Everything about Hazarajat totally explained
Also known as
Hazaristan, Hazarajat is the name given to region in Central Afghanistan that makes up the native homeland of the Afghanistan's
Hazara ethnic group. It is made up of the three central provinces of
Bamiyan,
Daikundi and
Ghor and includes large areas of
Maidan Wardak,
Ghazni,
Uruzgan,
Balkh,
Sar e Pul,
Samangan and
Baghlan. The region has also been known as
Paropamizan or
Paropamisus.
History
Little information exists on the history of the region however, at different times it has remained under
Persian,
Greek,
Indian,
Mongol and
Temurid rule. Archaeological finds can be traced back to the Greek empire of
Bactrai and
Buddhist India.
Recent findings by Professor
Bivar in the
Jaghuri and
Uruzgan districts of southern Hazarajat prove that it was a part of the Zabulistan kingdom and later the heart of
Koshanid Empire.
In the pre-Islamic period Hazarajat was made up of small autonomous Buddhist states such as
Qandahar,
Ghor,
Bamiyan and Zamindawar. Ruins of the capital the ancient Kingdom of Babur Shah can still be found at Chel Burj in Yakawlang,
Bamian. The
Kushano-Hephthalite empire was followed by the
Safavids and later downfall came with the
Arab invasion of the region. Hazarajat never regained its lost glory after the arrival of Islam.
Subsequent rulers of the region include the
Ghorids,
Persians,
Ghaznavids and
Moghuls. They were followed by Chengiz (
Gengez) Khan in 1220. Tradition has it that Gengez's son was killed in the fighting for the city of Gholghola in Bamian. Enraged, Gengez Khan ordered his forces to kill every living being present in the city, even cats and mice. These and similar historical records prove that the
Hazaras put up stiff resistance against the invading armies of Changez Khan; which resulted in the devastation of their land and themselves. Later the region remained colony to the
Ilkhanids,
Chughtais and
Khurasani Kingdoms. Hazaras enjoyed full autonomy after the breakdown of the Ilkhanid Empire until the Afghan invasion the late 19 century.
The Hazarajat Boundaries
Hazarajat lies roughly between 600 and 680 East-West and 330 and 350 North-south covering about 15,000 square miles, stretching from Kabul in the East to Chakcharan and Ghorat in the West. It's northern limit is
Darra e Sauf in
Sare Pul and stretches as far as the limits of Qandahar province and Moqur in the South. It is situated on the crossroads of Afghanistan's major cities but doesn't include any major city or international borders.
In the 1890s, rapid Pashtunization of the region under
Amir Abur Rehman led to destruction of the region and its natives and ended up with the Hazaras losing approximately 60% of their population and land in the war of independence. Thus, Hazarjat was reduced to half its earlier size.
Important Towns
Hazarajat doesn't have any major cities. Important in alphabetical order inclue Ajrestan,
Anguri, Akzarat, Ashtarlai,
Bamiyan,
Behsud, Bidsay, Bad-e Asiah, Chora,
DaiKundi, Daulat Yar, Deh Mirdad, Daya wa Chopan, Gizao,
Khamenil, Khidir, Loman,
Malistan, Niak, Nawar, Panjab,
Qarabagh, Sabz-Ab,
Jaghori, Sar-e-Jangal, Sharistan,
Uruzgan, Yak Aolang, Zardalu,
Climate
Situated high in the
Hindu Kush and
Koh e Baba mountains, the Hazarajat
plateau has extremely cold and harsh climate dominated by heavy snowfalls, snow storms and short, hot summers. Winters span to over 6 months before snow melts. Like most of Afghanistan, Hazarajat also lacks greenery and is poorly covered with vegetation, there's no forest in the region and the slopes are bare.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hazarajat'.
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