Genetics: Analysis of Genes and Genomes |last2=Jones |first2=Elizabeth W. |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7637-5868-4 |page=262}}</ref><ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011">{{Cite journal |last1=Martínez-Cruz |first1=Begoña |last2=Vitalis |first2=Renaud |last3=Ségurel |first3=Laure |last4=Austerlitz |first4=Frédéric |last5=Georges |first5=Myriam |last6=Théry |first6=Sylvain |last7=Quintana-Murci |first7=Lluis |last8=Hegay |first8=Tatyana |last9=Aldashev |first9=Almaz |last10=Nasyrova |first10=Firuza |last11=Heyer |first11=Evelyne |date=2011 |title=In the heartland of Eurasia: the multilocus genetic landscape of Central Asian populations |journal=European Journal of Human Genetics |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=216–223 |doi=10.1038/ejhg.2010.153 |issn=1476-5438 |pmc=3025785 |pmid=20823912 |quote=Our study confirms the results of Li et al's study that cluster the Hazara population with Central Asian populations, rather than Mongolian populations, which is consistent with ethnological studies. Our results further extend these findings, as we show that the Hazaras are closer to Turkic-speaking populations from Central Asia than to East-Asian or Indo-Iranian populations.}}</ref><ref name="Chen-2019"/><ref name="Temirkhanov">Temirkhanov L. (1968). [https://www.booksite.ru/etnogr/1968/1968_1.pdf "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа"]. Советская этнография. 1. P. 86. In Russian: ''"...монгольские отряды, оставленные в Афганистане Чингиз-ханом или его преемниками, стали исходным пластом, основой хазарейского этногенеза. "''</ref><ref name="Bacon">{{cite book |last=Bacon |first=Elizabeth Emaline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lkVIAQAAMAAJ |title=The Hazara Mongols of Afghanistan: A Study in Social Organization |date=1951 |publisher=University of California |location=Berkeley}}</ref><ref name="bigenc" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation |last=Bosworth |first=C. E. |title=Hazāras |date=24 April 2012 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/hazaras-SIM_8617?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.cluster.Encyclopaedia+of+Islam&s.q=Hazaras |access-date=8 May 2022 |publisher=Brill |language=en |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], Second Edition}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY – Encyclopaedia Iranica |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-2 |access-date=12 March 2021 |publisher=Iranicaonline.org}}</ref>}} The physical characteristics of some Hazaras and [[Aimaq people|Char Aimaks]] are Mongolian, likely a legacy of the [[Mongol invasion]].<ref name="Babur" /> Additionally, the Hazaras share common racial traits, physical features, and a strong resemblance to the Turkic populations of [[Central Asia]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=دلجو |first=عباس |title=تاریخ باستانی هزاره‌ها |date=2018 |publisher=موسسه انتشارات مقصوی، کابل |isbn=978-9936-624-00-9 |location=کابل، افغانستان |page=257}}</ref><ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011"/><ref name="Chen-2019"/> [[Babur]], the founder of the [[Mughal Empire]] in the early 16th century, mentioned the Hazaras in the ''[[Baburnama]],'' referring to some as "[[First Campaign against Turkoman Hazaras|Turkoman Hazaras]]."<ref name="Babur-1826a"/>

Over the centuries, various [[Mongols|Mongol]] ([[Turco-Mongols|Turco-Mongol]]) and [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] groups, notably the [[Qara'unas]], [[Chagatai Khanate|Chagatai Turco-Mongols]], [[Ilkhanate]], and [[Timurid dynasty|Timurids]], merged with local [[Indigenous peoples|indigenous]] Turkic and Iranic populations. Scholars agree that the Hazaras are the result of this historical blending, representing a unique ethnogenesis shaped by Turkic, Mongolic, and Iranic influences.<ref>B. Campbell, Disappearing people? Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities in South and Central Asia in Barbara Brower, Barbara Rose Johnston (Ed.) International Mountain Society, California, 2007</ref>

Although the Hazaras are a mix of multiple distinct ethnicities, a number of researchers focus on their Mongolic component. Some authors, including Elizabeth Emaline Bacon,<ref name="Bacon" /><ref>Elizabeth E. Bacon. (1951). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/3628602 "The Inquiry into the History of the Hazara Mongols of Afghanistan"]. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. Vol. 7. No. 3. pp. 230–247.</ref> Barbara A. West,<ref>{{cite book |last=West |first=Barbara A. West |title=Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania |date=2010 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-1-4381-1913-7 |location=New York |page=272}}</ref> Yuri Averyanov,<ref>Аверьянов Ю. А. (2017). [https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=31199912 "Хазарейцы - ираноязычные монголы Афганистана""]. Мир Центральной Азии. pp. 110–117.</ref> and Elbrus Sattsayev,<ref>Сатцаев Э. Б. (2009). [https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=32679342 "Монголы-хазарейцы Афганистана и аспекты "народного шиизма""]. Единая Калмыкия в единой России: через века в будущее. pp. 413–415.</ref> refer to them as "Hazara Mongols". Scholars such as [[Vasily Bartold]],<ref name="Bartold">Бартольд. В. В. (2022). [https://books.google.com/books?id=7o1VDwAAQBAJ&dq=%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8+%D0%BF%D0%BE-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8+%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%86%D1%8B&pg=PA162 Ислам. Культура мусульманства.] Москва: Litres. p. 162. In Russian: ''"...еще в XVI веке говорили хазарейцы по-монгольски в северной части Афганистана..."''</ref> [[Ármin Vámbéry]],<ref name="Vámbéry">Ármin Vámbéry (2003). [https://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus12/Vambery/text6.htm Путешествие по Средней Азии.] Москва: Восточная литература. In Russian: ''"Говорят, что хазарейцы ... были перевезены Чингисханом из Монголии, своей прародины, на юг Средней Азии и благодаря влиянию шаха Аббаса II обращены в шиизм. Поразительно, что они заменили свой родной язык персидским, который даже в населенных ими областях не повсеместно распространен, и лишь небольшая часть, оставшаяся изолированной в горах поблизости от Герата и уже несколько столетий занимающаяся выжиганием угля, говорит на некоем жаргоне монгольского языка."''</ref> Vadim Masson, Vadim Romodin,<ref name="Массон, Ромодин">Массон В. М., Ромодин В. А. (1964). [https://disk.yandex.ru/i/eWf_lFsRDIVncg История Афганистана. Том I. С древнейших времен до начала XVI века.] Москва: Наука. pp. 289–290. In Russian: ''"Еще в XVI в., по сообщению Бабура, среди хазарейцев был распространен монгольский язык, а небольшая часть их, по-видимому, и в XIX в. говорила на языке, близком к монгольскому."''</ref> [[Ilya Pavlovich Petrushevsky|Ilya Petrushevsky]],<ref name="Petrushevsky">Петрушевский И. П. (1952). [http://kronk.spb.ru/library/rashidaddin-1-1-1.htm Рашид-ад-дин и его исторический труд.] Москва/Ленинград: Издательство Академии Наук СССР. P. 29. In Russian: ''"Как известно, большой массив монгольского населения (хезарейцы), отчасти сохранявшего свой язык еще в XIX в., сложился на территории Афганистана..."''</ref> Allah Rakha, Fatima, Min-Sheng Peng, Atif Adan, Rui Bi, Memona Yasmin, and Yong-Gang Yao have written about the historical use of the Mongolian language by the Hazaras.<ref name="Forensic Science International">Allah Rakha, Fatima, Min-Sheng Peng, Atif Adan, Rui Bi, Memona Yasmin, Yong-Gang Yao (2017).[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1872497317301461 "mtDNA sequence diversity of Hazara ethnic group from Pakistan"]. Forensic Science International: Genetics. Volume 30: Pages e1-e5. In English: ''"Moreover, there are also lines of evidence that some of the remote tribes of Hazaras spoke Mongol language till last century. Their central Asian facial features including sparse beards, high cheekbones and epicanthic eye folds further supports their Mongol origin."''</ref> According to Sayed Askar Mousavi, the term "Moghol Hazaras" has not been found in historical documents, and no scholars have encountered "Mogholi-speaking Hazaras".<ref name="Mousavi-1998a">{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=36 |language=en}}</ref> However, 19th-century Hungarian orientalist Ármin Vámbéry, who personally traveled through Afghanistan, reported that some Hazara groups in the region of Herat still spoke a Mongolic dialect in his time. He also noted that the Hazaras preserved distinct Mongolian physical traits and cultural features.<ref name="Vámbéry" />  Similarly, the Mughal emperor Babur, in his memoirs (Baburnama), mentioned that some Hazara communities spoke Mongolian. These historical observations are frequently cited by scholars who support a Mongol origin of the Hazaras.<ref name="HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY">{{Cite web|title=HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY|url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-2/|website=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]}}</ref>

According to historian Lutfi Temirkhanov, Mongolian detachments left in Afghanistan by [[Genghis Khan]] or his successors became the foundational layer of Hazara ethnogenesis.<ref name="Temirkhanov" /> Sayed Askar Mousavi, however, questions the theory that these military units were permanently settled by direct order of Genghis Khan or his commanders in what is now Hazarajat. He argues that no known primary sources support such a claim, and views this interpretation as lacking historical foundation.<ref name="Mousavi-1998-35"/> Nevertheless, a number of other historians maintain that Mongol military garrisons were indeed left behind in the region following the 13th-century invasions, and that these settlements played a significant role in the ethnogenesis of the Hazara people.<ref name="archive.org"/><ref name="Temirkhanov" /> According to [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani|Rashid al-Din]], the Mongols established permanent military units across [[Central Asia]], including in [[Khorasan]]. He specifically mentions a commander named Tumay, who was stationed as a military governor (amir) in Khorasan, indicating long-term garrison activity in the area.<ref name="Rashid al-Din"/>

In the [[Ghilji]] neighborhood, Hazaras are called Mongols.<ref>Temirkhanov L. (1968). [https://www.booksite.ru/etnogr/1968/1968_1.pdf "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа"]. Советская этнография. 1. P. 91. In Russian: ''"Ближайшие соседи хазарейцев – гильзаи – называли и называют их «монголы»."''</ref> In turn, the Qarluq, Khalaj, and Turkoman peoples also contributed to the ethnogenesis of the Hazaras, with tribal names such as Qarluq and Turkoman still present among them today.<ref name="Mousavi-1998-31">{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=31 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mousavi-1998-140">{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=140 |language=en}}</ref> Evidence for the Mongol influence in Hazara ethnogenesis includes linguistic data, historical sources, [[toponymy]],<ref name="TemirkhanovLutfi">Temirkhanov L. (1968). [https://www.booksite.ru/etnogr/1968/1968_1.pdf "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа"]. Советская этнография. 1. P. 91. In Russian: ''"Об участии монголов в этногенезе хазарейцев свидетельствуют и данные лингвистики... также исторические источники (например, «Записки Бабура») и данные топонимики"''</ref> and population genetics studies.<ref>Sabitov Zh. M. (2011).[https://www.academia.edu/13606642/Происхождение_хазарейцев_с_точки_зрения_ДНК-генеалогии_Russian_Journal_of_Genetic_Genealogy._Русская_версия_2010._Том_2._1._С.37-40 "Происхождение хазарейцев с точки зрения ДНК-генеалогии"]. The Russian Journal of Genetic Genealogy. 2 (1): pp. 37–40.</ref> However, alternative theories have also been proposed, highlighting the complex origins of the Hazara people.<ref name="Mousavi-1998a" /><ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011" />

Some historians argue that the [[Bamiyan]] [[Buddhas of Bamiyan|Buddha statues]] constructed around the 5th and 6th centuries and noted for their resemblance to the Hazaras in facial features and appearance, suggest the deep historical roots of the Hazara people in the central regions of present-day Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 July 2010 |title=Buddhas of Bamyan |url=https://www.hazarainternational.com/buddhas-of-bamyan/ |access-date=12 February 2025 |website=Hazara International |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=9 March 2021 |title=In pictures: 3D return for Bamiyan Buddha destroyed by Taliban |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56337042 |access-date=12 February 2025 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Centlivres |first=Pierre |date=31 December 2008 |title=The Controversy over the Buddhas of Bamiyan |url=https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/992 |journal=South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal |language=en |issue=2 |doi=10.4000/samaj.992 |issn=1960-6060|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Without taking a definitive stance, some scholars consider it historically plausible that the origins of the Hazara people are rooted in Mongolic and Turkic groups who gradually entered the mountainous regions between Persia, Central Asia, and India from the 13th to 15th centuries, intermixing with local populations and adopting their language. Additionally, earlier Turko-Mongolic groups such as the Hephthalites, who inhabited the region in the 5th and 6th centuries, may have also contributed to Hazara ethnogenesis.<ref name="HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY"/>

== History ==
[[File:Hazara horseman fighting against the troops of Babur in February 1507 on the road from Herat to Kabul (2).jpg|thumb|A Hazara horseman engages in battle against [[Babur]]'s troops along the Herat-Kabul Road in February 1507]]
A mention of the Hazaras appears in [[Babur]]'s ''[[Baburnama]]'' in the early 16th century, particularly referring to [[List of Hazara tribes|tribes]] such as the [[Campaign against Sultan Masudi Hazaras|Sultan Masaudi Hazaras]],<ref name="Babur" /> [[First Campaign against Turkoman Hazaras|Turkoman Hazaras]],<ref name="Babur-1826a" /> and Kedi Hazaras.<ref name="Babur" />

It is reported that the Hazaras embraced [[Shia Islam]] between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, during the Safavid period.<ref name="Monsutti">{{cite web |date=15 December 2003 |title=HAZĀRA: ii. HISTORY |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-2 |access-date=9 August 2012 |work=Alessandro Monsutti |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |edition=Online |location=United States}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Sarabi |first=Humayun |date=2005 |title=Politics and Modern History of Hazara |trans-title=Sectarian Politics in Afghanistan |url=http://fletcher.tufts.edu/Congratulations/faces/~/media/Fletcher/Microsites/congratulations/PDFs/Sarabi.ashx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918105254/http://fletcher.tufts.edu/Congratulations/faces/~/media/Fletcher/Microsites/congratulations/PDFs/Sarabi.ashx |archive-date=18 September 2011 |access-date=2 November 2011 |publisher=[[Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy]]}}</ref> In the 18th century, Hazara men, together with individuals from other ethnic groups, were enlisted into the army of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]].<ref>{{cite web |year=1997 |title=Ahmad Shah and the Durrani Empire |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+af0010) |access-date=25 August 2010 |publisher=[[Library of Congress Country Studies]] on Afghanistan}}</ref>

=== 19th century ===
{{Further|1888–1893 Hazara uprisings|Battle of Uruzgan|Persecution of Hazaras|List of massacres against Hazaras}}
[[File:Hazara tribesmen.jpg|thumb|200px|A painting of armed Hazara tribesmen in 1892]]
During the second reign of [[Dost Mohammad Khan]] in the 19th century, Hazaras from Hazarajat were taxed for the first time. However, for the most part, they managed to maintain their regional [[autonomy]] until the 1892 [[Battle of Uruzgan]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 1892 |title=THE AMEER CAPTURES URZAGHAN. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1892/10/02/archives/the-ameer-captures-urzaghan.html |access-date=21 August 2022 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and the subsequent subjugation by [[Abdur Rahman Khan|Abdur Rahman]], which began in the late 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: an historical, cultural, economic and political study |date=1998 |publisher=Curzon |isbn=978-1-315-02693-0 |location=Richmond, Surrey |oclc=1100424512}}</ref>

When the [[Treaty of Gandomak]] was signed and the [[Second Anglo-Afghan War]] ended in 1880, Abdur Rahman set a goal to bring [[Hazaristan]], [[Turkistan]], and [[Kafiristan]] under his control. He launched several campaigns in Hazaristan in response to resistance from the Hazaras, during which his forces committed atrocities. The southern part of Hazaristan was spared, as its inhabitants accepted his rule, while other regions rejected Abdur Rahman and supported his uncle, [[Sher Ali Khan]]. In response, Abdur Rahman waged war against the tribal leaders who opposed his policies and rule. This conflict is known as the [[Hazara Uprisings]].<ref name="Monsutti" />

These campaigns had a catastrophic impact on the demographics of the Hazaras, resulting in the [[List of genocides by death toll|massacre]] of over sixty percent of the total Hazara population, with many being displaced and exiled from their own lands. The Hazara lands were distributed among loyalist villagers from nearby non-Hazara communities. The repression following the uprising has been characterized as [[genocide]] or [[ethnic cleansing]] in the history of modern Afghanistan.<ref name="دلجو-2013">{{cite book |last=دلجو |first=عباس |title=تاریخ باستانی هزاره‌ها |date=2013 |publisher=انتشارات امیری |isbn=978-9936-8015-0-9 |location=کابل}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=کاتب |first=فیض‌محمد |title=سراج‌التواریخ |publisher=مطبعه دارالسلطنته |year=1913 |location=کابل}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zamani |first1=Ezzatullah |date=September 2019 |title=The 'Genocide of the Hazaras' in Afghanistan from 1884 to 1905 and subsequent genocidal campaigns and target killings against them in the 21st century |url=https://www.academia.edu/40786500 |journal=Genocide of the Hazaras of Afghanistan}}</ref>

After these massacres, Abdul Rahman forced many Hazara families from the Hazara areas of [[Uruzgan]] and other parts of Hazaristan to leave their hometowns and ancestral lands, prompting many Hazaras to flee to neighboring countries such as Central Asia, [[Iran]], [[British India]], [[Iraq]], and [[Syria]]. Those Hazaras living in the northern [[Hindu Kush]] migrated to [[Tsarist|Tsarist Russia]], primarily settling in the southern cities, while some moved to Iran. Over time, many Hazaras living in Tsarist Russian regions lost their [[Hazaragi|language]], [[Hazara culture|culture]], and [[ethnic identity]] due to the similarities in [[Heritability|racial background]] and [[physical appearance]] of the local population, leading them to assimilate. The fleeing Hazaras settled in former Tsarist Russia regions, including [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Kazakhstan]], and [[Dagestan]]. Meanwhile, the Hazaras from northwestern Afghanistan migrated to Iran, settling in neighborhoods in and around [[Mashhad]], where they later became known as Khawari or Barbari. Another group of Hazaras from the southeastern regions of Afghanistan moved to British India, where they reside in [[Quetta]] (present-day [[Pakistan]]) and parts of present-day [[India]]. Additionally, some Hazaras settled in Syria and Iraq. Unlike those who migrated to Tsarist Russia, the Hazaras in Pakistan, India, Iran, Syria, and Iraq were unable to integrate fully due to differences in physical appearance, allowing them to retain their language, culture, and ethnic identity.<ref name="archive.mashal.org">{{Cite web |title=کوچ اجباری و اثرات فرهنگی واجتماعی آن بر جامعه هزاره |url=http://archive.mashal.org/content.php?c=hejtemahi&id=00115 |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=archive.mashal.org}}</ref>

=== 20th and 21st century ===
{{Tone|section|date=October 2018}}
[[File:Abdul Khaliq.jpg|thumb|225x225px|[[Abdul Khaliq Hazara (assassin)|Abdul Khaliq]], a school student, assassinated King [[Nadir Shah (Afghanistan)|Nadir Shah]] of Afghanistan]]
In 1901, [[Habibullah Khan]], Abdur Rahman's eldest son and successor, granted amnesty to the Hazaras and invited those exiled by his predecessor to return. However, few returned, settling instead in [[Afghan Turkestan|Turkistan]] and [[Balkh province]], as they had lost their previous lands. The Hazaras continued to face social, economic, and political [[discrimination]] throughout most of the 20th century. In 1933, [[Muhammad Nadir Shah]], the [[King of Afghanistan]], was assassinated by [[Abdul Khaliq Hazara (assassin)|Abdul Khaliq Hazara]], a [[school student]]. The [[Afghan government]] later captured and executed him, along with several of his family members.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Runion |first=Meredith L. |title=The History of Afghanistan, 2nd edition |publisher=ABC-CLIO-LLC |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-61069-778-1 |page=124}}</ref>

Mistrust of the central government among the Hazaras and local uprisings persisted. In particular, from 1945 to 1946, during [[Zahir Shah]]'s rule, a [[1945 Hazara Rebellion|revolt]] led by [[Muhammad Ibrahim Khan (Hazara leader)|Ibrahim Khan]], known as "Ibrahim Gawsawar," erupted in response to new taxes that were imposed exclusively on the Hazaras. Meanwhile, the [[Kuchis]] were not only exempted from these taxes but also received allowances from the Afghan government.<ref name="Monsutti" /> The angry rebels began capturing and killing government officials. In response, the central government sent a force to subdue the region and subsequently removed the taxes.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}
[[File:ابراهیم گاوسوار.jpg|thumb|305x305px|[[Muhammad Ibrahim Khan (Hazara leader)|Ibrahim Khan]], known as "Ibrahim Gawsawar", the leader of an armed Hazara uprising against excessive taxation during [[Zahir Shah]]'s rule]]
[[File:Mazari.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Abdul Ali Mazari]], the leader of Hazaras during and following the [[Soviet–Afghan War]]]]

The repressive policies{{clarify|date=April 2022}} of the [[People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan]] (PDPA) after the [[Saur Revolution]] in 1978 led to uprisings throughout the country. Fearing Iranian influence, the Hazaras were particularly persecuted. In October 1979, President [[Hafizullah Amin]] published a list of 12,000 victims of the [[Nur Muhammad Taraki|Taraki government]], among whom were 7,000 Hazaras who had been shot in the notorious [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Dorronsoro |first=Gilles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FApipiENsgwC&pg=PA104 |title=Revolution Unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the Present |date=2005 |publisher=Hurst & Company |isbn=1-85065-703-3 |location=London |page=104}}</ref>

During the [[Soviet-Afghan War]], the Hazarajat region did not experience as much heavy fighting as other parts of Afghanistan. Most of the Hazara [[Afghan mujahideen|mujahideen]] engaged in combat against the Soviets in regions on the periphery of Hazarajat. There was a division between the [[Tanzeem Nasle Nau Hazara]], a party based in Quetta comprising Hazara nationalists and secular intellectuals, and the [[Islamist]] parties in Hazarajat.<ref name="Monsutti" /> By 1979, the Hazara Islamist groups had already liberated Hazarajat from the central [[Democratic Republic of Afghanistan|Soviet-backed Afghan government]] and subsequently took full control of the region away from the secularists. By 1984, the Islamist dominance in Hazarajat was complete. As the Soviets withdrew in 1989, the Islamist groups recognized the need to broaden their political appeal and shifted their focus toward [[Hazara nationalism]].<ref name="Monsutti" /> This shift led to the establishment of [[Hizbe-Wahdat]], an alliance of all Hazara resistance groups, except for [[Harakat-e Islami]].

In 1992, with the fall of [[Kabul]], Harakat-e Islami sided with [[Burhanuddin Rabbani]]'s government, while Hizb-e Wahdat aligned with the opposition. Hizb-e Wahdat was eventually forced out of Kabul in 1995 when the [[Taliban]] captured the city and killed their leader, [[Abdul Ali Mazari]]. Following the Taliban's capture of Kabul in 1996, all Hazara groups united with the [[United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan|Northern Alliance]] against this common enemy. However, despite fierce resistance, Hazarajat fell to the Taliban in 1998. The Taliban isolated Hazarajat from the rest of the world, even preventing the [[United Nations]] from delivering food to the provinces of [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]], [[Ghor Province|Ghor]], [[Maidan Wardak Province|Maidan Wardak]], and [[Daikundi Province|Daikundi]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rashid |first=Ahmed |author-link=Ahmed Rashid |url=https://archive.org/details/talibanmilitant000rash |title=Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia |date=1 March 2001 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-08902-8 |edition=Paperback |location=New Haven, CT |url-access=registration}}</ref>

In 1997, a revolt broke out among the Hazaras in Mazar-e Sharif when they refused to be disarmed by the Taliban, resulting in the deaths of 600 Taliban fighters in the subsequent fighting.<ref>Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, London and New Haven, 2000, p. 58</ref> In retaliation, the Taliban adopted the genocidal policies reminiscent of [[Abdur Rahman Khan]]'s era. In 1998, six thousand Hazaras were killed in the north, with the intent of carrying out ethnic cleansing against the Hazara population.<ref>Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, London and New Haven, 2000, pp. 67–74</ref> In March 2001, the two giant [[Buddhas of Bamiyan]] were destroyed, despite widespread international condemnation.<ref>{{cite web |date=3 March 2001 |title=Taliban blow apart 2,000 years of Buddhist history |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/mar/03/afghanistan.lukeharding |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

{{multiple image
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| image1            = Taller Buddha before and after destruction.jpg
| alt1              = Colored dice with white background
| caption1          = Taller [[Buddha of Bamiyan]], {{convert|55|m|ft|0}} before and after destruction
| image2            = Smaller Buddha before and after destruction.jpg
| alt2              = Colored dice with checkered background
| caption2          = Smaller Buddha of Bamiyan, {{convert|38|m|ft|0}} before and after destruction
}}

[[File:Qazi Muhammad Isa.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Qazi Muhammad Isa]], [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah|Jinnah]]'s close associate and a key figure of the All-India Muslim League in Balochistan, Pakistan]]
Hazaras have also played a significant role in the creation of [[Pakistan]]. One notable Hazara was [[Qazi Muhammad Isa]] of the [[Sheikh Ali (Hazara tribe)|Sheikh Ali tribe]], who was a close friend of [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]; they met for the first time while studying in London. Qazi Muhammad Isa was the first person from his native province of [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] to obtain a Bar-at-Law degree and played a key role in establishing the [[All-India Muslim League]] in Balochistan.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 June 2020 |title=Who is Justice Qazi Faez Isa? |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1486499 |website=DAWN.COM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=14 June 2020 |title=Qazi Muhammad Isa and the reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/626799/qazi-muhammad-isa-and-the-reference-against-justice-qazi-faez-isa/}}</ref>

Though Hazaras played a role in the anti-Soviet movement, some Hazaras also participated in the new communist government, which actively courted Afghan minorities. [[Sultan Ali Kishtmand]], a Hazara, served as the Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1981 to 1990, with a brief interruption in 1988.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fida Yunas |first1=S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5i5WAAAAYAAJ&q=sultan |title=Pg 33. ''Sultan Ali Kishtmand had remained Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 10 January 1981 to 26 May 1990, with a brief break of about nine months, when Dr Hassan Sharq replaced him from 20 June 1988 to ...'' |year=2008 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref> The Ismaili Hazaras of Baghlan Province likewise supported the communists, and their ''pir'' (religious leader), [[Jaffar Naderi]], led a pro-Communist militia in the region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Brian Glyn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cYtXJhByzoEC&q=naderi+hazara&pg=PA37 |title=Afghanistan Declassified: A Guide to America's Longest War&nbsp;– Brian Glyn Williams&nbsp;– Google Books |date=22 September 2011 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-0615-9 |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref>
During the following years, the Hazaras suffered severe oppression, and numerous ethnic massacres, genocides, and pogroms were carried out by the predominantly Pashtun Taliban. These events have been documented by organizations such as [[Human Rights Watch]].<ref>{{cite web |date=February 2001 |title=Afghanistan: massacres of Hazaras |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghanistan/ |access-date=27 December 2007 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref>
Following the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] in the [[United States]], [[United States invasion of Afghanistan|American and Coalition forces invaded Afghanistan]]. After the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|fall of the Taliban]], many Hazaras emerged as important figures in the country.<ref name="ngm2">{{cite magazine |last=Larson |first=Marisa |date=17 June 2008 |title=Hazara People |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Hazara_People |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302170049/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Hazara_People |archive-date=2 March 2008 |access-date=9 August 2012 |magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]}}</ref> Hazaras pursued higher education, enrolled in the [[Afghan National Army|army]], and held various top government positions.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sappenfield |first=Mark |date=6 August 2007 |title=Afghanistan's success story: The liberated Hazara minority |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0806/p06s02-wosc.html?page=2 |journal=Christian Science Monitor |access-date=27 December 2007}}</ref> Notable Hazaras in leadership roles included [[Vice President of Afghanistan|Vice Presidents]], [[Cabinet of Afghanistan|ministers]], and [[list of current governors of Afghanistan|governors]], such as [[Karim Khalili]], [[Sarwar Danish]], [[Sima Samar]], [[Muhammad Mohaqiq]], [[Habiba Sarābi]], [[Abdul Haq Shafaq]], [[Sayed Anwar Rahmati]], [[Qurban Ali Urozgani]], [[Muhammad Arif Shah Jahan]], [[Mahmoud Baligh]], [[Sayyed Mohammad Eqbal Munib|Mohammad Eqbal Munib]], and [[Mohammad Asim Asim]]. [[Azra Jafari]], the mayor of [[Nili, Daikundi]], became the first female mayor in Afghanistan. Other notable Hazaras include [[Sultan Ali Keshtmand]], [[Abdul Wahed Sarābi]], [[Akram Yari]], [[Ghulam Ali Wahdat]], [[Sayed Mustafa Kazemi]], [[Ghulam Husain Naseri]], [[Abbas Noyan]], [[Daoud Naji]], [[Abbas Ibrahim Zada]], [[Ramazan Bashardost]], [[Ahmad Shah Ramazan]], [[Ahmad Behzad]], [[Nasrullah Sadiqi Zada Nili]], [[Fahim Hashimi]], [[Maryam Monsef]], and others.<ref>{{cite web |date=22 January 2011 |title=Many Karzai rivals find way to Parliament |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/01/22/many-karzai-rivals-find-way-parliament |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313035046/http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/01/22/many-karzai-rivals-find-way-parliament |archive-date=13 March 2012 |access-date=30 July 2012 |publisher=Pajhwok.com}}</ref>

Although Afghanistan has historically been one of the poorest countries in the world, the Hazarajat region remained underdeveloped due to past government neglect. Since the ousting of the Taliban in late 2001, billions of dollars had been invested in Afghanistan for reconstruction, and several large-scale projects began in August 2012. For instance, more than 5,000 kilometers of road pavement have been completed across the country, with little done in central Afghanistan (Hazarajat). Conversely, the [[Band-e Amir]] in [[Bamyan Province]] became the first [[national park]] in Afghanistan. A road from Kabul to [[Bamyan]] was also constructed, along with new police stations, government institutions, hospitals, and schools in [[Bamyan Province|Bamyan]], [[Daikundi Province|Daikundi]], and other provinces predominantly inhabited by Hazaras. Additionally, the first [[ski resort]] in Afghanistan was established in Bamyan Province.<ref>{{cite web |title=(27 February 2012) Afghanistan set to host second national ski race. wanderlust.co.uk |url=http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/news/afghanistan-hosts-second-national-ski-race |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804053617/http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/magazine/news/afghanistan-hosts-second-national-ski-race |archive-date=4 August 2017 |access-date=30 October 2017 |website=Wanderlust.co.uk }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Levinson |first=Charles |date=7 March 2012 |title=Since Skiing Came to Afghanistan, It Has Been Pretty Much All Downhill |url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577263343870606130.html |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref>
Discrimination is evident in the treatment of [[Kuchis]] (Pashtun nomads who historically migrate from region to region depending on the season), who are allowed to use the pastures of Hazarajat during the summer months. It is believed that this practice began during the rule of Abdur Rahman Khan.<ref name="Bangkok Post-2012">{{cite news |date=7 August 2012 |title=Afghan nomad clashes raise fears of ethnic strife |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/306419/afghan-nomad-clashes-raise-fears-of-ethnic-strife |work=Bangkok Post |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> Living in mountainous Hazarajat, where arable farmland is scarce, the Hazara people rely on these pasture lands for their livelihood during the long and harsh winters. In 2007, some Kuchi nomads entered parts of Hazarajat to graze their livestock. When the local Hazaras resisted, a clash ensued, resulting in several deaths on both sides from gunfire. Such events continue to occur, even after the central government, including President [[Hamid Karzai]], was compelled to intervene. In late July 2012, a Hazara police commander in Uruzgan Province reportedly rounded up and killed nine Pashtun civilians in retaliation for the deaths of two local Hazaras. The Afghan government is currently investigating this matter.<ref name="Bangkok Post-2012" />
[[File:Hazara women protest terrorist attack on students after Kabul bombing.jpg|thumb|Hazara Women Condemn [[September 2022 Kabul school bombing]]|260x260px]]
President Hamid Karzai's efforts after the [[Afghan Peace Jirga 2010|Peace Jirga]] to negotiate a deal with Taliban leaders caused deep unease among Afghanistan's minority communities, who had fought the Taliban the longest and suffered the most during their rule. Leaders of the [[Tajiks|Tajik]], [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]], and Hazara communities vowed to resist any return of the Taliban to power, recalling the large-scale massacres of Hazara civilians during the Taliban's previous rule.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/world/asia/27afghan.html "Afghan Overture to Taliban Aggravates Ethnic Tensions".] ''[[The New York Times]]'', 27 June 2010.</ref> The [[2021 Kabul school bombing]] targeted a girls' school in [[Dashte Barchi]], a predominantly Hazara area in western [[Kabul]].<ref>{{cite news |date=10 May 2021 |title=Death toll rises to 85 in Afghanistan girls' school bomb attack |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/09/asia/afghanistan-girls-school-attack-intl-hnk/index.html |work=CNN}}</ref> The Dashte Barchi district had frequently been attacked by the [[Islamic State – Khorasan Province]].<ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2021 |title=Blasts kill dozens near school in Afghan capital Kabul |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/8/blasts-kill-dozens-near-school-in-afghan-capital-kabul |access-date=8 May 2021 |publisher=Al Jazeera English}}</ref>

Following the [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|fall of Kabul]] to the Taliban in 2021, which marked the end of the war in Afghanistan, concerns were raised about whether the Taliban would reimpose the persecution of Hazaras as they did in the 1990s. An academic at [[Melbourne]]'s [[La Trobe University]] stated that "The Hazaras are very fearful that the Taliban will likely reinstate the policies of the 1990s," despite Taliban reassurances that they would not revert to their previous oppressive practices.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 August 2021 |title=Afghanistan's minority Hazaras see gains of past two decades 'falling apart' |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20210823-afghanistan-s-minority-hazaras-see-gains-of-past-two-decades-falling-apart |access-date=31 August 2021 |publisher=[[France 24]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mogul |first1=Rhea |date=29 August 2021 |title=Afghanistan's religious minorities live in fear of Taliban, brace for persecution |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/afghanistan-s-religious-minorities-live-fear-taliban-brace-persecution-n1277249 |access-date=31 August 2021 |work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref> On 6 September 2022, [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, ISIS–K has claimed responsibility for 13 attacks against Hazaras and has been linked to at least three more, resulting in the deaths and injuries of at least 700 people. The Islamic State affiliate has repeatedly targeted Hazaras and other religious minorities at mosques, schools, and workplaces.<ref>{{cite web |date=6 September 2022 |title=Afghanistan: ISIS Group Targets Religious Minorities |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/06/afghanistan-isis-group-targets-religious-minorities |access-date=6 September 2022 |website=Human Rights Watch}}</ref>

== Genetics ==
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Hazaras men.jpg
| alt1              = Colored dice with white background
| caption1          = Hazara farmers in  [[Behsud, Maidan Wardak]], have developed sun-darkened skin from working tirelessly under the intense mountain sun at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 meters above sea level.
| image2            = Hazara people on the anniversary of Abdul Ali Mazari's death in Kabul.jpg
| alt2              = Colored dice with checkered background
| caption2          = Hazaras commemorating the anniversary of  [[Abdul Ali Mazari]]'s death in Kabul, 2021.
}}

Genetically, the Hazaras have a mix of [[West Eurasian]] and [[Ancient East Eurasian|East Eurasian]] components. Genetic data shows that Hazaras in Afghanistan cluster closely with the [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] population, while both groups are notably distinct from Afghanistan's [[Tajiks|Tajik]] and [[Pashtuns|Pashtun]] populations.<ref name="Haber-2012" /><ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011" /> There is evidence of both paternal and maternal connections to [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]], [[Mongolic peoples|Mongolic]], and [[Iranic peoples|Iranic]] populations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Noah A. |display-authors=etal |date=December 2002 |title=Genetic Structure of Human Populations |journal=Science |series=New Series |volume=298 |issue=5602 |pages=2381–85 |bibcode=2002Sci...298.2381R |doi=10.1126/science.1078311 |pmid=12493913 |s2cid=8127224}}</ref>

The frequency of ancestral components among the Hazaras varies according to tribal affiliation. They show a high genetic affinity to present-day [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] populations of [[Central Asia]] and [[East Asia]], as well as to [[Mongolic peoples|Mongolic]] populations. In terms of their overall genetic makeup, approximately 49% of the average gene pool of the Hazaras is derived from East Asian sources, around 48% from European sources, and approximately 0.17%, 0.47%, and 2.30% from African, Oceanian, and Amerindian sources, respectively. The [[genetic makeup]] of the Hazaras is similar to that of [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]], [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]], [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]], [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], and [[Mongols|Mongol]] populations.<ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011"/><ref name="Chen-2019"/><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Xu |first1=Shuhua |last2=Wang |first2=Sijia |last3=Tang |first3=Kun |last4=Guan |first4=Yaqun |last5=Khan |first5=Asifullah |last6=Li |first6=Jing |last7=Zhang |first7=Xi |last8=Wang |first8=Xiaoji |last9=Tian |first9=Lei |date=1 October 2017 |title=Genetic History of Xinjiang's Uyghurs Suggests Bronze Age Multiple-Way Contacts in Eurasia |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=34 |issue=10 |pages=2572–2582 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msx177 |issn=0737-4038 |pmid=28595347 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="SabitovZh."/><ref name="Жабагин"/><ref name="He-2019">{{Cite journal |last1=He |first1=Guanglin |last2=Adnan |first2=Atif |last3=Rakha |first3=Allah |last4=Yeh |first4=Hui-Yuan |last5=Wang |first5=Mengge |last6=Zou |first6=Xing |last7=Guo |first7=Jianxin |last8=Rehman |first8=Muhammad |last9=Fawad |first9=Abulhasan |last10=Chen |first10=Pengyu |last11=Wang |first11=Chuan-Chao |date=1 September 2019 |title=A comprehensive exploration of the genetic legacy and forensic features of Afghanistan and Pakistan Mongolian-descent Hazara |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1872497319301279 |journal=Forensic Science International: Genetics |volume=42 |pages=e1–e12 |doi=10.1016/j.fsigen.2019.06.018 |pmid=31257046 |issn=1872-4973|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Genetic analyses using methods such as pairwise genetic distances, multidimensional scaling (MDS), principal component analysis (PCA), and phylogenetic reconstruction have shown that the Hazaras are genetically closer to Turkic-speaking populations – such as the Uyghur, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz of northwest China – than to Mongolians, East-Asian or Indo-Iranian populations.<ref name="Martínez-Cruz-2011"/> Additional analyses, including f3, f4, f4-ratio, qpWave, and qpAdm, indicate that while Hazaras share substantial genetic components with East Asian populations, approximately 57.8% of their ancestry can be traced to Mongolian-related sources.<ref name="He-2019"/><ref name="Atif Adnan">{{cite journal | last1=Adnan | first1=Atif | last2=Rakha | first2=Allah | last3=Nazir | first3=Shahid | last4=Alghafri | first4=Rashed | last5=Hassan | first5=Qudsia | last6=Wang | first6=Chuan-Chao | last7=Lu | first7=Jie | title=Forensic features and genetic legacy of the Baloch population of Pakistan and the Hazara population across Durand line revealed by Y-chromosomal STRs | journal=International Journal of Legal Medicine | volume=135 | issue=5 | date=2021 | issn=0937-9827 | doi=10.1007/s00414-021-02591-2 | pages=1777–1784| pmid=33818632 |biorxiv=10.1101/2020.11.21.392456}}</ref> According Guanglin He, genetic studies further suggest that the Hazaras have undergone admixture with local and neighboring populations, resulting in their present-day East–West Eurasian mixed genetic profile, which developed after their divergence from Mongolian groups.<ref name="He-2019"/>

=== Paternal haplogroups ===
The most common paternal DNA haplogroups among Hazaras from Afghanistan are the East Eurasian haplogroup C-M217 (33.33%) and the West Eurasian haplogroup R1a1a-M17 (6.67%), followed by the West Eurasian haplogroups J2-M172 and L-M20. Some Hazaras were also found to belong to the haplogroups E1b1b1-M35, L-M20, and H-M69, which they share with [[Tajiks]], [[Pashtuns]], and [[South Asian ethnic groups|Indian populations]]. Additionally, one individual with the haplogroup B-M60, typically found in [[Eastern Africa]], was identified.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Haber |first1=Marc |last2=Platt |first2=Daniel E. |last3=Bonab |first3=Maziar Ashrafian |last4=Youhanna |first4=Sonia C. |last5=Soria-Hernanz |first5=David F. |last6=Martínez-Cruz |first6=Begoña |last7=Douaihy |first7=Bouchra |last8=Ghassibe-Sabbagh |first8=Michella |last9=Rafatpanah |first9=Hoshang |last10=Ghanbari |first10=Mohsen |last11=Whale |first11=John |date=28 March 2012 |title=Afghanistan's Ethnic Groups Share a Y-Chromosomal Heritage Structured by Historical Events |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=7 |issue=3 |article-number=e34288 |bibcode=2012PLoSO...734288H |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0034288 |pmc=3314501 |pmid=22470552 |doi-access=free |first12=Oleg |last12=Balanovsky |first13=R. Spencer |last13=Wells |first14=David |last14=Comas |first15=Chris |last15=Tyler-Smith |first16=Pierre A. |last16=Zalloua |first17=The Genographic |last17=Consortium}}</ref><ref>John William Whale. Mitochondrial DNA Analysis of Four Ethnic Groups of Afghanistan. http://eprints.port.ac.uk/9862/1/John_Whale_MPhil_Thesis_2012.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802122703/http://eprints.port.ac.uk/9862/1/John_Whale_MPhil_Thesis_2012.pdf|date=2 August 2017}}</ref>

Haplogroup C2 (previously known as the C3-Star cluster) is the most frequent haplogroup among Pakistani and Afghan Hazaras.<ref name="Atif Adnan" /> Pakistani Hazaras have a high frequency of [[Haplogroup C-M217 (Y-DNA)|haplogroup C-M217]] at approximately 40% (10/25) and [[haplogroup R1b]] at around 32% (8/25). A relatively high frequency of R1b has also been found among Eastern Russian [[Tatars]] and [[Bashkirs]], and all three groups are thought to be associated with the [[Golden Horde]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lkhagvasuren |first1=Gavaachimed |last2=Shin |first2=Heejin |last3=Lee |first3=Si Eun |last4=Tumen |first4=Dashtseveg |last5=Kim |first5=Jae-Hyun |last6=Kim |first6=Kyung-Yong |last7=Kim |first7=Kijeong |last8=Park |first8=Ae Ja |last9=Lee |first9=Ho Woon |last10=Kim |first10=Mi Jin |last11=Choi |first11=Jaesung |date=14 September 2016 |title=Molecular Genealogy of a Mongol Queen's Family and Her Possible Kinship with Genghis Khan |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=11 |issue=9 |article-number=e0161622 |bibcode=2016PLoSO..1161622L |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0161622 |pmc=5023095 |pmid=27627454 |doi-access=free |last12=Choi |first12=Jee-Hye |last13=Min |first13=Na Young |last14=Lee |first14=Kwang-Ho}}
"Eastern Russian Tatars, Bashkirs, and Pakistani Hazara were found to carry R1b-M343 at unusually high frequencies of 12.65%, 46.07%, and 32%, respectively, compared to other regions of Eastern Asia, which rarely have this haplotype"</ref> Haplogroup C-M217, or C2, is the most common haplogroup in Mongol and Kazakh populations.<ref name="Atif Adnan" /> According to Sabitov, studies indicate that Y-DNA haplogroup C2 among Hazaras is linked to the expansion of the Mongols,<ref name="SabitovZh.">Sabitov Zh. M. (2011).[https://www.academia.edu/13606642/Происхождение_хазарейцев_с_точки_зрения_ДНК-генеалогии_Russian_Journal_of_Genetic_Genealogy._Русская_версия_2010._Том_2._1._С.37-40 "Происхождение хазарейцев с точки зрения ДНК-генеалогии"]. The Russian Journal of Genetic Genealogy. 2 (1): pp. 37–40. In Russian: ''"Гаплогруппа СЗ безусловно связана с экспансией монголов..."''</ref> and, as noted by Zhabagin, this genetic marker supports the Mongolian origin of the Hazaras.<ref name="Жабагин">Жабагин М. К. (2017). [https://disk.yandex.ru/i/-B69hFsjOyNOJA Анализ связи полиморфизма Y-хромосомы и родоплеменной структуры в казахской популяции] Москва. p. 71. In Russian: ''"...за счет высокой частоты гаплогруппы С2-М217, что согласуется с монгольским происхождением хазарейцев."''</ref> According to Volkov, the Turkic genetic lineage is associated with haplogroup R1b, which is most likely linked to populations of the Dasht-i-Kipchak region who were recruited from the eastern wing of the Jochid Ulus for Hülegü's campaign into Iran.<ref name="Волков">Волков В. Г. (2014).[https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=28758340 "Кыпчакский компонент в составе средневекового населения Кузнецкой котловины и Томского приобья в контексте генетических данных"]. История, экономика и культура средневековых тюрко-татарских государств Западной Сибири: pp. 71–74.</ref>

=== Maternal haplogroups ===
The Hazaras share approximately 35% of their maternal haplogroups with contemporary East Asian populations, while about 65% are shared with West Eurasian populations.<ref>Allah Rakha, Fatima, Min-Sheng Peng, Atif Adan, Rui Bi, Memona Yasmin, Yong-Gang Yao (2017).[https://disk.yandex.ru/i/oaEltvvhkpdpYw "mtDNA sequence diversity of Hazara ethnic group from Pakistan"]. Forensic Science International: Genetics. Volume 30: Page 3.</ref> Overall, the Hazaras predominantly have West Eurasian mtDNA.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Quintana-Murci |first1=L |last2=Chaix |first2=R |last3=Wells |first3=RS |display-authors=etal |date=May 2004 |title=Where West Meets East: The Complex mtDNA Landscape of the Southwest and Central Asian Corridor |journal=The American Journal of Human Genetics |volume=74 |issue=5 |pages=827–45 |doi=10.1086/383236 |pmc=1181978 |pmid=15077202}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MtDNA sequence diversity of Hazara ethnic group from Pakistan |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318343710 |access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Quintana-Murci |first1=L |last2=Chaix |first2=R |last3=Wells |first3=RS |display-authors=etal |date=May 2004 |title=Figure 1: Where west meets east: the complex mtDNA landscape of the southwest and Central Asian corridor |journal=Am. J. Hum. Genet. |volume=74 |issue=5 |pages=827–45 |doi=10.1086/383236 |pmc=1181978 |pmid=15077202}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
{{Further|Demographics of Afghanistan|Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
[[File:US Army ethnolinguistic map of Afghanistan -- circa 2001-09.jpg|thumb|[[Ethnic groups in Afghanistan|Ethnic groups]] in Afghanistan]]
Most unbiased sources estimate that Hazaras make up approximately 9% of [[Population of Afghanistan|Afghanistan's total population]].<ref name="reliefweb.int" /><ref name="Iranica-Afghanistan" /><ref name="hazara0" /><ref name="hazara1" /><ref name="hazara2" /><ref name="hazara3" /><ref name="hazara4"/><ref name="hazara5" /><ref name="Khazeni-20032">{{cite encyclopedia |title=HAZĀRA |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |url=http://iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-1 |access-date=23 December 2007 |date=15 December 2003 |last2=Monsutti |first2=Alessandro |last3=Kieffer |first3=Charles M. |first1=Arash |last1=Khazeni}}</ref><ref name="ngm2">{{cite magazine |last=Larson |first=Marisa |date=17 June 2008 |title=Hazara People |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Hazara_People |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302170049/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Hazara_People |archive-date=2 March 2008 |access-date=9 August 2012 |magazine=[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]}}</ref><ref name="Iranica-Afghanistan2">{{cite web |date=15 December 1983 |title=AFGHANISTAN iv. Ethnography |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-iv-ethnography |work=[[Louis Dupree (professor)|L. Dupree]] |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |quote=The Hazāra number about 1,000,000 [which makes up 9% of the total Afghan population of approximetaly 11 million in 1983], primarily highland agriculturalists; many work seasonally in Kabul and other urban centers. |edition=Online |location=United States}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=July 2025}} Some sources, however, claim the figure is as low as 3%,<ref name="hazara5" /><ref name="libwashington" /><ref name="sciencedirect" /><ref name="hazara6" /> while others suggest it could be as high as 20%.<ref name="Khazeni-2003" /><ref name="ngm2"/><ref name="hazara6" /> The World Hazara Council even claims that around 8 to 10 million Hazaras reside in Afghanistan and the Hazara population worldwide (especially in Pakistan, Iran, and other countries, largely due to historical migration and displacement) could be as high as 14 million in 2024,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2024 |title=ENDURING AND OVERCOMING: THE STRUGGLE OF THE HAZARAS IN AFGHANISTAN |trans-title=Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FAAE/Reports/RP13256076/faaerp27/faaerp27-e.pdf}}</ref> which would make up to a quarter of the total Afghan population and is not backed up by any unbiased source. During the Hazara uprisings between [[1888–1893 Hazara uprisings|1888 and 1893]], over 60 percent of their population was massacred and forcibly displaced. Consequently, they lost a substantial portion of their ancestral lands to non-Hazaras—territory that, if retained, could have nearly doubled their current land holdings.<ref name="دلجو-2013" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan: The Hazara dread {{!}} Lowy Institute |url=https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/afghanistan-hazara-dread?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=7 May 2025 |website=www.lowyinstitute.org |language=en}}</ref>

== Geographic distribution ==

=== Afghanistan ===
{{Further|Hazaristan|Demographics of Afghanistan|Ethnic groups in Afghanistan}}
{{Expand section|date=October 2023}}
[[File:Afghanistan and the geographical area of Hazaristan in 1890.jpg|thumb|left|Afghanistan and the geographical region of Hazaristan in 1890]]
The Hazaras are among the largest [[ethnic groups in Afghanistan]], predominantly settled in the central regions known as [[Hazaristan]] (Hazarajat), with a significant presence throughout the country.<ref>{{Citation |last=Dames |first=M. Longworth |title=Hazāra |date=24 April 2012 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-1/hazara-SIM_2782 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, First Edition (1913–1936) |access-date=9 August 2023 |publisher=Brill |language=en}}</ref> Their population within Afghanistan is estimated to range from 8 to 10 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ENDURING AND OVERCOMING: THE STRUGGLE OF THE HAZARAS IN AFGHANISTAN |trans-title=Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FAAE/Reports/RP13256076/faaerp27/faaerp27-e.pdf |date=October 2024}}</ref>

Until the 1880s, the Hazaras maintained full autonomy and controlled all of Hazarajat. The central government in Kabul had not yet succeeded in bringing them under its rule.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=65 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Central Asia ===
{{Further|Demographics of Central Asia}}
After the massacre and genocide of the Hazaras by [[Abdur Rahman Khan|Abdur Rahman]] from [[1888–1893 Hazara uprisings|1888 to 1893]], many Hazaras migrated to [[Central Asia]]n regions under [[Russian Empire|Tsarist Russian]] occupation, including [[Uzbekistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Kazakhstan]], with a significant number settling in [[Samarkand]] and [[Bukhara]]. Over time, many Hazaras living in these regions lost their accent, language, and ethnic identity due to the similarities in racial structure and appearance with the local populations, leading to their assimilation.<ref name="archive.mashal.org" /><ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan}}</ref>

=== Pakistan ===
{{Further|Demographics of Pakistan|Ethnic groups in Pakistan}}
[[File:General Musa, Circa 1935 in a British Uniform.jpg|thumb|[[General Musa Khan]], served as Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army]]
During the period of [[British Raj|British colonial rule]] in the [[Indian subcontinent]] in the 19th century, Hazaras worked in coal mines, road construction, and other [[working-class]] jobs during the winter months in various cities of what is now [[Pakistan]]. The earliest record of Hazaras in Pakistan dates back to Broadfoot's Sappers Company, which was established in 1835 in [[Quetta]] and also participated in the [[First Anglo-Afghan War]]. Additionally, some Hazaras worked on agricultural farms in [[Sindh]] and contributed to the construction of the Sukkur Barrage.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} In 1962, the [[government of Pakistan]] officially recognized the Hazaras as one of the [[ethnic groups of Pakistan|country's ethnic groups]].<ref name=":1">{{cite book |last=Poladi |first=Hassan |title=The Hazāras}}</ref>

Most Pakistani Hazaras are native to [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]]. Localities in the city of [[Quetta]] with prominent Hazara populations include [[Hazara Town]] and [[Mariabad]]. The literacy level among the Hazara community in Pakistan is relatively high compared to that of Hazaras in Afghanistan, and they have integrated well into the local society's social dynamics. Saira Batool, a Hazara woman, was one of the first female pilots in the [[Pakistan Air Force]]. Other notable Hazaras include [[Qazi Muhammad Isa]], [[General Musa Khan]], who served as the fourth [[Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army]] from 1958 to 1968, [[Air Marshal]] [[Sharbat Ali Changezi]], who served in the [[Pakistan Air Force]] from 1949 to 1987, [[Hussain Ali Yousafi]], the slain chairman of the [[Hazara Democratic Party]],<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan/story/2009/01/090127_hazara_funeral_strike_zs "Hussain Ali Yousafi, chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party'"], ''[[BBC News]]'', 26 January 2009</ref> and [[Sayed Nasir Ali Shah]], a Member of the National Assembly from Quetta, along with his father [[Haji Sayed Hussain Hazara]], who was a senator and member of the [[Pakistan Parliament]] during the [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]] era.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Despite this, Hazaras are often targeted by militant groups such as [[Lashkar-e-Jhangvi]] and others. Activists report that at least 800 to 1,000 Hazaras have been killed since 1999, and the pace is quickening. According to [[Human Rights Watch]], more than one hundred have been murdered in and around Quetta since January.<ref name="Bigg" /> The political representation of the community is served by the [[Hazara Democratic Party]], a secular liberal democratic party headed by [[Abdul Khaliq Hazara (Politician)|Abdul Khaliq Hazara]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/balochistans-hazaras-speak-out--qs |title=Balochistan's Hazaras speak out&nbsp;— Qurat ul ain Siddiqui interviews Secretary-General of the Hazara Democratic Party, Abdul Khaliq Hazara |publisher=[[Dawn.com]] |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hazarapress.com/political_parties/index.htm |title=List of Political parties |publisher=Hazarapress.com |access-date=30 July 2012}}</ref>

=== Iran ===
{{Further|Demographics of Iran|Ethnic groups in Iran}}
[[File:Sulat al-Sultanah Hazara.jpg|thumb|[[Muhammad Yusuf Khan Hazara]], also known as "Sulat al-Sultanah Hazara", a prominent Hazara leader and the first Sunni representative to serve in the Iranian Parliament]]

The Hazara people in [[Iran]] are also referred to as '''Khāwari''' ({{langx|fa|خاوری}}) or '''Barbari''' ({{lang|fa|بربری}}).<ref>{{cite book |last=Mousavi |first=Sayed Askar |title=The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic and Political Study |publisher=Curzon Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-7007-0630-5 |location= |page=148 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Ed |title=Berberi |date=24 April 2012 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/berberi-SIM_1374 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition |access-date=13 August 2023 |publisher=Brill |language=en}}</ref> Over many years, due to political unrest in Afghanistan, some Hazaras have migrated to Iran.<ref name="W.I.Smyth" /> Before Iran was forced to relinquish the [[Herat]] region according to the [[Treaty of Paris (1857)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1857 during the reign of [[Naser al-Din Shah]], the country possessed a much larger part of [[Greater Khorasan]]. One of the tribes that roamed this area prior to the cession was the Hazaras. After the border between Iran and Afghanistan was drawn, the tribe settled on both sides of the border. The leadership of this tribe at the end of the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar period]] and during the [[Pahlavi dynasty|Pahlavi period]] was held by [[Muhammad Yusuf Khan Hazara]], known as "Sulat al-Sultanah Hazara." He was a [[Sunni]] Hazara, a politician, and the first Sunni representative in the [[National Consultative Assembly|Iranian Parliament]], as well as the only Sunni Iranian to represent Mashhad in the history of Iran's [[legislatures]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://zamandaily.ir/attachments/article/787/3404-2.pdf |title="«شورش خراسان» در کتابفروشی‌ها شکل می‌گیرد" |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=17 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517223108/http://zamandaily.ir/attachments/article/787/3404-2.pdf }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= بیات|first= کاوه|title= شورش خراسان و صولت‌السلطنه هزاره (زمستان 1320)|year= 2016|url= https://www.iranketab.ir/book/32616-khorasan-uprising|publisher= موسسه فرهنگی هنری جهان کتاب|isbn=978-600-6732-68-8}}</ref>

=== India ===
{{Main|Attarwala}}
{{Expand section|date=October 2023}}
The [[Attarwala]] claim descent from Hazaras who mainly inhabit the state of [[Gujarat]], [[India]]. They are descended from a group of [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] soldiers who were initially settled in [[Agra]] during the rule of Mughal Emperor [[Jahangir]].<ref name="Mohideen-2003">{{cite book |last=Mohideen |first=AM |title=Gujarat |date=2003 |publisher=[[Popular Prakashan]] |isbn=978-81-7991-104-4 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=KS |series=People of India Part One |volume=XXI |pages=78–81 |chapter=Attarwalla |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Cy_-FXW9BQC&pg=PA78}}</ref> According to their recorded documents, they then migrated to [[Ahmedabad]] via [[Gwalior]], [[Ratlam]], and [[Godhra]]. This migration followed their participation in the community during the 1857 [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|Indian War of Independence]]. Once settled in Gujarat, the community took up the occupation of manufacturing perfumes known as [[ittar]]s.<ref name="Mohideen-2003" /> The term "attarwala" means "manufacturer of perfumes." A second migration occurred in 1947 from Agra after the [[partition of India]], with some members immigrating to [[Pakistan]], while others joined their co-ethnics in Ahmedabad.<ref name="Mohideen-2003" />

=== Diaspora ===
{{Main|Hazara diaspora|Afghan diaspora|Hazaras in Europe|Hazara Australians}}
[[Alessandro Monsutti]] argues in his recent [[anthropological]] book<ref>{{cite book |last=Monsutti |first=Alessandro |year=2005 |title=War and migration: Social networks and economic strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan |publisher=Routledge |location=New York |isbn=978-0-415-97508-7}}</ref> that [[Human migration|migration]] is a traditional way of life for the Hazara people, referring to the seasonal and historical migrations that have never ceased and do not seem to be dictated solely by emergencies such as war.<ref>{{cite book |last=Monsutti |first=Alessandro |title= War and migration: Social networks and economic strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan|year= 2005|publisher= Routledge|location= Routledge, New York|language= en |translator=Patrick Camiller|isbn= 978-0-415-97508-7}}</ref> Due to decades of conflict in Afghanistan and [[Sectarianism in Pakistan|sectarian violence in Pakistan]], many Hazaras have left their communities and settled in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Canada]], the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], and particularly the [[Northern Europe]]an countries such as [[Sweden]] and [[Denmark]]. Some migrate as exchange students, while others do so through human smuggling, which sometimes costs them their lives. Since 2001, about 1,000 people have died at sea while attempting to reach Australia by boat from Indonesia, many of whom were Hazaras.<ref name="Bigg">{{cite news|last=Bigg |first=Matthew |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-hazaras-idUSBRE89N1LP20121025 |title=Insight: Pakistani death squads spur desperate voyage to Australia |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=8 December 2013|date=25 October 2012}}</ref> A notable case was the [[Tampa affair]], in which a shipload of refugees, mostly Hazaras, was rescued by the [[Norway|Norwegian]] freighter [[MV Tampa|MV ''Tampa'']] and subsequently sent to [[Nauru]].<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1522723.stm Australia ships out Afghan refugees] BBC News.</ref>

== Culture and society ==
{{Main|Hazara culture}}
{{Further|Culture of Afghanistan}}
[[File:Hazara men from villages near Ghazni, 1840 (2).jpg|thumb|Clothing of Hazara men {{Circa|1840}} from villages near [[Ghazni]]. Painting by [[James Atkinson (Persian scholar)|James Atkinson]]|270x270px]]
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Hazara girl.jpg
| alt1              = Yellow cartouche
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Hazara culture is a rich tapestry of customs, traditions, behaviors, beliefs, and norms that have evolved over centuries. This culture has developed through a series of interactions with and responses to the surrounding peoples and environments, ultimately shaping it into a distinct cultural identity. Today, Hazara culture stands out for its unique heritage, incorporating elements from both [[Central Asia]] and [[South Asia]] while maintaining its own distinctiveness. Outside of Hazarajat, many Hazara communities have embraced aspects of the local cultures in which they reside, often blending elements of [[Afghan Tajiks]] and [[Pashtuns]] traditions. However, in Hazarajat, the heart of Hazara culture, many of the original customs and traditions remain intact. These are more closely aligned with those of Central Asia than with the Afghan Tajiks, preserving the distinct cultural legacy of the Hazara people. Traditionally, the Hazara people have been highland farmers, skillfully cultivating the mountainous regions of their homeland. While most Hazaras live in permanent homes, certain groups, such as the [[Aimaq Hazara]], continue to maintain a [[semi-nomadic]] lifestyle. These communities often live in [[felt]] [[yurts]] rather than traditional dwellings.<ref name="Latham-1859">{{cite book|last1=Latham|first1=Robert Gordon|url=https://archive.org/details/descriptiveethn00lathgoog|title=Eastern and northern Asia Europe|publisher=J. van Voorst|year=1859|page=[https://archive.org/details/descriptiveethn00lathgoog/page/n346 333]|access-date=8 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=افغانستان |first=روزنامه |title=استقبال گسترده از روز فرهنگ هزارگی در کشور – روزنامه افغانستان |url=http://www.dailyafghanistan.com/entertainment_detail.php?post_id=156528 |access-date=10 September 2022 |website=www.dailyafghanistan.com |language=fa}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Spuler|first=B.|title=Aymak|date=24 April 2012|url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/aymak-SIM_0904?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.encyclopaedia-of-islam-2&s.q=Aymak|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition|publisher=Brill|language=en|access-date=15 August 2023}}</ref>{{AI-generated inline|date=July 2025}}

Before the conquest of Hazarajat by the Afghan ruler [[Abdur Rahman Khan|Abdur Rahman]] between [[Hazara genocide|1888 and 1893]], the Hazara society was structured a feudal system. The social hierarchy was dominated by influential landowners and powerful figures, such as [[Khan (title)|Khan]], [[Bey|Beig]], [[Arbab]], [[Mir (title)|Mir]], or [[Malik]], who held authority over the land and society.<ref name=":1" /> Below them, the Clerics ([[Mullah]]s) and [[Sayyids]] held the second tier. The economy of Hazara was largely centered on agriculture and livestock, which formed the foundation of the region's prosperity.<ref name=":0" />

=== Attire ===
{{Main|Hazara clothing}}
{{Further|Clothing in Afghanistan|Central Asian clothing|Islamic clothing}}
Hazara attire plays a significant role in upholding the [[Hazara culture|cultural]], traditional, and social identity of the Hazara ethnicity. These garments are primarily handcrafted, reflecting the community's rich heritage. In Afghanistan, Hazara clothing is sewn in various regions, with a particular focus on the central provinces.<ref name="tebyan.net-2017">{{Cite web |last=tebyan.net |first=موسسه فرهنگی واطلاع رسانی تبیان {{!}} |date=9 June 2017 |title=لباس های سنتی زنان و مردان هزاره |url=https://article.tebyan.net/361566 |access-date=28 August 2022 |website=fa}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopædia Iranica">{{Cite web|title=Clothing of the Hazāra Tribes|url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xiv|access-date=31 August 2022|website=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]}}</ref>

==== Male clothing ====
{{Further|Barak (cloth)}}
Hazara men traditionally wear a [[Barak (cloth)|barak]] (also known as barag) alongside a hat, with the barak being a key element of Hazara clothing. This soft, thick garment is crafted from the first wool sheared from special sheep raised in the Hazarajat region, making it both luxurious and durable. Beyond its regal appearance, the Hazara barak serves a practical function as a warm winter garment. Its unique properties make it resistant to moisture, allowing it to stay dry even in snow and rain. Additionally, the softness of the fabric is believed to reduce muscle pain and offer relief for joint discomfort. In contemporary times, however, the [[perahan o tunban]] has become the most common attire among Hazara men, often worn with a hat or turban.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barak |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/barak-a-kind-of-firm-and-durable-woven-cloth-used-for-coats-overcoats-labbada-shawls-in-afghanistan-cukas-surcoa |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=[[Encyclopaedia Iranica]]}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopædia Iranica" /><ref name="tebyan.net-2017" />

==== Female clothing ====
The traditional clothing of Hazara women includes a pleated skirt with a [[Trousers|tunban]] or [[undergarment]]. The lower tunbans are made from fabrics such as flowered chits, while the upper skirts are crafted from finer materials like [[velvet]], [[zari]], or [[Net (textile)|net]], often adorned with a border or decoration at the bottom. The women's shirt is calf-length, with a close collar and long sleeves, featuring slits on both sides that fit over the skirts, which are appreciated for their modesty in accordance with Islamic customs. Hazara women's clothing varies according to social, economic, and age factors. Young Hazara women typically wear outfits made from different fabrics in vibrant colors and cheerful designs, complemented by beautiful and colorful [[chador]]s. In contrast, older women prefer darker fabrics with simple black and white patterns. Hazara women's chadors or head coverings are often embellished with [[Jewellery|ornaments]], typically made of silver or gold, and sometimes paired with a hat. The adornments on their clothing include silver or gold [[necklace]] with colorful [[bead]]s, [[button]]s, [[bangle]]s, and silver or gold [[bracelet]]s.<ref name="tebyan.net-2017" /><ref name="Encyclopædia Iranica" />

==== Headgear ====
{{Further|Headgear}}
Hazara people have a rich tradition of wearing distinct headgear, with styles varying for men and women. These hats and caps come in various forms, with some made from animal skin, while others are crafted from [[barak]]. Additionally, some Hazara men wear the traditional [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] turban.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=Clothing of the Hazāra tribes |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/clothing-xiv |access-date=24 September 2023 |website=iranicaonline.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=tebyan.net |first=موسسه فرهنگی واطلاع رسانی تبیان {{!}} |date=9 June 2017 |title=لباس های سنتی زنان و مردان هزاره |url=https://article.tebyan.net/361566 |access-date=24 September 2023 |website=fa |language=fa}}</ref>

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Hazara cuisine}}
{{Further|Central Asian cuisine|South Asian cuisine|Persian cuisine}}
The Hazara cuisine is deeply influenced by [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]], and [[Persian cuisine|Persian]] culinary traditions. Despite these influences, the Hazaras have developed a distinctive food culture, with unique dishes, cooking techniques, and flavors specific to their community. Hospitality plays a central role in their dining etiquette, and it is customary to prepare special meals when hosting guests.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

=== Language ===
{{Main|Dari|Hazaragi}}
The Hazaras speak [[Dari]] and [[Hazaragi]], eastern [[Persian dialects|dialects]] of the [[Persian language]].<ref name="Attitudes Towards Hazaragi">{{cite web|url=http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1224&context=theses|title=Attitudes towards Hazaragi|access-date=5 June 2014 |pages=1–2}}</ref><ref name="Kieffer">{{cite encyclopedia |first=Charles M. |last=Kieffer |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |title=HAZĀRA |trans-title=iv. Hazāragi dialect |url=http://iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-4 |access-date=22 August 2017}}</ref><ref name="Monsutti-2017">{{Citation |last=Monsutti |first=Alessandro |title=Hazāras |date=1 July 2017 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/hazaras-COM_30419 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]], THREE |publisher=Brill |language=en |quote=They speak a Persian dialect with many Turkic and a few Mongolian words. |access-date=7 May 2022}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

According to the ''[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]'', Hazaragi is a dialect of Persian infused with many [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] and some [[Mongolic languages|Mongolic]] words or loanwords.<ref name="Monsutti-2017"/> The ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' describes Hazaragi as an eastern variety of Persian containing numerous Mongolic and Turkic words.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hazara "Hazara people • Britannica"] In English: ''"The Hazara speak an eastern variety of Persian called Hazaragi with many Mongolic and Turkic words."''</ref> Similarly, ''[[Encyclopaedia Iranica]]'' notes that Hazaras speak a Persian dialect with many Turkic and some Mongolic words.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foundation |first=Encyclopaedia Iranica |title=HAZĀRA |url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/hazara-1 |access-date=26 April 2024 |website=iranicaonline.org |language=en-US |quote=The Hazāras speak a Persian dialect with many Turkish and some Mongolian words.}}</ref><ref name="Iranica-Afghanistan">{{cite web |work=[[Louis Dupree (professor)|L. Dupree]] |date=15 December 1983 |publisher=Encyclopædia Iranica |title=AFGHANISTAN iv. Ethnography |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-iv-ethnography |edition=Online |location=United States}}</ref><ref>Malistani, A.&nbsp;H. Tariq and Gehring, Roman (compilers) (1993) '' Farhang-i ibtidal-i milli-i Hazarah : bi-inzimam-i tarjamah bih Farsi-i Ingilisi = Hazaragi&nbsp;– Dari/Persian- English: a preliminary glossary'' A.&nbsp;H. Tariq Malistani, Quetta, {{OCLC|33814814}}</ref><ref>Farhadi, A.&nbsp;G. Ravan (1955). ''Le persan parlé en Afghanistan: Grammaire du kâboli accompagnée d'un recuil de quatrains populaires de la région de Kâbol''. Paris.</ref> Other sources describe the Hazara population as speaking Persian with some Mongolic words.<ref name="Atif Adnan" /><ref name="Haber-2012"/> An ''Iranica'' article on the language of Hazaras states that the dialect consists of three linguistic layers: (1) pre-Mongol Persian, with its own substratum; (2) Mongolian; and (3) modern Tajiki, preserving elements of both (1) and (2).<ref name="Kieffer" /> The primary difference between Persian and Hazaragi lies in the accent.<ref name="Kieffer" /> Despite these variations, Hazaragi remains mutually intelligible with Dari,<ref name="Attitudes Towards Hazaragi" /> the [[Languages of Afghanistan|official language of Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Languages in Afghanistan|url=https://swedishcommittee.org/afghanistan/language|access-date=14 February 2021|website=The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA)}}</ref>

According to Dr. Lutfi Temirkhanov, a Doctor of Sciences, the ancestors of the Hazaras were originally Mongol-speaking.<ref name="Temirkhanov"/><ref name="TemirkhanovLutfi"/> However, following their resettlement, they began to intermingle with Persian- and Turkic-speaking populations. Temirkhanov explains, "Hordes of Mongol princes and feudal lords found themselves in a Persian-speaking environment; they mixed with them, were influenced by Persian-Tajik culture, and gradually adopted the Persian language."<ref>Temirkhanov L. (1968). [https://www.booksite.ru/etnogr/1968/1968_1.pdf "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа"]. Советская этнография. 1. P. 93-94. In Russian: ''"орды монгольских царевичей и феодалов оказались в таджикском окружении; они смешивались с таджиками, подвергались влиянию персидско-таджикской культуры и постепенно принимали язык таджиков, отсюда и таджикская речь хазарейцев"''.</ref> Sayed Askar Mousavi, however, questions the theory that these military units were permanently settled by direct order of Genghis Khan or his commanders in what is now Hazarajat. He argues that no known primary sources support such a claim, and views this interpretation as lacking historical foundation.<ref name="Mousavi-1998-35"/> Nevertheless, a number of other historians maintain that Mongol military garrisons were indeed left behind in the region following the 13th-century invasions, and that these settlements played a significant role in the ethnogenesis of the Hazara people.<ref name="archive.org"/><ref name="Temirkhanov" /> According to [[Rashid al-Din Hamadani|Rashid al-Din]], the Mongols established permanent military units across [[Central Asia]], including in [[Khorasan]]. He specifically mentions a commander named Tumay, who was stationed as a military governor (amir) in Khorasan, indicating long-term garrison activity in the area.<ref name="Rashid al-Din"/>

Some sources indicate that in the 16th century, during the time of [[Babur]], some Hazaras still spoke a [[Mongolian language]].<ref name="Массон, Ромодин" /><ref name="Bartold" /><ref name="Iranica" /> According to the ''[[Great Russian Encyclopedia]]'' and other sources, some Hazaras continued to speak Mongolian until the 19th century.<ref name="bigenc" /><ref name="Vámbéry" /><ref name="Petrushevsky" /><ref name="Forensic Science International" /> Temirkhanov notes that Mongolic words make up about 10% of the Hazara vocabulary.<ref>Temirkhanov L. (1968). [https://www.booksite.ru/etnogr/1968/1968_1.pdf "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа"]. Советская этнография. 1. P. 91. In Russian: ''"монгольские элементы составляют 10% хазарейской лексики"''.</ref> Approximately 20 percent of the Hazara vocabulary consists of Turkic and Mongolic words,<ref name="خاوری 16">{{Cite book |last=خاوری |first=محمد جواد |title=امثال و حِکم مردم هزاره |publisher=نشر عرفان |location=مشهد |page=16}}</ref><ref name="Monsutti-2017"/> with the proportion of each varying by source; some studies report a predominance of Turkic terms,<ref name="خاوری 16"/><ref name="Monsutti-2017"/> while others highlight a stronger Mongolic influence.<ref name="Atif Adnan" /><ref name="Kieffer" />

According to Sayed Askar Mousavi, the term "Moghol Hazaras" has not been found in historical documents, and no scholars have encountered "Mogholi-speaking Hazaras".<ref name="Mousavi-1998a"/> However, 19th-century Hungarian orientalist Ármin Vámbéry, who personally traveled through Afghanistan, reported that some Hazara groups in the region of Herat still spoke a Mongolic dialect in his time. He also noted that the Hazaras preserved distinct Mongolian physical traits and cultural features.<ref name="Vámbéry" />  Similarly, the Mughal emperor Babur, in his memoirs (Baburnama), mentioned that some Hazara communities spoke Mongolian. These historical observations are frequently cited by scholars who support a Mongol origin of the Hazaras.<ref name="HAZĀRA ii. HISTORY"/>

According to Efimov, examples of vocabulary in Hazaragi that reflect Turkic influence include ata ("father"), kaṭa ("big, large"), qara ("black"),<ref name="Kieffer" /> kunda ("plow"), qōš ("eyebrow"),<ref name="Efimov"/> while words of Mongolic origin include bêri ("bride"), alaḡa ("palm of the hand"), qulaḡay ("thief"),<ref name="Kieffer" /> xatun ("wife, woman"), ōḡil ("village"), and others.<ref name="Efimov">Ефимов В. А. (1965)."Язык афганских хазара." Москва: Наука. Page 52.</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{Further|Religion in Afghanistan|Islam in Afghanistan|Shia Islam in Afghanistan}}
[[File:The Hazara people of Daykundi in September 20, 2009.jpg|thumb|A gathering of Hazaras on the final day of [[Ramadan]] in [[Daikundi Province]]]]
Hazaras predominantly practice [[Islam]], with most adhering to [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]] Islam, a significant portion following [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] Islam, and smaller groups practicing [[Isma'ilism|Isma'ili]] and [[Non-denominational Islam]].<ref name="culturalorientation">The Afghans, Their History and Culture, [http://www.cal.org/co/afghan/arelig.html Religion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228003012/http://www.cal.org/co/afghan/arelig.html |date=28 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=eHRAF World Cultures |url=https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/cultures/au05/summary |access-date=19 January 2025 |website=ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu}}</ref><ref name="شناسنامه الکترونیکی">{{cite web|title=شناسنامه الکترونیکی،آخرین فرصت تثبیت هویت هزاره‌های سنی و اسماعیلی {{!}} سایت طرح نو، باشگاه اندیشه و گفتوگو|url=http://tarhenaw.com/?p=1324|access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> The majority of [[Demographics of Afghanistan|Afghanistan's population]] practices Sunni Islam, which may have contributed to the [[Persecution of Hazaras|discrimination Hazaras face]].<ref name="Khazeni-2003" />

==== Shia Hazaras ====
{{Expand section|date=September 2023}}
There is no definitive theory regarding the acceptance of [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]] Islam by the majority of Hazaras. It is possible that most Hazaras adopted Shi'a Islam in the early 16th century, during the initial years of the [[Safavid dynasty]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DOuOSYR4PcC&q=safavid+persia+conversion&pg=PA44 |title=Revolution unending: Afghanistan, 1979 to the present, By Gilles Dorronsoro, pg.44 |access-date=30 July 2012|isbn=978-1-85065-703-3 |year=2005 |last1=Dorronsoro |first1=Gilles|publisher=C. Hurst }}</ref><ref name="culturalorientation" /><ref name="شناسنامه الکترونیکی" />

==== Sunni Hazaras ====
[[File:شیر محمد خان هزاره.jpg|thumb|200px|Sher Muhammad Khan Hazara, the chieftain of the Sunni Hazaras from [[Qala e Naw|Qala-e-Naw, Badghis]]]]
Sunni Hazaras have practiced Sunni Islam for a long time, predating the [[Afghan Amir]], [[Abdul Rahman Khan|Abdul Rahman]]'s occupation of [[Hazarajat|Hazara lands]]. However, some were forcefully converted from Shi'a to Sunni Islam following Abdur Rahman's occupation and the [[Hazara genocide]]. In Afghanistan, they primarily inhabit the provinces of [[Baghlan province|Baghlan]], [[Badghis province|Badghis]], [[Ghor province|Ghor]], [[Kunduz province|Kunduz]], [[Panjshir province|Panjshir]], [[Bamyan province|Bamyan]], [[Badakhshan province|Badakhshan]], [[Parwan province|Parwan]], and [[Kabul province|Kabul]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=پولادی|first=حسن|title=هزاره‌ها: تاریخ، سیاست، اقتصاد و فرهنگ. ترجمهٔ علی عالمی کرمانی.|year=1387|publisher=انتشارات عرفان|isbn=978--964-06-0527-1|pages=205–206}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=گیزابی|first=محمداکرم|title=هزاره‌ها و هزارستان اثر گروه تحقیقی پیدی میتلند. ترجمهٔ محمداکرم گیزابی. مجمع نویسندگان افغانستان.|year= 1375|page=192}}</ref>

Sher Muhammad Khan Hazara, a Sunni Hazara and [[Bey|chieftain]] of the Hazaras of [[Qala e Naw|Qala-e-Naw, Badghis]], was a warlord who participated in the Sunni coalition that defended [[Herat (1793–1863)|Herat in 1837]]. He was also one of those who defeated British forces around [[Qandahar]] and in the [[Maiwand]] desert during the [[First Anglo-Afghan War]] (1838–1842).<ref>{{Cite book |last=دلجو |first=عباس |title=تاریخ باستانی هزاره‌ها |date=2018 |publisher=موسسه انتشارات مقصوی، کابل  |isbn=978-9936-624-00-9 |location=کابل، افغانستان |page=222}}</ref>

During the [[Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)|1996-2001 Afghan Civil War]], the [[Taliban]] also forcefully converted Shia Hazaras into Sunni.<ref>How We Missed the Story: Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and the Hijacking of Afghanistan, Roy Gutman, 2008, pp. 138–141</ref>

==== Isma'ili Hazaras ====
[[Isma'ilism|Isma'ili]] Hazaras primarily reside in the provinces of [[Kabul province|Kabul]], [[Parwan province|Parwan]], [[Baghlan province|Baghlan]], [[Bamyan province|Bamyan]], [[Maidan Wardak province|Maidan Wardak]], [[Samangan province|Samangan]], and [[Zabul province|Zabul]]. They have historically been separated from other Hazaras due to religious beliefs and [[Persecution of Hazaras|political reasons]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=خواتی|first=شفق|title=مجله طلوع|year= 1382|pages=52–68}}</ref>

=== Hazara tribes ===
{{Main|List of Hazara tribes}}
[[File:Emir Khwaja.gif|thumb|200px|A miniature of [[Muhammad Khwaja|Emir Muhammad Khwaja]]]]
The Hazara people are organized into various [[tribe]]s. Some prominent Hazara tribes include [[Sheikh Ali (Hazara tribe)|Sheikh Ali]], [[Jaghori (Hazara tribe)|Jaghori]], [[Jaghatu (Hazara tribe)|Jaghatu]], [[Qara Baghi (Hazara tribe)|Qara Baghi]], [[Muhammad Khwaja]], [[Behsudi (Hazara tribe)|Behsudi]], [[Dai Mirdad (Hazara tribe)|Dai Mirdad]], [[Turkmun (Hazara tribe)|Turkmani]], [[Uruzgani (Hazara tribe)|Uruzgani]], [[Daikundi (Hazara tribe)|Daikundi]], [[Daizangi (Hazara tribe)|Daizangi]], [[Dai Chopan (Hazara tribe)|Daichopan]], [[Daizinyat (Hazara tribe)|Daizinyat]], [[Qarlugh (Hazara tribe)|Qarlugh]], [[Aimaq Hazara]], and others.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hazara tribal structure |trans-title= Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, US Naval Postgraduate School |url=https://nps.edu/documents/105988371/107571254/Hazara.pdf}}</ref>

=== Art ===
[[File:Dawood Sarkhush.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Dawood Sarkhosh]], a folklore Hazara musician]]
[[File:Faiz Muhammad Kateb Hazara.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Faiz Muhammad Kateb]], a prominent writer and historian|left]]

==== Writers and poets ====
Some well-known Hazara writers and poets include [[Faiz Muhammad Kateb]], [[Amir Khosrow Dehlavi]], [[Ismael Balkhi]], [[Hassan Poladi]], [[Kazim Yazdani]], [[Ali Mohaqiq Nasab]], [[Kamran Mir Hazar]], [[Basir Ahang]], [[Sayed Askar Mousavi]], [[Ali Baba Taj]], [[Sayed Abutalib Mozaffari]], [[Rahnaward Zaryab]], and [[Aziz Royesh]], among others.

==== Music ====
{{Further|Music of Central Asia|Music of Afghanistan|Dambura|Ghaychak}}
Many Hazara musicians are widely recognized for their skill in playing the [[dambura]], a native lute instrument also found in other Central Asian countries such as [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and [[Tajikistan]]. Notable Hazara musicians and dambura players include [[Sarwar Sarkhosh]], [[Dawood Sarkhosh]], [[Safdar Tawakoli]], and [[Sayed Anwar Azad]], among others.<ref name="Latham-1859" /> [[Revolutionary song|Revolutionary hymns]] are particularly common in Hazara dambura music, with Sarwar Sarkhosh being the first singer to popularize them. His main message centered on the uprising of the younger generation and the fight against oppression.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Hazara Nationalism: in Music and Historical Literature|date=24 December 2014 |url=https://www.hazarainternational.com/2014/12/25/the-hazara-nationalism-in-music-and-historical-literature/|language=en-US}}</ref> Additionally, the [[ghaychak]], a traditional field instrument, is played similarly to a fiddle. Its resonance bowl is typically made from walnuts or berries, and its strings are metal, making it one of the [[stringed instruments]] in Hazara music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abadis.ir/fatofa/%D9%82%DB%8C%DA%86%DA%A9/|title=قیچک – معنی در دیکشنری آبادیس|website=abadis.ir}}</ref>

Renowned [[Pakistani]] musician [[Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan]] is also a descendant of the Hazaras of Afghanistan.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

==== Cinema ====
[[File:Shamila Shirzad.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Shamila Shirzad]], actress]]
Some well-known Hazara actors and actresses are [[Hussain Sadiqi]], [[Abid Ali Nazish]], [[Shamila Shirzad]], [[Nikbakht Noruz]], and others.

=== Sports ===
{{Further|Sport in Afghanistan}}
[[File:Rohullah Nikpai speaking in 2012.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Rohullah Nikpai]], two-time Olympic bronze medalist in the sport of Taekwondo]]
Many Hazaras engage in various sports, including [[association football|football]], [[volleyball]], [[wrestling]], [[martial arts]], [[boxing]], [[karate]], [[taekwondo]], [[judo]], [[wushu (sport)|wushu]], [[Jujutsu|Jujitsu]], [[cricket]], [[tennis]], and more. [[Mohammad Ebrahim Khedri|Pahlawan Ebrahim Khedri]], a 62&nbsp;kg wrestler, was the national champion in Afghanistan for two decades. Another famous Hazara wrestler, [[Wakil Hussain Allahdad]], was killed in the [[22 April 2018 Kabul suicide bombing|suicide bombing]] in [[Dashte Barchi]], Kabul, on 22 April 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/world/asia/kabul-wrestlers-maiwand-bombing.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/world/asia/kabul-wrestlers-maiwand-bombing.html |archive-date=3 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='Suicider!' Came the Warning. For Afghans, Wrestlers' Deaths Resound. (Published 2018)|first1=Rod|last1=Nordland|first2=Fatima|last2=Faizi|work=The New York Times |date=20 September 2018|via=NYTimes.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Mashal|first=Mujib|date=23 April 2018|title=After Each Attack He Carried the Wounded. Then He Became a Victim. (Published 2018)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/world/asia/afghanistan-shiite-wrestling-hero.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/world/asia/afghanistan-shiite-wrestling-hero.html |archive-date=3 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=3 December 2020|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[Rohullah Nikpai]], won a [[bronze medal]] in [[Taekwondo]] at the 2008 [[2008 Summer Olympics|Beijing Olympics]], defeating world champion [[Juan Antonio Ramos]] of Spain 4–1 in the playoff final. This achievement marked Afghanistan's first-ever Olympic medal. He then won a second Olympic medal for Afghanistan at the London 2012 Games.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Another notable Hazara athlete, Sayed Abdul Jalil Waiz, was the first [[badminton]] player to represent Afghanistan in the Asian Junior Championships in 2005, where he secured the first win for his country against Iraq with scores of 15–13 and 15–1. He has participated in several international championships since 2005, achieving victories against competitors from [[Australia]], the [[Philippines]], and [[Mongolia]]. [[Hamid Rahimi]] is a Hazara boxer from Afghanistan who currently lives in Germany. [[Hussain Sadiqi]] is a [[Hazara Australian]] martial artist who won an award for the best [[stage combat|fight scene]] in an Australian-made action movie.

Hazara football players include [[Zohib Islam Amiri]], who currently plays for the [[Afghanistan national football team]]; [[Moshtaq Yaqoubi]], an [[Afghans in Finland|Afghan-Finnish]] footballer who plays for [[HIFK Fotboll|HIFK]]; [[Mustafa Amini]], a Hazara Australian footballer who plays as a [[midfielder]] for [[Danish Superliga]] club [[Aarhus Gymnastikforening|AGF]] and the [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australian national team]]; [[Rahmat Akbari]], an Australian footballer who plays as a midfielder for [[Brisbane Roar FC|Brisbane Roar]]. Other notable players include [[Roholla Iqbalzadeh|Rohullah Iqbalzada]], [[Omran Haydary]], [[Zelfy Nazary]], [[Moshtaq Ahmadi]], and [[Zahra Mahmoodi]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Islam Amiri Hazara&nbsp;– Afghan national football team captain and Fans "player of the year"|url=http://www.hazara.net/2013/09/islam-amiri-hazara-afghan-national-football-team-captain-and-fans-player-of-the-year/|date=24 September 2013|access-date=25 May 2014|work=Hazara.net}}</ref>

Some Hazaras from Pakistan have also excelled in sports and received numerous awards, particularly in boxing, football, and [[field hockey]].

Pakistani Hazara [[Abrar Hussain (boxer)|Abrar Hussain]], a former Olympic boxer, served as the deputy director-general of the [[Pakistan Sports Board]]. He represented Pakistan three times at the Olympics and won a gold medal at the [[1990 Asian Games]] in [[Beijing]]. Another Hazara boxer from Pakistan is [[Haider Ali (boxer)|Haider Ali]], a [[Commonwealth Games]] gold medalist and [[Boxing at the 2000 Summer Olympics&nbsp;– Featherweight|Olympian]] who is currently retired.

Former captain of the [[Pakistan national football team]], [[Qayyum Changezi]], was the second Pakistani footballer to score a hat trick in an international game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hyat |first=Kamila |date=29 June 2014 |title=The years of dreams {{!}} Special Report {{!}} thenews.com.pk |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/556573-the-years-of-dreams-1950s-1960s |access-date=15 August 2023 |website=www.thenews.com.pk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=23 December 2010 |title=A history of football in Pakistan — Part I |url=https://www.dawn.com/2010/12/23/a-history-of-football-in-pakistan-part-i/ |access-date=21 July 2023 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> New Hazara youngsters are emerging in football in Pakistan, mostly from [[Quetta]], including [[Muhammad Ali (footballer, born 1989)|Muhammad Ali]] and [[Rajab Ali (footballer)|Rajab Ali Hazara]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hazara.net/2013/09/rajab-ali-hazara-to-lead-under-16-pakistan-football-team-as-captain/ |title=Rajab Ali Hazara to lead under 16 Pakistan Football team as captain |publisher=www.hazara.net |access-date=18 September 2014|date=24 September 2013 }}</ref>

Another notable figure is [[Kulsoom Hazara]], a celebrated Pakistani karate champion who has earned numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals at both national and international levels. She has also been honored with the prestigious [[Pride of Performance|Pride of Pakistan Award]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adil |first=Hafsa |title='Role model': Pakistan's Hazara woman packing a punch |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/5/15/role-model-pakistans-hazara-woman-packing-a-punch |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=Aljazeera |language=en}}</ref> Other notable Hazara athletes in karate include [[Nargis Hameedullah]], who made history as the first Pakistani woman to win a bronze medal at the [[Asian Games]] in karate,<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 February 2008 |title=Asian Games: Nargis wins first ever medal for Pakistan in Karate |url=https://dunyanews.tv/en/Sports/453929-Asian-Games-Nargis-wins-first-medal-Pakistan-Karate- |access-date=16 April 2025 |website=Dunya News |language=en}}</ref> and [[Shahida Abbasi]], a gold medalist and the first Pakistani woman to represent the country internationally in [[kata]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Manzoor |date=20 July 2017 |title=Meet Pakistan's first international female Kata Karate player |url=https://arynews.tv/shahida-abbassi-pakistan-karate-player/ |access-date=16 April 2025 |website=ARY NEWS |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Cultural sports ===
The cultural sports of the Hazara people are those that have been passed down through generations from their ancestors.

==== Buzkashi ====
{{Main|Buzkashi}}
[[File:Buzkashi (5458890874).jpg|thumb|200px|Buzkashi in Afghanistan]]
[[Buzkashi]] is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a [[goat]] or [[calf (animal)|calf]] carcass into a goal. It is the national sport of Afghanistan and is one of the cultural sports of the Hazara people, who continue to practice this sport in Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite web|date=25 November 2017|title=تاریخچه ورزش "بزکشی" در افغانستان + تصاویر |trans-title=History of "Buzkashi" sport in Afghanistan + Pictures|url=https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/6334929/تاریخچه-ورزش-بزکشی-در-افغانستان-تصاویر|access-date=13 September 2021|website=[[Young Journalists Club]]|language=fa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250324122505/https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/6334929/تاریخچه-ورزش-بزکشی-در-افغانستان-تصاویر|archive-date=24 March 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Tirandāzi ====
{{Further|Archery}}
[[Archery|Tirandāzi]] is a form of archery and an ancient cultural sport of the Hazaras.<ref>{{Cite web|title=مسابقات تیراندازی با کمان در بامیان، میدان و غزنی|url=https://www.kabulpress.org/article143773.html|access-date=9 September 2022|date=3 February 2013 |language=fa}}</ref>

==== Pahlawani ====
{{Further|Pahlawani|Wrestling}}
[[Pahlawani]], or Kushti, is a traditional [[wrestling]] sport practiced by the Hazaras. It has a long history in Afghanistan and is particularly significant among the Hazara community. During holidays, Pahlawani fields are set up for competitions, which are held across different age groups. This cultural sport features its own unique techniques. Due to its ancient roots and familiarity, Pahlawani has been passed down from generation to generation among the Hazaras.<ref>{{Cite web|title=کشتی محلی افغانستان؛ ورزشی پرهیجان با علاقمندان فراوان+تصاویر|url=https://af.shafaqna.com/FA/69475|access-date=10 September 2022|website=af.shafaqna.com}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
{{Main|List of Hazara people}}

== See also ==
{{Hazara people}}
* [[Hazara nationalism]]
* [[Ethnic groups in Afghanistan]]
* [[Demographics of Central Asia]]
* [[Aimaq Hazara]]
* [[Turco-Mongol tradition]]
* [[Turco-Persian tradition]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last=Monsutti |first=Alessandro |title= War and migration: Social networks and economic strategies of the Hazaras of Afghanistan|year= 2005|publisher= Routledge|location= Routledge, New York|translator=Patrick Camiller |isbn= 978-0-415-97508-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Frederiksen |first= Birthe|author2=Nicolaisen, Ida|title= Caravans and trade in Afghanistan: The changing life of the nomadic Hazarbuz|series= Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project|year=1996 |publisher= Thames and Hudson|location= London|isbn= 978-0-500-01687-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Poladi |first=Hassan |title= The Hazāras|year= 1989|publisher= Mughal Publishing Company|location= Stockton, California|isbn= 978-0-929824-00-0}}
* {{cite book |last= Kakar|first=M. Hasan |title=The pacification of the Hazaras of Afghanistan |year= 1973|publisher= Afghanistan Council, Asia Society|location= New York|oclc= 1111643}}
* {{cite book |last=Harpviken |first=Kristian Berg |author-link=Kristian Berg Harpviken |title=Political Mobilization Among the Hazara of Afghanistan: 1978–1992 |url=http://www.prio.no/sptrans/-1404536104/Harpviken%20KB%20(1996)%20Political%20mobilization%20among%20the%20Hazara.pdf |series=Rapportserien ved Sosiologi, Nr. 9 1996 |publisher=Institutt for Sosiologi, Universitetet i Oslo |location=Oslo |isbn=978-82-570-0127-8 |access-date=27 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927072308/http://www.prio.no/sptrans/-1404536104/Harpviken%20KB%20(1996)%20Political%20mobilization%20among%20the%20Hazara.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2011 |year=1996 }}

== External links ==
{{Incubator|code= haz}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Iranica|hazara-1}}
* {{Cite web |title=Hazara tribal structure |trans-title= Program for Culture and Conflict Studies, US Naval Postgraduate School |url=https://nps.edu/documents/105988371/107571254/Hazara.pdf}}
* [https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/27/peril-and-persecution-in-afghanistan/ Peril and Persecution in Afghanistan]

{{Hazara nationalism}}
{{Iranian peoples}}
{{Mongol ethnic groups}}
{{Turkic peoples}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hazara people}}
[[Category:Hazara people]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Iran]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kabul Province]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Parwan Province]]
[[Category:Ethnoreligious groups in Asia]]
[[Category:Shia Muslim ethnoreligious groups]]
[[Category:Iranian ethnic groups]]