Hazara culture

Hazara culture (Dari: فرهنگ هزاره; Hazaragi: فرهنگ آزره) refers to the culture and tradition of the Hazara people, who live primarily in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, the Balochistan province of Pakistan, and elsewhere around the world where the Hazara diaspora is settled as part of the wider Afghan diaspora.

The culture of the Hazara people is rich in heritage, with many unique cultures and traditions, and shares influences with various Central Asian and South Asian cultures.^[1]^[2] The Hazarajat region has an ancient history and was, at different periods, home to the Greco-Buddhist, Ghorids, and Ghaznavids civilizations, later the Mongols and Timurid dynasties. Each of these civilizations left visible imprints on the region's local culture.

The Hazara native language Hazaragi is a dialect and variety of the Persian language, which is spoken mostly in Afghanistan. The Hazara were traditionally pastoral farmers active in herding in the central and southeastern highlands of Afghanistan. They primarily practice Islam, denominations of Shia with significance of Sunni and some Isma'ili.^[3]

Clothing

Hazara clothing plays an important and special role in supporting the traditional, cultural and social identity of Hazaras. Hazara clothes are sewn in most parts of the country, especially in the central provinces of the country.

Cuisine

Hazara cuisine is strongly influenced by the Central Asian, South Asian and Persian cuisines.

Music

Dambura

Many Hazara musicians are highly skilled in playing the dambura, a local oud instrument found in other Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Some of the musicians and dambura players are, such as Sarwar Sarkhosh, Dawood Sarkhosh, Safdar Tawakoli, Sayed Anwar Azad and others.

Sport

Buzkashi

Buzkashi is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. It is the national sport in Afghanistan and is one of the main cultural sports of the Hazara people.^[4]

Pehlwani

Games

Tirandazi

Gallery

Hazara scouncil in Sept 2009, Daykundi, Afghanistan.
Hazara girls (right) wearing red traditional dress sitting next to Tajik and Pashtun girls in Ghazni, Afghanistan.
Hazara girl in traditional Hazara clothing.

References

^ Jochelson, Waldemar (1928) Peoples of Asiatic Russia American Museum of Natural History, New York, page 33, OCLC 187466893, also available in microfiche edition
^ Mousavi, Sayed Askar (1991) The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic, and Political Study, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, ISBN 0-312-17386-5
^ Lansford, Tom (2003). A Bitter Harvest: Us Foreign Policy and Afghanistan. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0754636151.
^ YJC, خبرگزاری باشگاه خبرنگاران | آخرین اخبار ایران و جهان | (November 26, 2017). "تاریخچه ورزش "بزکشی" در افغانستان + تصاویر". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-09-13.

[Jochelson-1] Jochelson, Waldemar (1928) Peoples of Asiatic Russia American Museum of Natural History, New York, page 33, OCLC 187466893, also available in microfiche edition

[2] Mousavi, Sayed Askar (1991) The Hazaras of Afghanistan: An Historical, Cultural, Economic, and Political Study, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, ISBN 0-312-17386-5

[3] Lansford, Tom (2003). A Bitter Harvest: Us Foreign Policy and Afghanistan. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0754636151.

[4] YJC, خبرگزاری باشگاه خبرنگاران | آخرین اخبار ایران و جهان | (November 26, 2017). "تاریخچه ورزش "بزکشی" در افغانستان + تصاویر". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2021-09-13.

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