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Hazaras are an ethnic group and a principal component of 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. Dari, also known as Dari Persian, is an official language of Afghanistan, alongside Pashto.
Between Hazara genocide, more than half of the Hazara population was massacred under the Emirate of Afghanistan, and they have faced persecution at various times over the past decades. Widespread ethnic discrimination, religious persecution, organized attacks by terrorist groups, harassment, and arbitrary arrest for various reasons have affected Hazaras. There have been numerous cases of torture of Hazara women, land and home seizures, deliberate economic restrictions, economic marginalization of the Hazara region and appropriation of Hazara agricultural fields and pastures leading to their forced displacement from Afghanistan.
Nasir Khusraw, the 11th-century Persian-language poet and scholar, refers to the word "Hazara" ( هزاره) in his poetry:
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 MasudiZahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad Babur (1921). "Memoirs Of Zehir-Ed-Din Muhammed Babur. Volume 1.". Oxford University Press. Pages 44, 243, 279." and Turkoman Hazaras.
In their Hazaragi, the Hazaras refer to themselves as "Azra" ( آزره) or ( ازره).
Over the centuries, various Mongols (Turco-Mongols) and Turkic peoples groups, notably the Qara'unas, Chagatai Khanate, Ilkhanate, and Timurid dynasty, merged with local 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.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
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,Elizabeth E. Bacon. (1951). "The Inquiry into the History of the Hazara Mongols of Afghanistan". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. Vol. 7. No. 3. pp. 230–247. Barbara A. West, Yuri Averyanov,Аверьянов Ю. А. (2017). "Хазарейцы - ираноязычные монголы Афганистана"". Мир Центральной Азии. pp. 110–117. and Elbrus Sattsayev,Сатцаев Э. Б. (2009). "Монголы-хазарейцы Афганистана и аспекты "народного шиизма"". Единая Калмыкия в единой России: через века в будущее. pp. 413–415. refer to them as "Hazara Mongols". Scholars such as Vasily Bartold,Бартольд. В. В. (2022). Ислам. Культура мусульманства. Москва: Litres. p. 162. In Russian: "...еще в XVI веке говорили хазарейцы по-монгольски в северной части Афганистана..." Ármin Vámbéry,Ármin Vámbéry (2003). 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." Vadim Masson, Vadim Romodin,Массон В. М., Ромодин В. А. (1964). 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." Ilya Petrushevsky,Петрушевский И. П. (1952). 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..." 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.Allah Rakha, Fatima, Min-Sheng Peng, Atif Adan, Rui Bi, Memona Yasmin, Yong-Gang Yao (2017). "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." According to Sayed Askar Mousavi, the term "Moghol Hazaras" has not been found in historical documents, and no scholars have encountered "Mogholi-speaking Hazaras". 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. 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.
According to historian Lutfi Temirkhanov, Mongolian detachments left in Afghanistan by Genghis Khan or his successors became the foundational layer of Hazara ethnogenesis. 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. 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. According to 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.
In the Ghilji neighborhood, Hazaras are called Mongols.Temirkhanov L. (1968). "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа". Советская этнография. 1. P. 91. In Russian: "Ближайшие соседи хазарейцев – гильзаи – называли и называют их «монголы»." 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. Evidence for the Mongol influence in Hazara ethnogenesis includes linguistic data, historical sources, toponymy,Temirkhanov L. (1968). "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" and population genetics studies.Sabitov Zh. M. (2011). "Происхождение хазарейцев с точки зрения ДНК-генеалогии". The Russian Journal of Genetic Genealogy. 2 (1): pp. 37–40. However, alternative theories have also been proposed, highlighting the complex origins of the Hazara people.
Some historians argue that the 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.
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.
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. In the 18th century, Hazara men, together with individuals from other ethnic groups, were enlisted into the army of Ahmad Shah Durrani.
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.
These campaigns had a catastrophic impact on the demographics of the Hazaras, resulting in the 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.
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, primarily settling in the southern cities, while some moved to Iran. Over time, many Hazaras living in Tsarist Russian regions lost their Hazaragi, Hazara culture, and ethnic identity due to the similarities in Heritability 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.
Mistrust of the central government among the Hazaras and local uprisings persisted. In particular, from 1945 to 1946, during Zahir Shah's rule, a revolt led by 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. 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.
The repressive policies 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 Taraki government, among whom were 7,000 Hazaras who had been shot in the notorious Pul-e-Charkhi prison.
During the Soviet–Afghan War, the Hazarajat region did not experience as much heavy fighting as other parts of Afghanistan. Most of the Hazara 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. By 1979, the Hazara Islamist groups had already liberated Hazarajat from the central 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. 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 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, Ghor Province, Maidan Wardak, and Daikundi.
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.Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, London and New Haven, 2000, p. 58 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.Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, London and New Haven, 2000, pp. 67–74 In March 2001, the two giant Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed, despite widespread international condemnation.
Hazaras have also played a significant role in the creation of Pakistan. One notable Hazara was Qazi Muhammad Isa of the 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 to obtain a Bar-at-Law degree and played a key role in establishing the All-India Muslim League in Balochistan.
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. 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. 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. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, American and Coalition forces invaded Afghanistan. After the fall of the Taliban, many Hazaras emerged as important figures in the country. Hazaras pursued higher education, enrolled in the army, and held various top government positions. Notable Hazaras in leadership roles included Vice Presidents, ministers, and 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, 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.
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, Daikundi, and other provinces predominantly inhabited by Hazaras. Additionally, the first ski resort in Afghanistan was established in Bamyan Province. 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. 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. President Hamid Karzai's efforts after the 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, Uzbeks, 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. "Afghan Overture to Taliban Aggravates Ethnic Tensions". The New York Times, 27 June 2010. The 2021 Kabul school bombing targeted a girls' school in Dashte Barchi, a predominantly Hazara area in western Kabul. The Dashte Barchi district had frequently been attacked by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province.
Following the 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. 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.
The frequency of ancestral components among the Hazaras varies according to tribal affiliation. They show a high genetic affinity to present-day Turkic peoples populations of Central Asia and East Asia, as well as to Mongolic peoples 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, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz people, and Mongols populations.
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. 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. 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.
Haplogroup C2 (previously known as the C3-Star cluster) is the most frequent haplogroup among Pakistani and Afghan Hazaras. Pakistani Hazaras have a high frequency of 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. "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" Haplogroup C-M217, or C2, is the most common haplogroup in Mongol and Kazakh populations. According to Sabitov, studies indicate that Y-DNA haplogroup C2 among Hazaras is linked to the expansion of the Mongols,Sabitov Zh. M. (2011). "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..." and, as noted by Zhabagin, this genetic marker supports the Mongolian origin of the Hazaras.Жабагин М. К. (2017). 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." 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.Волков В. Г. (2014). "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.
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.
Most Pakistani Hazaras are native to 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, "Hussain Ali Yousafi, chairman of the Hazara Democratic Party'", BBC News, 26 January 2009 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 Zia-ul-Haq era.
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. The political representation of the community is served by the Hazara Democratic Party, a secular liberal democratic party headed by Abdul Khaliq Hazara.
Sher Muhammad Khan Hazara, a Sunni Hazara and Bey of the Hazaras of Qala e Naw, was a warlord who participated in the Sunni coalition that defended 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).
During the 1996–2001 Afghan Civil War, the Taliban also forcefully converted Shia Hazaras into Sunni.How We Missed the Story: Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and the Hijacking of Afghanistan, Roy Gutman, 2008, pp. 138–141
In recent years, a number of intellectuals and activists have established the National Council of Sunni Hazaras of Afghanistan. The council aims to provide representation and a collective voice for this community, which is often described as a “minority within a minority,” in the country’s social and political spheres.
Before the Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan conquered Hazarajat between 1888 and 1893—a period known as the Hazara genocide—Hazara society was structured under a feudal system. The social hierarchy was dominated by influential landowners and powerful figures, such as khans, Bey, , mirs, or , who held authority over the land and society. Below them, the clerics () and sayyids held the second tier. The Hazara economy was largely centered on agriculture and livestock, which underpinned the region's prosperity.
According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, Hazaragi is a dialect of Persian, infused with many Turkic languages and some Mongolic words. The Encyclopædia Britannica describes Hazaragi as an eastern variety of Persian containing numerous Mongolic and Turkic words. "Hazara people • Britannica" In English: "The Hazara speak an eastern variety of Persian called Hazaragi with many Mongolic and Turkic words." Similarly, Encyclopaedia Iranica notes that Hazaras speak a Persian dialect with many Turkic and some Mongolic words.Malistani, A. H. Tariq and Gehring, Roman (compilers) (1993) Farhang-i ibtidal-i milli-i Hazarah: bi-inzimam-i tarjamah bih Farsi-i Ingilisi = Hazaragi – Dari/Persian- English: a preliminary glossary A. H. Tariq Malistani, Quetta, Farhadi, A. G. Ravan (1955). Le persan parlé en Afghanistan: Grammaire du kâboli accompagnée d'un recuil de quatrains populaires de la région de Kâbol. Paris. Other sources describe the Hazara population as speaking Persian with some Mongolic words. 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). The primary difference between Persian and Hazaragi lies in the accent. Despite these variations, Hazaragi remains mutually intelligible with Dari, the official language of Afghanistan.
According to scholar Lutfi Temirkhanov, the ancestors of the Hazaras were originally Mongol-speaking. 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."Temirkhanov L. (1968). "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". Sayed Askar Mousavi, however, questioned 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 that this interpretation lacks a historical foundation. 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. According to Rashid al-Din Hamadani, 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.
Some sources indicate that in the 16th century, during the time of Babur, some Hazaras still spoke a Mongolian language. According to the Great Russian Encyclopedia and other sources, some Hazaras continued to speak Mongolian until the 19th century. Temirkhanov notes that Mongolic words make up about 10% of the Hazara vocabulary.Temirkhanov L. (1968). "О некоторых спорных вопросах этнической истории хазарейского народа". Советская этнография. 1. P. 91. In Russian: "монгольские элементы составляют 10% хазарейской лексики". Approximately 20 percent of the Hazara vocabulary consists of Turkic and Mongolic words, with the proportion of each varying by source; some studies report a predominance of Turkic terms, while others highlight a stronger Mongolic influence.
According to Sayed Askar Mousavi, the term "Moghol Hazaras" has not been found in historical documents, and no scholars have encountered "Mogholi-speaking Hazaras". 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. 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.
According to Efimov, examples of vocabulary in Hazaragi that reflect Turkic influence include ("father"), ("big, large"), ("black"), ("plow"), ("eyebrow"), while words of Mongolic origin include ("bride"), ("palm of the hand"), ("thief"), ("wife, woman"), ("village"), and others.Ефимов В. А. (1965)."Язык афганских хазара." Москва: Наука. Page 52.
Renowned Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is also a descendant of the Hazaras of Afghanistan.
Rohullah Nikpai won a bronze medal in Taekwondo at the 2008 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.
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 living in Germany. Hussain Sadiqi is a Hazara Australian martial artist who won an award for the best stage combat 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 Afghan-Finnish footballer who plays for HIFK Fotboll; Mustafa Amini, a Hazara Australian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish Superliga club AGF and the Australian national team; Rahmat Akbari, an Australian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brisbane Roar. Other notable players include Roholla Iqbalzadeh, Omran Haydary, Zelfy Nazary, Moshtaq Ahmadi, and Zahra Mahmoodi.
Some Hazaras from Pakistan have also excelled in sports and received numerous awards, particularly in boxing, football, and field hockey.
Pakistani Hazara 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, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist and 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. New Hazara youngsters are emerging in football in Pakistan, mostly from Quetta, including Muhammad Ali and Rajab Ali Hazara.
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 Pakistan Award. 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, and Shahida Abbasi, a gold medalist and the first Pakistani woman to represent the country internationally in kata.
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