History of Arabs in Afghanistan

The History of Arabs in Afghanistan span over one millennium, from the 7th century Islamic conquest when ethnic Arab fighters battled and migrated to the area^{[1] [2]} till the recent Soviet-Afghan War when they assisted fellow Muslims in fighting the Soviets and pro-Soviet Afghans. Most of the early Arabs gradually lost their Arabic hegemony and ultimately mixed with the local population, though they are still considered a cognizably distinct ethnic group according to the Afghanistan's constitution^[3] and national anthem.

First Wave of Arabs into Afghanistan

The Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque in Kabul.

At the end of the 7th century, the Ummayad Arabs entered into the area now known as Afghanistan after decisively defeating the Sassanians in Nihawand. The route the Arabs selected to enter the area was from north-eastern Iran^[4] and thereafter into Herat where they stationed a large portion of their army before advancing toward eastern Afghanistan. During this time, some Arabs settled in the area and married locals while adopting new customs. Other groups and contingents who elected not to settle gradually pushed eastwards but encoutered fierce resistance in areas surrounding Bamiyan. ^[5] When ultimately arriving at Kabul, the Arabs confronted the Kabul Shahan who built a defensive wall, part of which still remains today. The historical details of this battle remains largely unknown, though the Arabs were nonetheless victorious. Despite the lack of written accounts, another famous archaeological legacy of this battle remains standing in Kabul, notably the tomb of the Shah-e Do Shamshira (translated into, The leader with the Two Swords in Persian) next to the Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque. The site, located near Kabul's market district, was built near the area where an Arab commander died.

Following the confrontation, the Arabs partially relinquished some of their territorial control though reasserted its authority approximately 50 years later in 750 A.D when the Abbasid caliphs replaced the Ummayads.^[7]

By that time, many Arabs increasingly blended with locals as the Arabic identity in region began to undergo a significant change. Arab contingents settled throughout various parts of present day Afghanistan including Wardak, Logar, Kabul and Balkh. They adopted local customs and Persian^[9] as their main language. Despite maintaining some clothing customs and attire,^[10] most of these Afghan-Arabs (or Arab-Afghans) gradually lost their original tongue of Arabic. This is confirmed in the 15th century work, Baburnama, which notes that the Arabs of Afghanistan have virtually lost the Arabic language and instead speak Persian.^[11] Although the exact number of Arab Afghans remains unknown, mostly due to ambiguous claims of descent, an 18th century academic estimated that the number of Afghan-Arabs/Arab-Afghans is at approximately 60,000 families.^[12]

Second Wave of Arabs into Afghanistan

After the Bolshevik Revolution, many Arabs residing in Bukhara and other areas of Central Asia migrated to Afghanistan where they were more able to practice their religion. One estimate indicated that approximately 30,000 Arabs lived in Bukhara during the mid-nineteenth century.^[13] The Arabs who entered into Afghanistan during this time still retained some Arabic^[14] in contrast to the Afghan Arabs who came during the first wave. Nevertheless, the Arabic they spoke was heavily mixed with farsi and Uzbeki words. Additionally, many Arabs from the second wave were keen to mix with the local population as they adopted the languages of Northern Afghanistan, namely Uzbek, Turkmen, and farsi.^[15] Many settled in Kunduz, Takhar and Baghlan provinces. Currently, while they still view themselves as Arab, almost all the Arabs from the second wave have lost their language of Arabic and have completely blended with the local population. Many of these Afghan Arabs work in the agricultural industry, often growing cotton and wheat.^[16]

Third Wave of Arabs into Afghanistan

During the Soviet-Afghan War, many Muslims, most of them Arabs, came to Afghanistan to help Afghans fight the Marxist regime and Soviet military. Some remained and intermarried with local Afghans while others arrived with their families to Afghanistan. Kandahar is home to a sizeable Arab Cemetery that has become a frequently visited area of contemplation amongst locals who believe that touching the graves of Arab fighters and their families will cure them of illnesses, including paralysis.^[17]

See also

• Islamic conquest of Afghanistan
• Central Asian Arabic
• Iranian Arabs
• Tajiki Arabic
• Uzbeki Arabic
• Huwala
• Sayyid
• Siddiqui
• Farooqi
• Osmani

References

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