POLITICAL MOBILISATION AMONG THE HAZARA OF AFGHANISTAN, 1978–1992

The study examines the evolution of Hazara political organisation across five phases between 1978 and 1992. It tracks the transition from local resistance led by traditional 'mir' leaders to a regional administration under the 'sayyid' clergy, followed by a civil war and the eventual rise of the Islamist-dominated Hezb-e Wahdat party. The author argues that mobilisation was driven by external threats and competition over political influence, while the success of specific organisations depended on their ability to provide private goods and maintain internal control.

• The initial resistance in Hazarajat (1978–1979) was a spontaneous, local reaction to the PDPA's brutal implementation of radical reforms, mobilising through existing patron-client networks led by the 'mir'.
• Between 1979 and 1982, political mobilisation shifted from local to regional scope with the establishment of the Shura-e Ittefaq, which was dominated by the 'sayyid' (traditional clergy) who possessed the necessary trans-local networks.
• The Shura-e Ittefaq developed into an unpopular, state-like regional administration characterized by harsh taxation and compulsory military service, which eventually eroded its popular support.
• From 1982 to 1984, a civil war erupted in Hazarajat as formally trained Islamist clergy ('sheikh') challenged the 'sayyid' leadership, eventually overthrowing the Shura with strategic backing from Iran.
• The establishment of Hezb-e Wahdat in 1989 represented a strategic unification of Hazara parties to ensure political representation in a post-communist Afghanistan, following the exclusion of Shi'ia groups from the Pakistan-based interim government.
• Hezb-e Wahdat maintained a balance between Islamist ideology and Hazara ethnic nationalism, though in practice it functioned primarily as a Hazara movement.
• In April 1992, Hazara in Kabul mobilised rapidly to seize public buildings and arms to protect themselves from the expected mujahedin takeover, eventually allowing Hezb-e Wahdat to control approximately half of the capital.
• The study concludes that the Theory of Group Solidarity (focusing on private goods and control) and Resource Competition Theory (focusing on structural shifts and identity scale) are complementary and together provide a more complete explanation of ethnic mobilisation.
• The 'sayyid' and 'mir' leadership models were based on patron-client relations, whereas the 'sheikh' introduced a more modern, hierarchical organisational mode that facilitated larger-scale solidarity.
• International support for the Afghan resistance was heavily skewed; Pakistan and Saudi Arabia primarily supported Sunni parties, effectively excluding Shi'ia Hazaras from major resources and political recognition.

APA

Harpviken, K. B. (1995). POLITICAL MOBILISATION AMONG THE HAZARA OF AFGHANISTAN, 1978–1992. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0fdc54f6-2fdc-472a-a00f-cc67989275d7/Political Mobilization among the Hazara of Afghanistan 1978-1992.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg. POLITICAL MOBILISATION AMONG THE HAZARA OF AFGHANISTAN, 1978–1992. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 1995. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0fdc54f6-2fdc-472a-a00f-cc67989275d7/Political Mobilization among the Hazara of Afghanistan 1978-1992.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |title=POLITICAL MOBILISATION AMONG THE HAZARA OF AFGHANISTAN, 1978–1992 |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=May 1995 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0fdc54f6-2fdc-472a-a00f-cc67989275d7/Political Mobilization among the Hazara of Afghanistan 1978-1992.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harpviken1995political, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg}, title = {{POLITICAL MOBILISATION AMONG THE HAZARA OF AFGHANISTAN, 1978–1992}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {1995}, month = may, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0fdc54f6-2fdc-472a-a00f-cc67989275d7/Political Mobilization among the Hazara of Afghanistan 1978-1992.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }