Select Page

Talk:Afghanistan

Former good articleAfghanistan was one of the Geography and places good articles, but it has been removed from the list. There are suggestions below for improving the article to meet the good article criteria. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
On this day... Article milestones
DateProcessResult
April 7, 2005Good article nomineeListed
March 6, 2009Good article reassessmentDelisted
September 24, 2019Good article nomineeNot listed
On this day... Facts from this article were featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "On this day..." column on August 11, 2004, August 19, 2011, August 19, 2012, August 19, 2016, and August 19, 2020.
Current status: Delisted good article

Location and Ethnic groups

Afghanistan is geographically located in Central and West Asia, with cultural and historical ties to the Persianate world, the Middle East, and the Iranian Plateau.[1] Some classifications place Afghanistan in South Asia, albeit such a perspective is largely a political and colonial invention that does not accurately reflect the country's cultural, linguistic, and historical affiliations.[2] Historically, Afghanistan was an integral part of Greater Iran and West Asia, maintaining centuries of interaction with the Arab world, Persia, and Mesopotamia.[3] Classifying Afghanistan under South Asia often stems from political bias rather than geographical or historical facts. There are many more ethnic groups that have played an important role in Afghanistan's history that are often overlooked. Afghan Arabs are the descendants of early Arab settlers, traders, and warriors who migrated during the Abbasid and Umayyad periods.[4] They primarily reside in northern and western Afghanistan, particularly in Kunduz, Balkh, and Herat. Although many Afghan Arabs have assimilated into Persian and Pashto-speaking communities, they retain linguistic and cultural influences from the Arabian Peninsula. The Qizilbash community in Afghanistan traces its roots to Safavid Iran, with many migrating during the 16th and 17th centuries.[5] Originally part of the Safavid military elite, they later became influential in Afghan politics and administration, particularly in Kabul and Herat. Most Qizilbash speak Dari Persian and belong to the Twelver Shia sect. The Bayats are an Oghuz Turkic-speaking Persian people with historical links to Greater Iran and Iraq.[6] They settled in Afghanistan during the Mongol and Timurid periods and today reside in Herat, Kandahar, and northern Afghanistan. The Bayats have strong cultural affinities with Persian and Arab cultures. The Farsiwan are Persian-speaking Afghans who have historically inhabited Herat, Farah, and Kandahar.[7] Unlike Tajiks, Farsiwans have retained closer cultural ties to Iran and Mesopotamia. They are predominantly Shia Muslims, although some practice Sunni Islam with strong Sufi traditions. Kurdish groups have had a presence in Afghanistan since various historical periods, including the Mongol invasions and the Afsharid dynasty.[8] Estimates suggest that between 200,000 to over 300,000 Kurds live in Afghanistan today, primarily in urban areas such as Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Ghazni.[8] Most Afghan Kurds are Sunni Muslims and have assimilated into Afghan society, often speaking Farsi(Dari) as their first language. Why Bias and Political Narratives Should Not Influence Geography Afghanistan’s classification under South Asia is largely based on political narratives and colonial-era perspectives. Using biased and political statements in defining a country’s geography: Misrepresents History – It distorts Afghanistan’s deep-rooted ties to West Asia, the Middle East, and Greater Iran. Ignores Cultural and Linguistic Evidence – Afghanistan shares more with Persianate, Mesopotamian, and West Asian civilizations than it does with South Asia. Promotes Colonial Narratives – British and modern geopolitical frameworks have artificially reclassified Afghanistan without considering its actual historical and cultural reality. [9] By acknowledging Afghanistan’s true geographical location, we respect historical accuracy and cultural identity rather than reinforcing politically motivated classifications.

References

  1. ^ Frye, Richard N. (2005). Greater Iran: A 20th Century Odyssey. Mazda Publishers. ISBN 1568591772.
  2. ^ Canfield, Robert L. (1997). "Afghanistan's Geopolitical Position and Ethnic Groups". Journal of Asian Studies. 56 (2): 345–356.
  3. ^ "Afghanistan's Persianate Heritage". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  4. ^ "Arabs in Afghanistan: A Study in Cultural Assimilation". Central Asian Survey. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  5. ^ McChesney, Robert D. (2021). Four Central Asian Shrines: A Socio-Political History. Brill. ISBN 9789004460173. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  6. ^ Floor, Willem (2015). The Bayats: A Forgotten Tribe of Greater Iran. Mazda Publishers. ISBN 9781568593179. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  7. ^ Yarshater, Ehsan (2001). "The Persianate Societies of Afghanistan". Iranian Studies. 34 (3): 411–432.
  8. ^ a b "Afghan Kurd claims more than 350,000 Kurds live in Afghanistan". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  9. ^ Vogelsang, Willem (2008). The Afghans. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 9780631226520. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)

List of References

  1. Frye, Richard N. – Greater Iran: A 20th Century Odyssey (Mazda Publishers, 2005). Amazon
  2. Canfield, Robert L. – Afghanistan's Geopolitical Position and Ethnic Groups (Journal of Asian Studies, 1997). JSTOR
  3. Encyclopaedia Iranica – Afghanistan’s Persianate Heritage. Iranica Online
  4. McChesney, Robert D. – Four Central Asian Shrines: A Socio-Political History (Brill, 2021).
  5. Floor, Willem – The Bayats: A Forgotten Tribe of Greater Iran (Mazda Publishers, 2015).
  6. Yarshater, Ehsan – The Persianate Societies of Afghanistan (Iranian Studies, 2001).
  7. Kurdistan24 – Afghan Kurd Claims More Than 350,000 Kurds Live in Afghanistan. Kurdistan24

Perso 12 (talk) 07:15, 13 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Move discussion in progress

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 18:01, 3 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Population

Pashtuns are bigger than 42% please change it 99.247.39.205 (talk) 22:22, 12 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The estimate cited is quite old (2010). Do you have a more recent one? TEMPO156 (talk) 01:37, 13 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Extended-confirmed-protected edit request on 21 April 2025

In the "Geography" section, please add the following sentence at the end of the paragraph that discusses the country's topography:

"Due to its mountainous terrain and varying elevation, Afghanistan experiences a wide range of climatic conditions across regions, including hot, arid summers in the lowlands and cold, snowy winters in the central highlands. These seasonal differences have a significant impact on agriculture, infrastructure, and daily life."

This addition improves the reader's understanding of how Afghanistan’s geography influences its climate and the lives of its people. Emran iron (talk) 03:18, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I agree, great sentence. Emran iron, could you please give me a source for these sentences? Lova Falk (talk) 09:56, 21 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]