The Complex Cultural Identity Of Afghanistan: Unraveling Its Arab Influence

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia, bordering Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. It is a multi-ethnic society with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and tribal groups. While the country has a rich history of various peoples, including Arab Muslims, and is predominantly Muslim, Afghans are not Arabs.

Afghanistan is not located in the Middle East, but in South-Central Asia

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in South-Central Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast. Afghanistan is not located in the Middle East.

Afghanistan is a multiethnic society with diverse ethnic, linguistic, and tribal groups. The country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and southwest, separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul, the country's capital and largest city, is situated on the Kabul River. Afghanistan's forbidding landscape of mountains and deserts has made it difficult for empire builders to invade and has fostered the fierce independence of its people.

The country's official languages are Dari (Afghan Persian) and Pashto, and its official religion is Islam. Afghanistan's economy is largely based on agriculture, and its society is strongly patriarchal.

Arab Muslims brought Islam to Herat and Zaranj in 642 CE and began spreading eastward

The spread of Islam was boosted by Arab Muslim forces, who conquered vast territories and built imperial structures over time. The most significant expansion occurred during the reign of the Rashidun caliphs from 632 to 661 CE, which were the first four successors of Muhammad. The caliphate—a new Islamic political structure—evolved and became more sophisticated during the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates.

The Arab Muslim rulers were not purely motivated by religion, nor was their success attributed to the power of Islam alone, though religion certainly played a part. The conquests were also driven by the practical need for fertile land and water, which were scarce in the Arabian Peninsula.

The Arab conquerors generally respected the traditional Middle-Eastern pattern of religious pluralism, allowing the practice of other faiths in Arab territory. However, widespread conversions to Islam came about as a result of the breakdown of historically-religiously organized societies.

Islam was spread through military conquest, trade, pilgrimage, and missionaries. Over time, as Islamic ideas and cultures came into contact with new societies, they were expressed in unique ways and took on diverse forms.

There are still some Arabic-speaking communities in Afghanistan, particularly in Balkh Province

Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation with over 40 distinct languages. The official languages are Dari and Pashto, which are spoken by 78% and 50% of the population, respectively. However, Arabic is also recognised as a minor language in Afghanistan, with a small but sturdy foothold in the country since the early Middle Ages.

Balkh is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It is known for its fertile land and high potential in the agricultural sector. The province is ethnically diverse, with substantial Tajik, Hazara, Pashtun, Arab, Uzbek, Turkmen, and Sunni Hazara (Kawshi) communities.

The capital of Balkh Province is Mazar-i-Sharif, which is Afghanistan's fourth-largest city and the most important urban centre in the northern region. The city has a population of about 1,509,183, which is multi-ethnic and mostly Persian-speaking (63% Tajik, 20% Hazara). Dari is spoken by about 50% of the population and 58% of the villages. The second most frequently spoken language is Pashto, followed by Turkmen and Uzbeki.

Balkh has a rich history and is known as the "Mother of All Cities". It was once a centre of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism and was one of the wealthiest and largest cities of Aryana. The city was known as Bactra to the Ancient Greeks and Zariaspa to the Persians. Balkh was also an important stop on trade routes from the Far East to the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Europe.

While Arabic is not among the most widely spoken languages in Balkh, there is still a significant Arab community in the province, particularly in the Chimtal district, which has a large Arab and Pashtun population.

Afghans who carry Sayed or Quraishi in their names usually claim Arab ancestry

The name Quraishi, also spelt Qureshi, is a Muslim family name. It means descent from the Quraish, one of the leading tribes in Mecca at the time of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet's mother was a member of the Quraish, and they initially opposed Muhammad's teachings and persecuted him and his followers. However, by the time of his death, they had begun to accept the new faith and played an important role in bringing Islam to Arabia.

The Quraishi name is common in South Asia and parts of Western Asia, particularly the Arabian Peninsula. It is most common in Pakistan, followed by India, Saudi Arabia, England and Iran.

The history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over one millennium, since the 7th century. Many early Arabs settled in the region and married locals, adopting new customs and languages. Over time, they became Persianised or Afghanised, following Pashtunwali.

The history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over one millennium since the 7th century

The history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over a millennium, starting in the 7th century when the Umayyad Arabs entered the area after defeating the Sasanian Empire. The Arabs pursued the last Sasanian shah, Yazdegerd III, who had fled eastward into Central Asia. The Arabs entered the area now known as Afghanistan from northeastern Iran, and stationed a large portion of their army in Herat before advancing toward eastern Afghanistan.

Some Arabs settled in these new areas, adopting new customs and marrying locals. Others continued eastward, encountering resistance in areas surrounding Bamiyan and then Kabul, where they confronted the Kabul Shahan. The bloodiest war in Kabul was in the Chahardihi area, where tombs of Arabs killed in that war remain in the DarulAman area. The most famous Arab character killed in that war was Shah-do Shamshira, whose tomb is located near the Kabul River in Asmayee Street.

Despite the lack of many written accounts, another famous archaeological legacy of this battle remains standing in Kabul: the tomb of the Shah-e Do Shamshira (translated as "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 where an Arab commander died.

Following the Arab confrontation, the region was made part of Khorasan, with its seat of power in Herat. The Arabs later partially relinquished some of their territorial control, though they reasserted their authority in 750 when the Abbasid caliphs replaced the Ummayads. By then, many Arabs had blended with locals as the Arabic identity in the region began to change. Arab contingents settled throughout various parts of present-day Afghanistan, including Wardak, Logar, Kabul, Balkh, and the Sulaiman Mountains. Over time, they adopted local customs and languages, with some becoming Persianized and others becoming Afghanized and following Pashtunwali.

During the 1980s Soviet-Afghan War, many Arab Muslims arrived and volunteered to help Afghans fight the Soviet Union. Some of these remained after the Soviets withdrew from the country and were granted citizenship. Others intermarried with local Afghans, while some arrived with their families. Kandahar is home to a small Arab cemetery where over 70 graves belong to Arab al-Qaeda functionaries who were killed as a result of the U.S. War on Terror. These Arabs are revered by the Taliban and Salafist sympathizers as shahid (martyrs).

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