Taliban has hoisted its flag on Hazrat Ali mosque of Mazar I Sharif.

This mosque is especially venerated by Shia Hazaras of Afghanistan.

This development is of extreme significance in the light of history and has implications on the very definition of Afghanistan

Thread.

The Afghanistan we see on the map today was created by Afghan King Emir Abdur Rahman in 1900.

Before 1880, the entire central region of Afghanistan constituted a different country that was known by the name Hazaristan or Hazarajat

It was NOT considered a part of Afghanistan

That Afghanistan is nation of Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, etc is just a modern notion created 50 years ago.

Consider this Afghan idiom of the famous Pashtun poet Khushal Khattak(c. 1613 -1689 CE)

"An Afghan is a Pashtun and a Pashtun is an Afghan. Bεhead him who says otherwise"

Who are Hazaras?

Hazaras are considered by historians to be descendants of Genghis Khan's army.

This is supported by their Asiatic features.

Although a majority of Hazaras adopted Persian with their own Hazaragi dialect, some still speak a Turkic language known as "Moghul"

An overwhelming majority of Hazaras are Shia by faith, in contrast to their Sunni Pashtun neighbors.

Hazaras are distinct from other Afghans linguistically, culturally and ethnically.

Traditionally, they inhabited the entire central region of Afghanistan from Ghazni to Herat

The origins of Mizoram and the conflict in North East India:

Recently, 6 soldiers of Assam police were martyred defending territorial boundaries of Assam from Mizoram encroachers backed by Mizoram police.

This is a thread about Mizoram and the origin of this conflict

[Thread]

To be sure, Assam is not the only state Mizoram is at loggerheads with.

Mizoram also has conflicts with other states on its border.

Last year, Mizoram targeted a village on Tripura border because Hindus of the village planned to construct Shiva

For Mizoram, which does not celebrate "International Yoga Day" because Church considers Yoga "anti Christian", building a Hindu temple was too much.

Mizoram Government imposed section 144 because "a Hindu temple would disturb peace and

Here is a question:

Mizoram was earlier a district in Assam by name "Mizo hills"

When it started agitation for statehood, its population was 1.96 lakh.

Even today, Mizoram population is 10.91 lakhs.

How could a small district bully the nation to accept its separatist demand?

To attempt an answer, we delve into history. And history is shocking.

This region was ruled by Ahoms & then British.

But there is not a SINGLE mention of "Mizos" or "Mizoram" until 19th & early 20th century.

In-fact, it was officially known as "Lushai Hills" until 1952