The others of Afghanistan: Regional history and social manifestations of Afghanistan Hazaras' migration to Turkey

Afghanistan has taken its place in history as a popular country both geographically and politically and also in terms of its underground resources ever since its discovery as a region. The fact that it is such a remarkable region has triggered an unceasing war process in the country, and this has resulted in so many social problems. These social problems are among the significant factors that affect the low development level of Afghanistan today. The region of Afghanistan, which is dominated by turmoils resulting from internal sectarian divisions for many years, has been also exposed to various attempted coups and invasions as a strategic target point of foreign countries. Today, the Shiites are a minority in this region, where the majority of the people have adopted the Sunni sect. The Hazaras are an ethnic group with the highest population among the Shiite communities in Afghanistan. The people of Hazara has been continuously marginalized particularly after the political policies of Abdur Rahman Khan in 1880. The increased sectarian conflicts and unceasing marginalization practices have displaced the people of Hazara and forced them to migrate into many other countries, mainly the neighboring countries. In this study, the regional history of the Hazaras in Afghanistan, when they accepted Islam and adopted Shia, and their presence in the social, political, economic and other institutions within the Afghan society were tried to be explained. In this study, which deals with the socio-cultural characteristics of the people of Hazara, it was also tried to explain how the importance given to education affects their social position, how effective they are in politics and the consequences of their migration experiences triggered by the actions committed by the radical Islamic organizations. Key Words: Afghanistan, Hazara, Pashtun, Islam, Religion, Ethnic Identity, Culture, Shiite, Sunni, Soviet Union, Taliban, Sectarian Conflicts, Migration Practices