The Hazaras and the Afghan State: Rebellion, Exclusion and the Struggle for Recognition

The Hazaras of Afghanistan have endured ethnic cleansing, mass dispossession, forced displacement, enslavement, and social and economic exclusion since the establishment of the Afghan monarchy in 1747. This volume provides a fresh account of the strategies and tactics of the Afghan state and how the Hazaras have responded, focusing on three key phenomena: Hazara rebellion and resistance, incorporation into Afghanistan, and ethnic mobilisation and struggle for recognition.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 02 June 2022
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

The Hazaras of Afghanistan have endured the devastating consequences of the establishment of the Afghan monarchy in 1747. Their history with the Afghan state has been marked by frequent episodes of ethnic cleansing, mass dispossession, forced displacement, enslavement, and social and economic exclusion. Primarily Shia in a predominantly Sunni Muslim-dominated country, the Hazaras stand out due to their Asian features and have been labeled as Afghanistan's internal Other. Despite their distinct appearance and adherence to a different school of Islam in a nation plagued by internal conflict and external influences, the Hazaras have played a significant role in Afghanistan's history. This volume offers a unique insight into the complex contradictions of Afghanistan as a modern state and the ongoing challenges posed by its ethnic and religious dynamics. It explores the strategies and tactics employed by the Afghan state and how the Hazaras have responded to them, focusing on three key phenomena: the Hazara rebellion and resistance against the Afghan state's intrusion in the nineteenth century; the incorporation of the Hazara homeland into Afghanistan in the 1890s and their subsequent marginalization and exclusion; and the Hazaras' recent ethnic mobilizations and struggles for recognition.

The Hazaras of Afghanistan have borne the brunt of many of the destructive forces unleashed by the establishment of the Afghan monarchy in 1747. The history of their relationship with the Afghan state has been punctuated by frequent episodes of ethnic cleansing, mass dispossession, forced displacement, enslavement and social and economic exclusion. Mostly Shia in a country dominated by Sunni Muslims, and identifiable because of their Asian features, the Hazaras became Afghanistan's internal Other. They look different and practise a different school of Islam in a country that is prone to internal conflict and the machinations of external powers. The history of the Hazaras therefore offers a unique perspective into the deep contradictions of Afghanistan as a modern state, and how its ethnic and religious dynamics continue to undermine the post-2001 political process.

The Hazaras of Afghanistan have endured the devastating consequences of the establishment of the Afghan monarchy in 1747. Their history with the Afghan state has been marked by frequent episodes of ethnic cleansing, mass dispossession, forced displacement, enslavement, and social and economic exclusion. Primarily Shia in a predominantly Sunni Muslim-dominated country, the Hazaras stand out due to their Asian features and have been labeled as Afghanistan's internal Other. Despite their distinct appearance and adherence to a different school of Islam in a nation plagued by internal conflict and external influences, the Hazaras have played a significant role in Afghanistan's history. This volume offers a unique insight into the complex contradictions of Afghanistan as a modern state and the ongoing challenges posed by its ethnic and religious dynamics. It explores the strategies and tactics employed by the Afghan state and how the Hazaras have responded to them, focusing on three key phenomena: the Hazara rebellion and resistance against the Afghan state's intrusion in the nineteenth century; the incorporation of the Hazara homeland into Afghanistan in the 1890s and their subsequent marginalization and exclusion; and the Hazaras' recent ethnic mobilizations and struggles for recognition.

Weight: 398g
Dimension: 139 x 215 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781787387744