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Chapter 2 Continues...
Most inhabitants of extreme western Afghanistan, are geographically and culturally an extension of the Iranian Plateau. The Baloch and Brahui live in the south-western corner of Afghanistan, north-western Pakistan and South-eastern Iran. The Nuristani, Kohistani and the Gujar are farmers and cattle herders occupying the rugged mountain zones of eastern Afghanistan and Pakistani Chitral.17 (see Map on “Major Ethnic Groups of Afghanistan”)
Dupree has classified the Afghans into 3 ‘physical types’, namely, Caucasoid (mainly Pashtun, Tajik, Baluch, Nuristani), Mongoloid (mainly Hazara, Aimaq, Turkomans, Uzbek, Kyrgyz) and modified Australoid (Brahui).18 Similarly, their languages have been categorized into 4 major language families: Indo-European, Uralic-Altaic, Dravidian and Semitic.19 The major languages of Afghanistan are Persian (Dari), Pashto, Uzbeki,, Turkmeni, Nuristani, Balochi and Pashai (see Map on “Major Languages of Afghanistan) In Afghanistan apart from these composite ethnic communities, there exist ethnic grey zones. Long contacts between the Caucasoid and Mongoloid groups, particularly among Tajiks and Uzbeks have led to red or blonde hair, blue or mixed eyes combination occur in association with epicanthic folds and high cheek bones. Many darker skinned Baloch or Brahui also have blue, green or mixed eyes. The people of Afghanistan are thus divided along ethnic and linguistic lines as well as sectarian, tribal and racial divisions. Although 90 percent of the population follow Sunni Islam as their religious faith yet local customs and tribal influences lead to variations in practice.
Goodson20 argues that the creation and transformation of ethnic consciousness are rarely assignable to discrete causes or specific dates because groups have constantly re-examined and redefined themselves.
Foreign invasions, especially the devastating Mongol and Timurid campaigns, altered the indigenous population profile both by inflicting heavy native casualties and by infusing new blood into the region. He argues that after the Durrani ascendancy in the mid-eighteenth century there was no substantial foreign presence in the country until the Soviets intervened in 1979, and it was in this period that the Pashtun tribes finally emerged as the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan.
To be continued...