TA 32 The Situation and Languages of the Turkic Nations in Afghanistan Before August 2021
The Situation and Languages of the Turkic Nations in Afghanistan Before August 2021 Murat Akyüz Nile University of Nigeria, Nigeria Abstract: Afghanistan is one of the ancient lands where many nations and ethnic groups coexist. In this geography, besides the Turkic tribes such as the Uzbeks, Turkmens, Kyrgyz, and Kazakhs who speak their native languages even today, there are also tribes like the Hazaras, the Aimaqs, and the Galchays who – having forgotten their mother tongues – speak Persian or Pashto. In Afghanistan, where the Turkic dynasties generally ruled before 1747, the Pashtuns became the dominant ethnic community with the proclamation of the Afghan state in 1747. The turbulent history and political life of Afghanistan have deeply affected the Turkic communities, as have all Afghan peoples. The Turkic peoples were occasionally forbidden to receive education in their native tongues, while it was also aimed to change the demographic structure by resettling Pasht...