Farsiwan
Encyclopedia
Fārsīwān is a designation for Persian-speakers
in Afghanistan
. Although the term was originally coined with Persian language's lexical
root (Pārsībān), the suffix has been transformed into a Pashto
form (-wān), and is usually utilized by the Pashtuns
in Afghanistan and Pakistan to designate the Persian-speakers.
More specifically, it is used to refer to a distinct group of farmers and urban dwellers who are a subgroup within the Tajik population of Afghanistan. The term excludes the Hazāra and Aymāq
tribes who also speak dialects of Persian, but are generally believed to be distinct from the Tajiks. In Afghanistan, the Farsiwan are found predominantly in Herat
and Farah
provinces. Locally, they are also known as Fārsī (or Pārsī; literally meaning "Persian") and are roughly the same as the Persians of Eastern Iran.
dialects of the Persian language
, for example the dialect of Kabul
, as opposed to the standard Tehrānī dialect of Iran. However, most of the Fārsīwān speak the Khorasani
dialect, native to the Afghanistan-Iran border region, namely Herāt
and Farāh
, as well as the Iranian provinces of Khorasan. Unlike the Hazara who are also Persian-speaking and Shia, the Farsiwan do not show any, or very limited traces of Turkic
and Mongol ancestry as they are, like the Pashtuns, of Mediterranean
substock. Although the Kizilbash
of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
(who are descendants of Persian military and administrative forces brought in to control these areas by the Safavid
, Mughal, Afsharid
and Durrani dynasties) are also Persian-speaking Shias, they are usually regarded as a separate group from the Farsiwan.
Some confusion arises because an alternative name used locally for the Fārsīwān (as well as for the Tājiks in general) is Dehgān, meaning "village settlers", in the sense of "urban". The term is used in contrast to "nomadic".
, Farah
and Ghor as well as in other southern and western towns such as Kandahar
and Ghazni
. They are also the main inhabitants of the city of Herāt
and are found in large numbers in Kabul
.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Although the term was originally coined with Persian language's lexical
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
root (Pārsībān), the suffix has been transformed into a Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
form (-wān), and is usually utilized by the Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
in Afghanistan and Pakistan to designate the Persian-speakers.
More specifically, it is used to refer to a distinct group of farmers and urban dwellers who are a subgroup within the Tajik population of Afghanistan. The term excludes the Hazāra and Aymāq
Aimak
Aymāq , also transliterated as Aimak or Aimaq, are a collection of Persian-speaking nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. They are found throughout the north and northwest highlands of Afghanistan, immediately to the north of Herat, and in the Khorasan Province of Iran...
tribes who also speak dialects of Persian, but are generally believed to be distinct from the Tajiks. In Afghanistan, the Farsiwan are found predominantly in Herat
Herat Province
Herat is one the 34 provinces of Afghanistan; together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the South-western region of the country...
and Farah
Farah Province
Farah is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border...
provinces. Locally, they are also known as Fārsī (or Pārsī; literally meaning "Persian") and are roughly the same as the Persians of Eastern Iran.
Distinction from other Tajiks
Like the Persians of Iran, the Farsiwan are often distinguished from other Tajiks by their adherence to Shia Islam as opposed to the Sunni sect favored by the majority of Tajiks. However, there are also minor linguistic differences especially among the rural Farsiwan. The Farsiwan sometimes speak a dialect more akin to the DarīDari (Afghanistan)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
dialects of the Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, for example the dialect of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, as opposed to the standard Tehrānī dialect of Iran. However, most of the Fārsīwān speak the Khorasani
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
dialect, native to the Afghanistan-Iran border region, namely Herāt
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
and Farāh
Farah Province
Farah is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border...
, as well as the Iranian provinces of Khorasan. Unlike the Hazara who are also Persian-speaking and Shia, the Farsiwan do not show any, or very limited traces of Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Mongol ancestry as they are, like the Pashtuns, of Mediterranean
Mediterranean race
The Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book The Races of Europe...
substock. Although the Kizilbash
Kizilbash
Qizilbash or Kizilbash is the label given to a wide variety of Shī‘ī Islamic militant groups that flourished in Anatolia and Kurdistan from the late 13th century onwards, some of which contributed to the foundation of the Safavid dynasty of...
of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
(who are descendants of Persian military and administrative forces brought in to control these areas by the Safavid
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, Mughal, Afsharid
Afsharid dynasty
The Afsharids were members of an Iranian dynasty of Turkmen origin from Khorasan who ruled Persia in the 18th century. The dynasty was founded in 1736 by the military commander Nader Shah who deposed the last member of the Safavid dynasty and proclaimed himself King of Iran. During Nader's reign,...
and Durrani dynasties) are also Persian-speaking Shias, they are usually regarded as a separate group from the Farsiwan.
Some confusion arises because an alternative name used locally for the Fārsīwān (as well as for the Tājiks in general) is Dehgān, meaning "village settlers", in the sense of "urban". The term is used in contrast to "nomadic".
Geographic distribution
There are approximately 600,000 (est. 1982) Farsiwans in Afghanistan, mainly in the provinces of HeratHerat Province
Herat is one the 34 provinces of Afghanistan; together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the South-western region of the country...
, Farah
Farah Province
Farah is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Farah. Farah is a spacious and sparsely populated province that lies on the Iranian border...
and Ghor as well as in other southern and western towns such as Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and Ghazni
Ghazni
For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni ProvinceGhazni is a city in central-east Afghanistan with a population of about 141,000 people...
. They are also the main inhabitants of the city of Herāt
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
and are found in large numbers in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
.
See also
- Tajiks
- Persian peoplePersian peopleThe Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
- Persian languagePersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
- Persian-speakers of AfghanistanPersian-speakers of AfghanistanPersian-speakers of Afghanistan make up about 40-50% of the population in the country, where Persian language is one of the official languages besides the other which is Pashto...
- Demography of AfghanistanDemography of AfghanistanThe population of Afghanistan is around 29,835,392 as of the year 2011, which is unclear if the refugees living outside the country are included or not. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between...