A history of the Tajiks: Iranians of the East with Dr. Richard Foltz of Concordia University
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
- Today, we have with us noted historian Shri Richard Foltz on our show.
We will discuss Richard's book 'A History of the Tajiks: Iranians of the East.'
In this comprehensive and up-to-date history, from prehistoric proto-Indo-Iranian times to the post-Soviet period, Richard Foltz traces the complex linguistic, cultural, and political history of the Tajiks, a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group from the modern-day Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.
Richard Foltz is a Full Professor of Religions and Cultures, specializing in the broader Iranian world. He has published 11 books and over one hundred articles, and his work has appeared in over a dozen languages.
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 - Highlights
02:01 - Guest Welcome
03:03 - Book motivation
09:42 - Given the extensive history of the region, there are complications associated with defining Tajiks. Who would you categorize as Tajiks?
17:18 - Tajik culture has been an extension of Iranian culture, as it lived in the sphere of influence of Persia for a long time. However, the country and the region must have diverged in culture from Persia over the years. How is today's Tajik culture different from that of Iran?
27:10 - Dari, spoken in this reason is closer to Middle age Persian or Modern Persian?
30:39 - The Tajik history is very rich and complicated. How places such as Bukhara and Samarkand are historically Tajik but are not in modern-day Tajikistan. How did this happen and is this injustice to Tajiks?
37:35 - Tajik history can't be done without talking about Afghanistan, as about 25% of the world's ethnic Tajik reside there. Can Afghanistan after Soviet-era be seen as an ethnic conflict between Pashtuns and Tajiks - the two largest ethnic groups of the country? Also, how did the Tajiks fare in that?
43:51 - China claims the Pamir region of Tajikistan, which accounts for 45 percent of Tajik territory. Why is China interested in the region and is the Chinese claim justified?
45:45 - Historically, Tajiks are constantly discriminated against and persecuted in Uzbekistan. Why does the country not recognize Tajiki rights?
54:49 - In the last couple of years, the situation has improved. Do you see continued progress in acknowledging more rights to the Tajiki population by the Uzbek government?
57:38 - At the end of the book you fondly talk about your longings to wade across the Panj River into Afghanistan. It does seem that one can quickly cross the stream, put one's foot on the soil and come back without anyone noticing
1:07:41 - What future projects do you have in store?
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Based on my research, Tajik can be anyone that pretty much spread Dari or Farsi. You can have Arabs, Turks, Pashtuns, Indians, or even hazaraz’s called as Tajiks. There is no main ethnicity link to Tajik.
That's bullshit. Tajiks have a main identity, genetic, culture. Hazaraa speak the same language and they are never called Tajiks.
No man never . Hazaras and many pashtuns speak persian but they can naver be tajik.
Tajik is genetic and persian is their native language for thousand of years.
@@user-it1ek5ok7w - not sure where your getting your Information from..
The word Tajik is very new in our modern world and got the popularity during the Afghan/soviet war and after the creation of Tajikistan.
Farsi or Dari is an indo european language and it’s not owned by any tribe or people even 3 countries claim the ownership to it.. The Farsi/Dari language was used by different empires such as Mongols/Turks during their rule of Khorassan and even Pashtuns as the language of the courts. Which results in its expansion to Central Asia and as well as to northern India.
You may claim to be a tajik today but over a 100 years ago, no one in the region knew what Tajik stood for. There are many books that supports my claim.
Hope it helps your research.
@@Paiman-amini89 nonsense. You have zero knowledge about tajiks. I am ashamed that people like you can share their lies without any consequences
@@Paiman-amini89 type "Vintage colour engraving from 1819 showing an Tajik man in the summer dress of Kabul, Afghanistan."
You will get the costume of Tajiks from 1819
I am a Tajik from Kabul, Afghanistan, and my mother tongue is Farsi. About 65% of Tajiks live in Afghanistan. Tajiks are of Aryan race, who today are called Eastern Iranians. These Tajiks are the main Iranians. Before Islam, Afghanistan was called Ariana Vej, which means the land of Aryans, but with the invasion of Genghis Khan, the Mongols invaded this land. It caused the descendants of the Mongol-Turks to enter this land. After the Ghorian rule, the Tajiks went to the sidelines, the Pashtuns gained power, but we Tajiks still maintained their presence through the Persian language and the diversity of their culture.⬛️⬜️🟩
I wish all Aryan/Iranic/Iranian people would become one country with Iran.
@@delaramsalmassi4063nobody needs Shias
@@abdujk At least shias are real muslims. And you are most likely a zionist!
Their ‘noble’ blood has lost its purity ever since the Turko-Mongols invaded. Before then they, like their Persian brothers, were contributing hugely to the sciences, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and so on.
ZINDA BOD HAMESHA 👑TOJIKON👑🦁🇮🇷❤️🇹🇯🦁🤲🤲☝️
We are Tajik People Iranian people
Dr Richard points out some remarkable points here.
I'm a Tajik from Tajikistan
Thank You very much from depth of my heart for your great and bright Knowledge about Tajiks (ancient Persians). May Allah Bless Your Life forever. ♥️♥️♥️
Very engaging discussion. Got to learn many new things about Central Asia.!
Thank you for providing a comprehensive overview of the Tajik history and Persian language dynamics. Regarding Afghanistan I can say that 80-90 % population can speak and understand Farsi and it is a language every ethnic group communicate with each other and widely used as lingua franca. It's interesting to note the political motivations behind the shift from calling the language Farsi to Dari. It is since 1964 that the Dari replaced Farsi and promoted by the Afghanistan government. The decision behind to replacing Persian was more political than linguistic to support an Afghan state narrative. The distinction between Dari and Farsi in Afghanistan seems to be more of a formal designation imposed by the government, while the people continue to refer to their language as Farsi. The term Dari imposed upon them by the Afghan government as an effort detach Afghanistan from the deep-rooted culture, linguistic and historical connections with the wider Persian speaking world, especially Iran, Tajikistan. It's also noteworthy that, despite the formal shift in terminology, the linguistic similarities between the formal written Persian of Afghanistan and Iran, and the mutual intelligibility between them, remain strong. This highlights the deep historical and cultural connections that transcend political boundaries.
I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while… these connected all the dots. Thank you.
درود بر شما ❤ ما هم در استان فارس در ایران میگویم که تاجیک هستیم و این رو پدر بزرگ های ما خوب میدانند ❤ و در جاهایی که قشقایی ( ترک های شیرازی) در کنار ما فارسی ها هستن به ما میگویند تاجیک
Wonderful research work on the history of "tajiks" by Faltz. His research work matches our historian works as well. But I would like to make one remark that unfortunately, Dr. Richard Faltz did not conduct proper research to understand⁰ the term "tajik" - The term "tajik" nothing to do with Soviet Union politics or it is an artificial term but the term "tajik" is more older and used extensively starting from 11 century in Persian literature as opposed to "turks" and "arabs" and always used as synonym to Persian. For instance, the Persian 13th-century poet Saadi Shirazi (from Shiraz today's Iran) in one of his work ✍️
"It's appropriate to tell the king
Your Turk shed the blood of Tajik"
Many other Persian poets used the term tajik as a synonym to Persian in their poems, which are the key evidence to any historical research until the 19th century.
Simply to define the term "tajik" is another name of "Arians, Dehgans (land owners), Dari, Persian and Iranian"
Like India was "bharat" then after Mahmud Ghaznavid and Mughal empire it became "Hindustan" and after British Empire "India".
On his other point about "dari"? Dari is another name of Persian language, which was spoken in the "darbar" of kings. The term "dari" came from the term of "darbar" (palace of kings).
❤❤❤❤👍👍👍
Really fascinating interview! Thanks for bringing Dr. Falk on. Will help me win some asylum cases for Tajiks in the US.
amazing
Thank you very much for this beautiful and meaningful discussion. As a Tajik woman from Tajikistan, I would say, yes we are not in best situation right now. I love learning the history of different nations and religions. I personally as a believer, think that everything happens with willing of the Creator. If you look at the history of Tajiks, you might go crazy of seeing so much of events happening to this nations.
But the most recent unjust thing happened after the Russian invasion of Central Asian territory, they divided every nations and giving them a name and draw their territory. And the funny part was the Tajiks were not considerate as an ethnicity at all and were not given any territory. After some debate in Soviet Kremlin they finally decide to make us separate Tajik Soviet Republic and gave us the borders in mountains region. Leaving behind the Biggest, Oldest and Absolutely Tajik Authentically cities of Samarkand and Bukhoro to Uzbeks.
Now that we lost our ancient cities, our alphabet, which means our connection to our roots, now that we all Tajiks(from Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan) surrounded by people who trying to destroy us completely…I sometimes feel so sad about this all. But I have faith, one day we will rise as Phoenix from the ashes!
Our dear professor has talked here about the inclusive government, that we all should have. But the history showing us that whenever the real Tajiks were ruling the the region there was inclusiveness. I mean look at the Iran, their official language is farsi but every ethnicity can speak their own language on daily basis and have their own culture. Do you see it happening in Saudi Arabia for example or Turkey, where they have many different minorities as well. They all have to became Arab, and Turks in Turkey.
Especially Panturkistic machine is working nonstop!
Our Tajik(Iranian) history taught us to be tolerant to all nations. We are the people of art, books, sciences, politics and loyal to our religion, will once again be united! So we could once again contribute to this modern, growing and beautiful world! 🌎 ❤️
Как прекрасно ты сказал👏👏
❤❤❤👍👍👍🇹🇯🇹🇯🇹🇯
I wonder why exactly the Soviets were so unjust to Iranian peoples everywhere in their lands. They refused to give Ossentians an independent country; they gave Azerbaijan completely to the Turks (even though the population was 50-60% Talysh). They initially didn't even want to give Tajiks their own country, but that would be really ridiculous because Tajiks were simply too many; so they gave SOME of them a weak and small country in high mountains with no important cities, little resources, and many potential border disputes... It's like destroying Tajiks, and all Iranian peoples, was their goal from the beginning.
Lovely input ❤
@@lambert801 Because only tajiks or any other Iranic people could became a real threat. I mean cultural threat. With it’s own language, literature, culture and history. The rest has nothing to go against Russian….that’s why!!
Это видео на русском языке подготовили Таджики из Пакистана . Он говорит что . В Пакистане Таджиков заставляются насилствено свои национальность написать пуштун. И Таджиков в Пакистане не разрешают что бы свои национальности напсали Таджик. От всех добрых людей мира и от всех стран, которые являются добрыми. Мы просим заставить Пакистан. Разрешить Таджиков писать свои национальность Таджик.
این ویدیو به زبان روسی توسط تاجیک های پاکستان تهیه شده است . او می گوید .که در پاکستان تاجیک ها را به طور اجباری ملیت شان را پشتون می نویسند . و برای تاجیک ها در پاکستان اجازه نمی دهند که ملیت شان را تاجیک بنویسند . از تمامی مردمی مهربان جهان و از تمامی ممالک که مهربان هستن . خواهش می کنیم . تا پاکستان را مجبور بسازند . که تا برای تاجیک ها اجازه دهند که ملیت شان را تاجیک بنویسند .
This video in Russian has prepared Tajiks from Pakistan. He says that . In Pakistan, Tajiks are forced to write Pushtun rapidly. And Tajiks in Pakistan are not allowed that Tajik is sustained their nationalities. From all kind people of the world and from all countries that are kind. We ask for Pakistan. Allow Tajiks to write their nationality Tajik.
czcams.com/video/UHeuHiFo8kk/video.html
The Tajik people are indeed an integral part of Central Asian history and culture, with a rich heritage that spans millennia. Here's some informative information about the Tajik people:
1. History and Culture: The Tajik people have a history dating back thousands of years, with roots in ancient civilizations such as the Bactrians and Sogdians. Their culture is influenced by Persian, Turkic, and other Central Asian traditions, resulting in a diverse tapestry of customs, language, and arts.
2. Contributions to Science, Medicine, and Astrology: Tajik scholars have made significant contributions to various fields throughout history. In medieval times, the Persian-speaking scholars of Central Asia, including Tajiks, played a crucial role in preserving and advancing knowledge in fields such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy during the Islamic Golden Age.
3. Literature and Poetry: Persian poetry has a rich tradition within Tajik culture. Renowned poets like Rumi, Omar Khayyam, and Ferdowsi have greatly influenced Tajik literature, with Tajik poets contributing their own works to this illustrious tradition.
4. Philosophy: Tajik thinkers have made notable contributions to philosophy, particularly in the realms of Sufism, mysticism, and Islamic philosophy. Their philosophical writings have often reflected a deep contemplation of existence, spirituality, and the human condition.
5. Population in Afghanistan: Tajiks constitute a significant portion of Afghanistan's population, particularly in urban centers such as Kabul, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, and Ghazni. They have historically played prominent roles in various spheres of Afghan society, including politics, academia, and commerce.
6. Elites in Afghanistan: Tajiks have been prominent figures in Afghanistan's political and intellectual landscape. Many Tajik leaders have emerged in the country's history, contributing to its governance and development. Tajik intellectuals and professionals have also played key roles in shaping Afghanistan's modern institutions and educational systems.
Overall, the Tajik people's contributions to the world span a wide range of disciplines and have left an indelible mark on human civilization, particularly in the regions where they have historically resided, including Afghanistan.
As a Tajik I'm surprised to hear more information about my history.
Tajiks are basically central asian Persians.
I am Tajik, not Persian.
@@alipurzade Tajiks are Persian not different thats why they speak Persian.
Tajiks are father of persians they are not sons of persians..We will nor be English or half of Africa will not be FRENCH cos they talk their language.
@@alipurzade Tajik is persian parviz jon
Tajik is Persian when Iranians want to expand their cultural heritage but other than that tajiks are not Persians for Iranians
I’m Tajik from Kabul I’m 100% Tajik Aryan from Khorasan we have rich history and culture we are the most native people of today’s Afghanistan the origin of Pashtuns are Israeli and the origin or hazaras are manglian
Can you please tell doctor Foltz to come back to Concordia university because i want to take his class again :( thanks
Tajiks should look to unite. Afghanistan is an eligitimate name and state. Pashtuns don't care about our iranian history. They only care about forcing their own name on others.
Most Tajiks are mixed with other ethnicities like East Asian, Indian, Mongolian, european, etc.
Iranians are our brothers!
Dr. Richard Foltz appears to have a limited grasp of Central Asian history, as evidenced by his speech. He seems to heavily rely on Iranian sources, leading to the classification of Avicenna as a Tajik, which may not align with broader historical understanding. Additionally, it appears he may lack knowledge about Turkic culture before the Arab invasion. Consequently, some might argue that his book lacks the depth and accuracy needed to be considered a valuable historical document. It's important to approach his work critically rather than dismiss it outright, as there may still be some useful insights within, even if it doesn't meet the highest standards of scholarship.
He seems to have a limited grasp of almost everything he talks about.
Say about pashtoon we wanna know the history of pashtoons
У вас нет истории
We don't talk about pre-islamic persian poetry because the invading Arabs burned books as a pasttime.
Good
Pushes the neo-con American drivel button at 39 minutes in. Shame because it was fascinating.
"Iranians" : a confusion word.
Suggest they came from the North.
Their ancestors were the Andronovo Culture, spread all over Central Asia.
Tajiks and Indians are brothers. Pagistan Murdabad
India never supported Tajiks in Afghanistan 🇦🇫
I am tajik from afghanistan and i dont hate pakistan. Native Tajiks also live in pakistan.
And other pakistani ethnicities are our brothers.
@@user-it1ek5ok7w Pakistan has always supported the Taliban. There would probably be no Taliban today if not for Pakistan support. And 30% of Pakistan's population are Pashtuns who have no love for Tajiks. Pakistan has been source of so much terrorism and unnecessary drama in the region for decades. You don't have to hate the population of Pakistan to hate the cancerous Pakistani institution.
Tazi or Tajiks are those Yemenis who came to Samarkand with the Arabs in the Islamic army to occupy Iran and Central Asia. They later sought refuge in Kulab of Tajikistan and some parts of Afghanistan like Panjsher in order to survive. From their ancestors, they have been engaged in theft and patriotism.
According to pota khazana ,but in reality you should think about Solomon mountains wild creatures pushtun Gul.Don't mixed with Dravedian pushtun.
A pashkuni naswarforosh has spoken, the world is laughing at those kharha but they will not learn to be civilized
@@mikebob5528 even Jews don't want to be related to them, i mean look how they dress themselves and the smell 🤣
A pashkuni is a 🚽 in person
I am a Tajik, my ancestors were never Arabs, it was the Arabs who came to our land. If you do not have the right information, go and read the right information, instead of just saying whatever you want.
Tajiks ancestors were never arabs you moron. We never spoke arabic, we are descended from eastern Persians, Bactrians and Sogdians who were there for 3,000+ years and we preserved the Persian language.