Cohistani/Azarah-Azarajat-Reserch
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From Avestan Arəzahī to Gharjistan: The Deep Historical Continuity of the Azra People Abstract This article traces the historical continuity of the Azra people (historically known as Hazaras) from the Avestan land Arəzahī to the medieval region of Gharjistan (Gharjistan) in central Afghanistan. Through analysis of the Avesta, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Bayhaqi’s History, and a crucial 10th-century poem by the ruler of Gharjistan, this study demonstrates that the rulers of Gharjistan explicitly identified themselves as descendants of the epic heroes Sām, Gūdarz, and Gīv—lineages rooted in the Avesta. Furthermore, historical accounts from the Ghaznavid period confirm that the inhabitants of Gharjistan spoke a distinct language, requiring translators in their interactions with the Ghaznavid court. This linguistic and cultural continuity, combined with modern genetic evidence (haplogroup J2a1-Page55 at 13%), establishes the Azra people as the indigenous heirs of the Avestan land Arəzahī, identified with the central highlands of Afghanistan (Bamiyan, Daikundi, Gharjistan). --- 1. Introduction The Hazara people of central Afghanistan call themselves Azra (Āzrah) in their native dialect. This self-designation is the direct continuation of the Avestan Arəzahī, the eastern clime in the seven-fold division of the world (Karshvar), recorded in the Avesta (Yt. 10.15, Bundahišn 8.2) as the land where the sun first rises. The name evolved through Middle Persian Arzah into the modern Hazaragi pronunciation Āzrah. This article examines three independent lines of evidence that demonstrate the continuous presence of the Azra people in this land from the Avestan period (c. 1500–1000 BCE) through the medieval period (10th–11th century CE) to the present day: (1) the Avestan geographical references to Arəzahī, (2) Ferdowsi’s mention of Gharjistan in the Shahnameh, (3) the famous poem of the ruler of Gharjistan claiming descent from the epic heroes, and (4) Bayhaqi’s historical account of the Ghaznavid conquest of Gharjistan and the linguistic distinctness of its people. --- 2. The Avestan Land Arəzahī: The Eastern Clime In the Avesta, the world is divided into seven climes (Karshvar). The easternmost is Arəzahī, described as the land where the sun first rises (Yt. 10.15, Bundahišn 8.2). Modern scholarship, particularly the work of Professor Michael Witzel (Harvard University) and Professor Gherardo Gnoli, identifies this sacred geography with the central highlands of Afghanistan, specifically the region of Bamiyan and the Helmand River basin. Witzel (2000) states: “The Vīdẽvdaδ list obviously was composed or redacted by someone who regarded Afghanistan and the lands surrounding it as the home of all Aryans (airiia), that is of all (eastern) Iranians, with Airiianəm Vaẽjah as their center.” Gnoli (1980) places Airyanem Vaejah between the Helmand River and the Hindu Kush mountains. The Helmand River itself (Haētumant) is identified with the sacred Dāityā where Zoroaster received revelation. The region that today is called Hazarajat (Bamiyan, Daikundi, Ghor) is precisely this ancient sacred land. --- 3. Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh: The Land of Gharjistan Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (10th–11th century CE) contains explicit references to the region of Gharjistan (also spelled Gharčagān), which is the medieval name for the same central highlands of Afghanistan. In the famous letter of Pirān to Gūdarz, Ferdowsi lists the lands of Iran: از ایران به کوه اندر آید نخست در غرچگان از بر بوم بست “From Iran, the first to the mountains will come, to Gharčagān, from the land of Bost.” In another verse, Ferdowsi mentions the region alongside other great Iranian lands: چغانی و ختلی و بلخی ردان بخاری و از غرچگان موبدان “Chaghani, Khatlani, and the elders of Balkh, of Bukhara, and from Gharčagān the Mobeds.” These references establish that Gharjistan (the medieval name for the Hazarajat) was considered an integral part of the Iranian lands in the national epic. --- 4. The Poem of the Ruler of Gharjistan: Claiming Descent from the Heroes The most important evidence for the self-identity of the rulers of Gharjistan comes from a poem attributed to Barāzanda, a ruler of Gharjistan, composed in response to Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. This poem, preserved in historical sources, explicitly rejects identification with Turks, Arabs, or Afghans, and instead claims descent from the epic heroes of the Shahnameh. The poem reads: نه ترکم نه تازیک نه افغان نه دیو نشان دارم از سام و گودرز و گیو منم پور گرشاسپ آریان نژاد منم یادگاری ز هوشنگ راد Translation: “I am neither Turk, nor Tāzīk (Arab), nor Afghan, nor demon; I bear the sign of Sām, Gūdarz, and Gīv. I am the son of Garshāsp, of Aryan lineage, I am a remnant of the noble Hūšang.” This poem is a powerful declaration of identity. The ruler of Gharjistan does not align himself with the ethnic categories of his time (Turk, Arab, Afghan). Instead, he traces his lineage directly to the heroes of the Shahnameh: Sām (the grandfather of Rostam), Gūdarz (a great warrior from the house of Kāveh), Gīv (son of Gūdarz), Garshāsp (the ancestral hero, known in the Avesta as Kərəsāspa), and Hūšang (the first king of the Pishdadian dynasty). --- 5. The Heroes of the Shahnameh and Their Avestan Origins The heroes mentioned in the poem have deep roots in the Avesta: Name in Shahnameh Avestan Equivalent Role Garshāsp Kərəsāspa An ancient dragon-slayer from the Sāma family, mentioned in the Avesta (Yt. 5.61, 9.11, 15.28, 19.40) Sām Sāma The family name of Kərəsāspa; in the Avesta, Kərəsāspa is called “the strong man from the house of Sāma” (Yt. 19.40) Hūšang Haoshyangha The first king of the Pishdadian dynasty, who established justice on earth (Yt. 13.131, 19.26) Gūdarz – A major hero of the Shahnameh, descended from Kāveh the Blacksmith Gīv – Son of Gūdarz, father of Bīžan Thus, the ruler of Gharjistan is explicitly placing himself within the same heroic lineage that appears in the Avesta. This demonstrates a direct link from the Avestan period (1500–1000 BCE) to the medieval rulers of Gharjistan (10th–11th century CE). --- 6. Bayhaqi’s History: The Ghaznavids and the Translators The historian Abū l-Fażl Bayhaqi (11th century CE), in his famous History of the Ghaznavid Dynasty, provides crucial evidence for the linguistic distinctness of the people of Gharjistan. He recounts that Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, during his campaigns to subdue the region, needed translators to communicate with the inhabitants of Gharjistan. Bayhaqi explicitly states that Sultan Mahmud brought two interpreters from Gharjistan to facilitate communication. This indicates that the local language of Gharjistan was not the same as the Persian (Dari) spoken at the Ghaznavid court. This distinct local language was likely a form of Bactrian or another Eastern Iranian language, which, as argued elsewhere, is the ancestor of the modern Hazaragi (Āzragi) dialect. This historical account confirms that the people of Gharjistan maintained a distinct linguistic identity that required translation for communication with the Persian-speaking Ghaznavid administration. --- 7. The Ghaznavid Wars with Gharjistan Bayhaqi’s history also records the military campaigns of Sultan Mahmud against the rulers of Gharjistan. The region, with its mountainous terrain and fiercely independent local rulers (called Sharān, i.e., kings), resisted Ghaznavid control. The final conquest of Gharjistan occurred around 1015 CE, when the last Shār, named Abū Naṣr Muhammad, was captured and brought to Ghazni, where he died. These conflicts further emphasize the distinct political identity of Gharjistan, which maintained its autonomy against the powerful Ghaznavid empire. --- 8. Genetic Evidence: Haplogroup J2a1‑Page55 Modern genetic studies provide independent support for the deep continuity of the population in this region. Di Cristofaro et al. (2013) found that the Neolithic Iranian farmer marker J2a1‑Page55 is present in 13% of the Hazara of the Hindu Kush. This is the second-highest frequency in the region after Iran (23%), and is significantly higher than in Pashtuns (3%). The total J2 (J‑M172) in Hazaras is 26.6% (Haber et al. 2012). This genetic evidence confirms that the core population of the Hazara (Azra) people is connected to the Neolithic farmers of the Iranian plateau, the same people who built the Helmand Civilization (3300–2350 BCE) and who inhabited the Avestan land Arəzahī. --- 9. Continuity of the Name Azra (Āzrah) The self-designation Azra (Āzrah) is the modern continuation of the Avestan Arəzahī. The name evolved as follows: Period Language Form Source c. 1500–1000 BCE Avestan Arəzahī Avesta (Yt. 10.15) c. 200–600 CE Middle Persian Arzah Bundahišn, Mēnōg ī Xrad 7th century CE Chinese transcription Ho-sa-lo Xuanzang’s Great Tang Records 2nd century CE Greek transcription Ozala Ptolemy’s Geography Present Hazaragi Āzrah [ʔäɾ.zɔː] Wiktionary / kaikki.org This unbroken chain of attestation over 3500 years demonstrates the continuous presence of the Azra people in their homeland. --- 10. Conclusion The evidence from the Avesta, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Bayhaqi’s History, and modern genetics converges to demonstrate the deep historical continuity of the Azra people: 1. Avestan Period (1500–1000 BCE): The land Arəzahī (eastern clime) is identified with the central highlands of Afghanistan (Bamiyan, Daikundi, Gharjistan). The Helmand River (Haētumant) is the sacred Dāityā where Zoroaster received revelation. 2. Medieval Period (10th–11th century CE): The region is known as Gharjistan in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and is described as an integral part of Iran. The rulers of Gharjistan, in a poem, explicitly identify themselves as descendants of the epic heroes Sām, Gūdarz, Gīv, and Garshāsp—lineages rooted in the Avesta. They reject identification with Turks, Arabs, or Afghans. 3. Ghaznavid Period (11th century CE): Bayhaqi records the Ghaznavid conquest of Gharjistan, noting that the inhabitants spoke a distinct language requiring translators. This demonstrates the linguistic distinctness of the region. 4. Modern Period: The Hazara people call themselves Azra (Āzrah), the direct continuation of the Avestan Arəzahī. Genetic evidence (haplogroup J2a1‑Page55 at 13%) confirms their deep indigenous roots in this land. Thus, the Azra people (historically known as Hazaras) are not recent migrants but the indigenous heirs of the Avestan land Arəzahī, which they have continuously inhabited for over 3500 years. The rulers of Gharjistan in the 10th–11th centuries, as evidenced by their own poetry and Bayhaqi’s history, were their direct ancestors, maintaining a distinct linguistic and cultural identity that survives to the present day. --- References · Bayhaqi, Abū l-Fażl. Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī. 11th century CE. · Di Cristofaro, J., et al. (2013). Afghan Hindu Kush: Where Eurasian Sub‑Continent Gene Flows Converge. PLoS ONE 8(10): e76748. · Ferdowsi, Abū l-Qāsim. Shahnameh. 10th–11th century CE. · Gnoli, G. (1980). Zoroaster’s Time and Homeland. Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale. · Haber, M., et al. (2012). Afghanistan’s Ethnic Groups Share a Y‑Chromosomal Heritage Structured by Historical Events. PLoS ONE 7(3): e34288. · Henning, W. B. (1940). Sogdica. London: James G. Forlong Fund. · Morgan, L. (2012). The Buddhas of Bamiyan. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. · Tafażżolī, A. (1992). “CLIME”. Encyclopædia Iranica, Vol. V, Fasc. 6, pp. 616–617. · Witzel, M. (2000). “The Home of the Aryans”. In Anusantatyai: Festschrift für Johanna Narten, Dettelbach: J.H. Roell. · Xuanzang (7th century). Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.
