Tajiks

The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Iran, 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 Aimaq, 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 and Afghanistan, 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.

Related Topics:
Iranian - Bactrians - Sogdians - Parthians - Persians - China - India - Islamic - Persian - Iran - Hazara - Aimaq - Millennium - Badakhshan - Tajik - Xinjiang - Eastern Iranian

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