Tajiks
The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, and the Xinjiang province of China.
Application of the term
The Tajiks are among the oldest inhabitants of the region, and can trace their roots back to the original Iranian peoples that settled Central Asia in ancient times, such as the Bactrians, Sogdians, and Parthians, but also Persians who fled to Central Asia, China, and India during the Islamic expansion. Their ancestors have inhabited Central Asia (including modern Afghanistan and western China) for roughly 4,000 years. The term "Tajik" is generally applied to the Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin living in the lands east of Iran. Although other Persian-speaking groups live in Central Asia, such as the Hazara, and Aimak, they are distinguished from the Tajiks in that they are mainly of non-Iranian origin, and only adopted the Persian language over the last Millennium. The so-called Mountain Tajiks or Pamiris of the Badakhshan region in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as well as the group usually known as "Tajik" in China's western Xinjiang region are actually a collection of over a dozen small Eastern Iranian who merged with the Tajiks, who are themselves a very mixed group.Origin of the term
The origin of the term "Tajik" is somewhat unclear. Today, most historians believe that the word "Tajik" is an old Turkish expression referring to all Persian-speaking peoples of the region who are of Iranian origin. The word did not exist before the Turkic conquest of Central Asia. Even Persians in Iran who live in the Turkish-speaking parts of the country call themselvs "Tajik". Therefore, Tajik can be considered a synonym for Persian . It may have originated from Ta-Hia, the chinese name for ancient Bactria.In the Turco-Persian culture of the conquerors Timur and Babur, the word "Tajik" referred to the Persian-speaking clerks who were schooled in Arabic.
Location
Tajiks are the principal ethnic group in most of Tajikistan, as well as in northeastern Afghanistan and the Afghan cities of Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Herat. Tajiks also dominate the populations of the cities of Bukhara and Samarqand in Uzbekistan, and are found in large numbers in the Surkhandarya region of southern Uzbekistan, and in the eastern part of that country, along its border with Tajikistan. Historically, the ancestors of the Tajiks lived in a much larger territory in Central Asia, but were largely displaced as waves of Turkic invaders moved into the region from the north and east. Today, Tajiks comprise around 66% of the population of Tajikistan, and between 25-30% of the population of Afghanistan. While official statistics in Uzbekistan state the Tajik community as comprising 5% of the nation's total population, it is widely believed that they make up 15 to 30 percent of the country's population. In addition, there are an estimated 500,000 to 1 million Tajiks found in western Pakistan (NWFP), most being refugees from the Afghan war while others are native to various regions such as Chitral (see Wakhi language) and the Gilgit Agency.Language
The language of the Tajiks is Persian, also called Dari. The dialect of Tajikistan is called Tajiki.Religion
The great majority of Tajiks follow the Sunni form of Islam, although small Ismaili and Jafari Shia minorities also exist in scattered pockets. In Afghanistan, Tajiks who follow Jafari Shiism are called Farsi or Farsiwan (Persians). The popular forms of Islam practiced by the Tajiks often bear the influence of Zoroastrianism and pre-Zoroastrian cults that were followed before the advent of Islam to Central Asia. Additionally, large Tajik-speaking Jewish communities have existed since ancient times in the cities of Samarqand and Bukhara, and in smaller numbers in Herat, Kabul, and other Tajik centers. Over the 20th century, the majority of these Tajik-speaking Jews emigrated to Israel and the United States, although many of these emigrants maintain ties with their Homeland. Despite the advent of Christian missionaries to Central Asia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Tajik Christian population is virtually non-existent.Physical characteristics
Physically, most Tajiks belong to the Mediterranean subgroup of the Caucasian race. While the average Tajik has dark hair and eyes with medium to fair skin, light hair and eyes are not uncommon, particularly in mountainous regions such as Badakhshan. Some speculate that this may be due to intermingling with the generally light-complexioned Nuristanis (Kafirs) as well as remote Pashtun tribes, but it is more likely that Tajiks living in remote areas are simply more closely related to ancient Iranian tribes that retreated to the mountains during various invasions and have mingled less with other groups as a result. Some Tajiks in Central Asia show definite Turkic-Mongol admixture, while remote Mountain Tajiks appear to more closely resemble the populations that existed before Turkic and Mongol invasions. A minority of Tajiks in Afghanistan also show traces of Turkic-Mongol ancestry (possibly derived from the Hazara and/or Uzbeks) as well as some Indian phenotypes (a result of Islamic invasions of South Asia). In addition, Tajiks are often distinguished from the related Farsiwan by religion as opposed to appearance. The Tajiks, as a whole, are an eclectic population genetically and display a wide range of phenotypes.Recent developments
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the civil war in Afghanistan both gave rise to a resurgence in Tajik Nationalism across the region. Tajikistan in particular has been a focal point for this movement, and the government there has made a conscious effort to revive the legacy of the Samanid empire, the first Tajik-dominated state in the region after the Arab conquest.Tajiks in China
Tajik (Chinese: 塔吉克族, Pinyin: Tǎjíkèzú) is one of the of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.This group with a population of 41,028 (2000), is located mainly in China's western Xinjiang region with 60% living in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County; some researchers view them as a collection of over a dozen small East Iranian ethnic groups that are related to, but distinct from, the Tajiks of Tajikistan.
In China, the Tajik language has no official written form. The great majority of Chinese Tajik speakers (16,000) speak the Sariqul (or Sariköli) dialect and use Uyghur and Chinese to communicate with people of other nationalities in the area. A small proportion of Chinese Tajik speakers (6,000) speak the Wakhi dialect.