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thesanamposts · 1 year

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Afghanistan- A Wonderful nation and a Historical Heritage

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in South Asia, bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan to the north, and China to the northeast. Its capital and largest city is Kabul. Afghanistan has a variety of ethnic groups, including Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and others. The official languages of Afghanistan are Dari and Pashto, although there are many other languages and dialects spoken throughout the country. The country has a rich cultural heritage, with many historical sites, monuments, and artifacts dating back thousands of years. The country is also known for its traditional music, art, and literature.

Despite its cultural and historical significance, Afghanistan has faced significant challenges over the past several decades, including ongoing conflict and violence, political instability, poverty, and a lack of basic services and infrastructure. The country has been the focus of international attention and aid efforts aimed at promoting stability, development, and human rights.

History

Afghanistan has a long and complex history dating back to ancient times. The region has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic period, and various empires and civilizations have risen and fallen in the area throughout the centuries. The Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered the region in the 6th century BCE. In the 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great conquered the area, which eventually led to the rise of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom in the 3rd century BCE. Arab armies conquered the region in the 7th century CE and Islam became the dominant religion. The region was ruled by various Islamic dynasties and empires, including the Ghaznavids, the Ghorids, and the Mughals.

The British Empire invaded and occupied Afghanistan in the 19th century in order to protect its interests in the region, and Afghanistan became a buffer state between the British Empire and the Russian Empire. In 1919, Afghanistan gained independence from British colonial rule and established a monarchy. The country remained relatively stable until 1978 when a coup led by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew the monarchy and established a communist government. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to support the new communist government, leading to a long and devastating war that lasted until 1989. After the withdrawal of Soviet forces, Afghanistan was plunged into a period of civil war, with various factions vying for control.

The Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic militia, took control of Kabul in 1996 and established a harsh regime that imposed strict Islamic law. The Taliban harbored and supported Al-Qaeda, which was responsible for the September 11th attacks in the United States in 2001. In response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States launched a military campaign against the Taliban, and with the help of allied forces, overthrew the Taliban government. Since then, Afghanistan has been in a state of conflict and instability, with ongoing violence and again it was captured by the Taliban government in 2021.

Kabul

Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan located in the eastern part of the country, at an elevation of 1,800 meters above sea level, in the Kabul River valley. The city has a long and complex history, with evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 3,000 years. Kabul is home to a number of cultural and historical landmarks, including the historic Babur Gardens, the National Museum of Afghanistan, and the Kabul Zoo. The city is also known for its vibrant markets and bazaars, where visitors can find traditional Afghan handicrafts, clothing, and other goods.

Also read- Geotourism around the Tajmahal, India-A Dream destination

Parvan

Parwan or Parvan is a province located in the eastern part of Afghanistan, just north of the capital city of Kabul. It is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is known for its beautiful mountainous terrain, including the Hindu Kush and Koh-e-Baba mountain ranges. The Salang Pass, a high mountain pass that connects the northern and southern parts of the country, runs through the province.

The provincial capital of Parwan is Charikar, which is located on the Kabul River and is home to a number of historic sites and cultural landmarks. These include the ancient city of Bagram, which was an important center of Buddhist culture and trade in ancient times, and the famous Takht-e-Rostam, a large hill with ancient caves and rock carvings. Parwan is also home to several important military installations, including the Bagram Air Base, which is one of the largest military bases in Afghanistan and has been used by both US and Afghan military forces.

Nangarhar

Nangarhar is a province located in eastern Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan to the east. The capital of Nangarhar is Jalalabad, which is located in the eastern part of the province and is one of the largest cities in Afghanistan. The city is an important center of trade and commerce, with a thriving market and a number of manufacturing industries. Nangarhar is known for its scenic beauty, with a diverse landscape that includes mountains, valleys, and fertile agricultural land. The province is also home to a number of important cultural and historical landmarks, including the ancient city of Hadda, which was an important center of Buddhist culture in the 2nd century AD, and the famous Tora Bora caves.

Balkh

Balkh or Balkh province is located in northern Afghanistan, bordering Uzbekistan to the north. The provincial capital of Balkh is Mazar-e-Sharif, which is the fourth-largest city in Afghanistan and an important center of commerce, trade, and industry. The city is known for its beautiful blue-tiled mosques, including the famous Blue Mosque, which is one of the most important cultural and historical landmarks in the country.

Balkh province is known for its rich history and culture, with evidence of human habitation in the area dating back over 5,000 years. The ancient city of Balkh was an important center of civilization and trade along the Silk Road and is said to have been home to the famous poet and philosopher Rumi. Balkh province is also known for its fertile agricultural land, with crops including wheat, rice, cotton, and fruit trees. It is home to a number of natural resources, including copper, coal, and natural gas.

Bamyan

Bamyan or Bamiyan is a province located in central Afghanistan. The capital of Bamyan is also called Bamyan, which is a small town nestled in a valley in the central highlands of Afghanistan. The town is famous for its ancient Buddhist statues, which were carved into the cliffs of the Bamyan valley in the 6th century AD. The largest of these statues, known as the Buddhas of Bamyan, is a cultural and historical landmark in the region.

Bamyan is known for its stunning natural beauty, with a landscape that includes snow-capped mountains, valleys, and lakes. The Band-e-Amir National Park, which is located in the province, is the first national park in Afghanistan and is known for its beautiful lakes and waterfalls. Bamyan is also an important center of agriculture, with crops including wheat, barley, and potatoes. The province is home to a number of natural resources, including precious and semi-precious stones, such as lapis lazuli, which have been mined in the region for centuries.

Badakhshan

Badakhshan is a province located in northeastern Afghanistan, bordering Tajikistan to the north and China to the east. The capital of Badakhshan is Fayzabad, which is a historic city with a strategic location on the Silk Road. The city is known for its ancient citadel, which was built in the 12th century, as well as its bazaar, which is an important center of commerce and trade in the region. Badakhshan is known for its stunning natural beauty, with a landscape that includes towering mountains, deep valleys, and rushing rivers.

The province is home to the Pamir Mountains, which are part of the Himalayan range and contain some of the highest peaks in the world. The economy of Badakhshan is primarily based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The province is also known for its precious stones, including lapis lazuli, which has been mined in the region for thousands of years.

Herat

Herat is a province located in western Afghanistan, bordering Iran to the west. The capital of Herat is also called Herat, which is a historic city with a rich cultural and architectural heritage. The city was an important center of trade and commerce in the region due to its location on the Silk road. It is known for its stunning historical landmarks, including the Citadel of Herat, the Friday Mosque, and the Mausoleum of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari. Herat is known for its rich and diverse culture, with a mix of ethnic groups and languages, including Pashto, Dari, and Turkmen. The province is home to a number of traditional crafts and industries, including carpet weaving, pottery, and jewelry-making. The economy of Herat is primarily based on agriculture, with crops including wheat, cotton, and fruits such as pomegranates and grapes.

Ghazni

Ghazni is a province located in central Afghanistan, approximately 150 kilometers south of Kabul. The capital of Ghazni is also called Ghazni, which is a historic city with a rich cultural and architectural heritage. It is known for its stunning historical landmarks, including the Ghazni Citadel, the Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud, and the Minaret of Ghazni. Ghazni is known for its rich and diverse culture, with a mix of ethnic groups and languages, including Pashto and Dari. The province is home to a number of traditional crafts and industries, including carpet weaving, pottery, and jewelry-making. The economy of Ghazni is primarily based on agriculture, mainly on fruits such as pomegranates and apricots. The province is also home to a number of natural resources, including coal and marble.

Panjshir

Panjshir is a province located in northeastern Afghanistan, approximately 150 kilometers north of Kabul. The capital of Panjshir is Bazarak, which is a small town located in a valley surrounded by towering mountains. The valley is known for its natural beauty, with a landscape that includes forests, rivers, and waterfalls. The region is also known for its historical and cultural significance, with evidence of human habitation in the area dating back to ancient times. Panjshir is also known for its strategic location, as it is situated in a narrow valley that has been historically difficult to conquer. The economy of Panjshir is primarily agricultural. The province is also home to a number of natural resources, including emeralds and other precious stones.

Things to do in Afghanistan

Due to conflict and security concerns, travel to Afghanistan is not recommended for tourists or casual visitors. The safety of both locals and foreigners in Afghanistan is a major concern. However, for those who do live in Afghanistan or are visiting for specific purposes, there are several cultural and historical sites that may be of interest. These include:

The Buddhas of Bamiyan- Located in the Bamiyan Valley, these ancient statues of Buddha were carved into the cliffs over 1,500 years ago. Despite being largely destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, the site remains an important historical and cultural landmark.

The National Museum of Afghanistan-Located in Kabul, this museum houses a collection of artifacts from Afghanistan's rich history, including ancient pottery, jewelry, and coins.

Kabul Zoo- Although small and in need of maintenance, the Kabul Zoo is one of the few public attractions in the city and features a variety of animals, including lions, monkeys, and birds.

Gardens of Babur- These beautiful gardens were laid out in the 16th century and are a peaceful oasis in the midst of the chaotic city of Kabul.

Afghan National Gallery of Fine Arts- This art gallery in Kabul showcases a variety of Afghan artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and calligraphy.

How to reach Afghanistan

There are a few different ways to reach Afghanistan, depending on where you are coming from and what mode of transportation you prefer. Most international visitors to Afghanistan arrive at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is located in the capital city of Kabul. There are direct flights to Kabul from a number of international cities, including Dubai, Istanbul, and Delhi. Afghanistan shares borders with several countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. If you are traveling overland, you can enter Afghanistan at one of these border crossings.

#afghanistan

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w2qw · 2 years

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Strikes Hit Russian Border Region, a Key Staging Ground for Troops - T..

Strikes Hit Russian Border Region, a Key Staging Ground for Troops - T.. Strikes Hit Russian Border Region, a Key Staging Ground for Troops The New York TimesDushanbe Probes Reports That Tajik Nationals Were Involved In Deadly Russia Shooting Radio Free Europe / Radio LibertyRussian army volunteers killed as Ukrainians return to their homes | DW New.. . . . . . . . .

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steadhammond · 2 years

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Strikes Hit Russian Border Region, a Key Staging Ground for Troops - The New York Times

* Strikes Hit Russian Border Region, a Key Staging Ground for Troops The New York Times * Dushanbe Probes Reports That Tajik Nationals Were Involved In Deadly Russia Shooting Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty * Russian army volunteers killed as Ukrainians return to their homes | DW News DW News * Russia labels deadly training ground shooting as terrorism Axios * Russia takes blows as many Ukrainians struggle to survive Reuters

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tezlivenews · 3 years

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Russia Taliban Relations: तालिबान पर दोतरफा गेम खेल रहा रूस? बोला- घुसपैठ हुई तो तजाकिस्तान की रक्षा के लिए हम तैयार

हाइलाइट्स रूस ने तजाकिस्तान में घुसपैठ को लेकर तालिबान को दी इशारों-इशारों में चेतावनी तजाकिस्तान की रक्षा की जिम्मेदारी लिए हुए है रूस रूस का विदेश में सबसे बड़ा सैन्य तजाकिस्तान में ही स्थित है मॉस्कोतालिबान के साथ दोस्ती का हाथ बढ़ा रहे रूस ने इशारों-इशारों में चेतावनी भी दे डाली है। रूस ने कहा है कि अगर अफगानिस्तान से तजाकिस्तान में घुसपैठ हुई तो वह हर कीमत पर रक्षा करेगा। दो दिन पहले ही…

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#Incursion from Afghanistan in Tajikistan #Is Tajikistan ex Soviet #Is Tajikistan in Russia #Latest Rest of Europe News #Rest of Europe Headlines #Rest of Europe News #Rest of Europe News in Hindi #Russia reinforce Tajikistan Army #Russia Tajikistan Relations #russia taliban relations #Russian Army in Tajikistan #Tajik militant group incursion into Tajikistan #तजाकिस्तान में रूसी सेना #बाकी यूरोप Samachar #रूस तजाकिस्तान संबंध

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libertariantaoist · 3 years

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On COI #158, Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter update the aftermath of a US drone strike in Kabul that killed at least 10 Afghan civilians, most of them children. While the Pentagon claims it struck a car carrying Islamic State explosives, and that secondary blasts caused the civilian deaths, victims’ family members are disputing that version of events. Kyle and Will explain that this is not the first time the US military blamed “secondary explosions” for non-combatant casualties in American strikes.

Will also updates the situation in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley, where Tajik warlord Ahmad Massoud is attempting to rally anti-Taliban fighters and remnants of the defunct Afghan National Army under the banner of a newly created National Resistance Front (NRF). Panjshir is historically a bastion of anti-Taliban forces, and was one of the few regions the militant group was unable to fully pacify during its previous stint ruling the country in the 1990s.

Several cops and paramedics involved in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain – the 23-year-old murdered in the custody of police in Aurora, Colorado – have been indicted, including charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Kyle discusses the Biden administration’s recent commitment to hand Ukraine more than $60 million in military aid, specifically designed to confront so-called “Russian aggression.” Will and Kyle argue that no amount of Javelin missiles and “non-lethal aid” could repel a Russian potential invasion of Ukraine – a prospect that exists only in hawks’ fevered imaginations to begin with – and that such “security assistance” is a windfall for arms dealers like Lockheed Martin.

Video/Audio Links Here

#kyle anzalone #will porter #libertarian institute #conflicts of interest

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orthodoxcrusader729 · 3 years

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Freelastania, a nation who won it’s independence from the knetz. A nation that is 2 miles away from Trenchnya, and borders Frenchnya, Toskov, Kekistan, and Greenlastania. During the war of independence, people from different ethnicities mainly from Christian Tajiks, Chechens, Azeris, and Russian and German Kazakhs, Bolivian Serbs, Polish and Bosnian Orthodox, and Baltic Orthodox people, Karelians, Spanish, Levantines, Sorbs, Slovaks, Gagauz and White Trinidadians whose ancestors settled in Freelastania. They only started to take arms when knetz started persecuting Orthodox and Eastern Catholic christians. Freelastanians received a lot of surplus from Russia, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Poland. Soldiers seem to wear different uniforms, and helmets. Some worn steel helmets, others wore kevlar helmets. But, all their clothes are baggy since Freelastania is a cold place. One Japanese and Kazakh Orthodox Christians volunteered during the war against Knetz. Freelastanian Forces were backed by the Kestrel Army, East Casmanian Special forces commandos, South Tropentarctican Army. Eagle Federation sent troops to Freelastania to backed the Freedom fighters. In 2025, the war ended in victory, when the last Knet stronghold was captured by East Casmanian and Freelastanian troops. Knet POWs were later released, and sent back to Korea.

City of Narkansas was one of the cities with mix architectures. Soviet style buildings, with New York styles Apartments, street vendors like in Asia, colorful streets like Japan’s and Korea’s. Narkansas are one of the cities with no conflicts, and the city provides free foods and free gadgets at schools. Many Japanese and Korean students comes to Narkansas for education. Because, it’s affordable, and the city is more successful than the US. East Casmania alongside Casmania, Southern Union, Northern Republic, and the Confederacy.

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cincinnatusvirtue · 4 years

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The First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842): Britain’s Great Game ends up meeting a dead end...

The region of Afghanistan has a long and varied history, one that is rugged like its topography of many mountain ranges, valleys and deserts. Its mix of barren wastes, snowy caps and forested patches of oasis. Its history has placed it at the crossroads of the geopolitical focus over the centuries. The focus of empires and of trade, often trying to assert its own path in history but so often a focal point of foreign ambition. As always to appreciate the modern we need to go back to earlier times.

Early History:

-Afghanistan is a patchwork of peoples, a testament to its status as a crossroads of empires over the ages. Primarily it sits in the eastern end of the ethnolinguistic region of Iranian peoples, a mix of ethno linguistically related but diverse groups of peoples from Persians (Farsi), Kurds, Ossetians, Baloch to Pashtun and Tajik among others. The latter two being the primary groups found in Afghanistan today, along with smaller Iranian groups like the Hazara & Baloch. Others include the Turkic Uzbek and Turkmens and a small number of Arabs.

-In ancient times Afghanistan was home to Iranian groups known as Bactrians & Sogdians who inhabited portions of the country. These peoples were incorporated into their fellow Iranians sphere of influence, the first Persian or Achaemenid Empire. This empire stretched from the Indus Valley in the East (modern Pakistan/India) to Greece and the Balkans in the West. Members of these groups served in the Persian Empire’s army but maintained their own traditions too. It is widely believed that the religion of the Persian Empire and of most Iranians in this time was Zoroastrianism, founded by Zoroaster in the region of Balkh in North Central Afghanistan. This religion would serve in some ways as an influence on the monotheistic Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity & Islam later on history.

-During Alexander the Great’s march to conquer the Persian Empire, having defeated the Persians in three major battles and taken the western half of their empire, he sought to conquer the eastern half too which took him into the modern region of Afghanistan. The Macedonian armies under Alexander founded new cities here and brought forth Greek culture which began to merge with the local religion and culture. This Hellenistic culture spread as far as India as with Greek paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism all mixing in the same cities as times. In the wake of Alexander’s death, his empire which essentially replaced the Persian Empire had no set structure of succession and quickly dissolved into portions going to his various generals. The largest expanse of which was the Seleucid Empire which spanned the whole of the Iranian plateau to India and to the Levant, this included Afghanistan. The region underwent many changes with portions being given to the Indian superpower of the day, the Mauryan Empire and later a successful uprising against the Seleucids, forming the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom which found itself at war with the Parthian Empire, a resurgent Iranian Empire which swept away the remnants of Seleucid Greek rule. These wars left Afghanistan open to nomadic invasions, namely from the nomadic branch of Iranians from the Eurasian steppe, coming in different waves. The Yuezhi and Scythians, the Scythians would later establish a kingdom that controlled portions of the region, the Indo-Scythian Kingdom as did the Yuezhi which became the Kushan Empire. Eventually this gave way to the second Persian Empire or Sassanid Empire which took over the region.

-All the while this region sat along the Silk Road spanning from the eastern reaches of the Roman Empire in the West to the Han Chinese in the East. Goods and peoples of different backgrounds travelled through the region, most just passing through but they all shared their influence, establishing Afghanistan as an important crossroads of commerce and not just conquest. Additionally, ancient sources attest to portions of Afghanistan, namely the region around the city of Herat being a major source of grain due to fertile farmlands in Central Asia as well as supplying vineyards of grapes for winemaking in the Persian world.

-In terms of religion, Afghanistan reflected the many changes of its many ruling peoples religions remaining a hub of Buddhism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism along with lingering elements of Greek culture. This would change with the eventual downfall of the Sassanids in the 7th Century AD to the Islamic Caliphates and their gradual expansion over the Iranian plateau. Overtime Islam began to gradually take hold as the religion over the area but it was still set side by side with numerous other faiths and lived in relative tolerance to the other faiths. Eventually the Ghaznavid and Ghurid & Khwarazmian dynasties ruled over the area, a mix of Iranian and Turkic peoples who gradually made Islam the unifying religion of the region by the Middle Ages.

-The Mongols would invade and devastate the region in the 13th century. The devastation was so complete that the many settled cities were ruined, forcing the peoples of Afghanistan back into rural agrarian societies, something which has not been fully removed from the majority of Afghan society today. Overtime the peoples of Afghanistan, a region long noted for its literary, especially Islamic poetic contributions and had been a hotbed crossroads of cultural interfacing, was now reverted to an mostly tribal agrarian society once more. With some centers of learning gone forever Its peoples divided along ethnolinguistic grounds and into clans from there.

-There was somewhat a renaissance in the ages with the Turco-Mongol ruler, Timur and his empire ruled with new additions to architecture and culture contributed to the region but this was short lived. Meanwhile, a descendant of Timur named Babur would base himself in Afghanistan before launching an invasion of India and upon overtaking the Sultanate of Delhi, became the founder and ruler of the new Mughal Empire, the Islamic superpower that was to overrun much of India and dominate the subcontinent and beyond in the coming two centuries.

-Meanwhile, Afghanistan once more found itself on the fringe of an Iranian power, half the country at max was under the control of the Safavid Empire, a Kurdish dynasty that took power in Persia and expanded to reclaim historical “Persian” lands. Indeed the Persian (Farsi) language was regarded as the lingua franca of the region for centuries and was the language of the learned and most educated in the Islamic world as a whole, whereas Arabic was for mostly religious celebration. Persian was the language of government and the arts.

-Safavid rule was tenuous at best and their primary focus was facing the Turkish Ottomans to the west, leaving much of Afghanistan to de-facto local rule. Here the tribal societies that have dominated Afghanistan to the modern era, in part a result of the resumption of rural life after the Mongol destruction of the major cities held sway, with tribal leaders functioning as more or less warlords among the Pashtun and Tajik peoples and their various clans among others ruled over certain sections of the country. Only Islam united them in their differences. Much time was spent raiding and fighting each other, along with the few travelers who ventured into this increasingly isolated and remote portion of the world.

-The Hotak dynasty of Pashtuns had a hand in the downfall of the Safavids which was increasingly corrupted and weakened by intrigue at the royal court. In the wake of this, a Turco-Persianate ruler named Nader Shah took the reins in Persia and put down the Hotaks before setting up his own short lived Persian Empire, known as the Afsharid dynasty which pillaged the Mughals in India and defeated the Ottomans several times before Nader Shah was killed and his successors failed to maintain control. In Afghanistan, another Pashtun dynasty, the Durrani took power in the middle 18th century.

-The Durrani would for the first time in the modern age have a local Afghan power base that expanded beyond the borders of Afghanistan with any longer lasting impact. These mostly Pashtun peoples supported by some Persians invaded and controlled portions of India, defeating the Hindu superpower, the Maratha Empire at the peak of their powers at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. However the Durrani dynasty and its Emirate of Afghanistan, was weakened through ongoing external and internal pressures, military defeats from the Qajar dynasty in Persia and the new Sikh Empire in the Indian Punjab put closed in their borders. Eventually, internal conflict led to the fall of the Durrani dynasty with one its Emirs (leader), Shuja Shah going into exile in India hoping to return to rule. By 1823 the country had fractured into many smaller entities with civil war taking place until by 1837 Dost Mohammed Khan, founder of the Barakzai dynasty took power as Emir and reunited the country...

The Great Game:

-The exile of Shuja Shah and rise of the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan after much civil war by the end of the 1830′s was the state into which Afghanistan again entered wider geopolitics. Namely amidst the geopolitical struggle between the British and Russian Empires. Called the Great Game by the British as Tournament of Shadows by the Russians, this rivalry for geopolitical and economic influence was a likened to a game of chess whereby each power vied for influence, mostly through proxies, a precursor to the Cold War of the 20th Century between the US and USSR. Afghanistan it was hoped by both Empires would be one of those proxies.

-The British since the 16th and 17th centuries had pushed to become a naval power as well and felt that international commerce was the way to expand their economic and political power. Along with the Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch they all took an interest in naval power and setting up colonies in other parts of the world. In Asia, the Indian subcontinent became their primary focus. It was rich in resources such as tradable goods like cotton, silks, spices, jewels, salt, opium, various minerals and other commodities. It was also a vital link in the idea of a global empire in protecting commerce links on the way to Indonesia and China. Denying their main rival, France, influence in India was of high importance and by the mid 18th century, they became the unrivalled European power defeating the French at the Battle of Plassey during the Seven Years War. India was not united in any meaningful fashion at the time locally with various empires, kingdoms and principalities fighting locally over this vast area. They were divided by various ethnicities, religions and the usual drives of personal power and wealth. Due to this division, the Europeans who first established small trading factories gradually could expand their power to the interior of India and through mutual alliances of convenience between them and their local Indian trading partners they could compete with other Europeans. For some Indians, the European powers were initially more to their benefit, their presence was small but their weapons and military advantages were far superior giving them a strategic advantage over their opponents. In time, this power dynamic changed as the Indians had to continually grant the Europeans more power, namely the British who routinely defeated the Indians and began ceding more territory to them. Also the British’s vast wealth could now employ Indians against other Indian powers. Especially after France’s defeat at Plassey, no other Europeans seriously threatened the British interests. Britain’s East India Company, a joint-stock venture given great autonomy in the name of the British Crown had its own military, its own military officers school and total monopolies over half the world’s trade at one point.

-The British East India Company’ army had British officers, mostly Indian rank and file soldiers called sepoys and occasional regular British army regiments to complement it in its venture to conquer the whole of India by any means necessary. The East India Company also known as the Company had since the 17th century established a number of trading posts, most importantly Calcutta which was the capital of Bengal in the eastern portion of the country. This was decisively established after defeating the French and remnants of the crumbling Mughal Empire which they supported and which had declined since the 18th century due to the rising power of the Maratha Empire, India’s last great Hindu superpower before the British era.

-Britain focused their efforts of conquest on south India, first defeating after much initial difficulty the Kingdom of Mysore, run by Tipu Sultan. Later, battling the Maratha Empire which had piqued by the mid 18th century. Following their defeat by the Afghan Durrani Empire at the Third Battle of Panipat, the Maratha started a gradual decentralization that led to civil war, the Company got involved trying to place their preferred candidates in power in the Maratha hierarchy. The first war saw a British defeat but by the early 19th century, the British with Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, fought a second war, defeating the Marathas at Assaye from which they gained territory. They finished off the Marathas in 1818 and had by then essentially absorbed the whole of India with exception of the Punjab where the Sikh Empire had arisen under Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the end of the 18th century and grew in power in the first decades of the 19th century. The Sikhs had thrown off the last remnants of the Mughals in their realm and then pushed out the Afghans on their borders too.

-The Sikh Empire like many Indian powers used foreign mercenaries and officers from Europe & America to join their ranks, supply them with European and American style military training doctrine and supply them with the latest in military technology which far surpassed anything made in India at the time. The Sikh army was quite strong and had French officers providing most of the training, the Company’s default position was to make an alliance with them. The Sikh’s had troubles with Afghanistan, namely over the city of Peshawar and the Khyber Pass.

-The Russians for their part had expanded from Russia over the whole of Siberia towards the Pacific, this process had begun in the late 1500’s and was completed by the end of the 17th century. Leading to Russian exploration and colonization in Alaska and elsewhere in the Pacific during the 18th century.

-Russian expansion into Central Asia was in part a result of their off and on conflicts with the Ottomans and Persians in the past. By the second decade of the 19th century with the threat of Napoleonic France gone, their attention turned to maintaining a balance of power in Europe and a free rein in Central Asia. The threat to their influence as they saw it was Britain, which Russian tsars, namely Nicholas I, viewed with suspicion as far too “liberal” for their belief in absolute monarchy and conservative values. The British in turn were suspicious of Russian threats to their geopolitical spheres, namely gaining too much power at the expense of the Ottoman Empire or more directly to British India which was after the American Revolution to become the crown jewel in their global empire.

-The Russians gradually defeated the various Islamic emirates in Central Asia, taking over modern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The process was drawn out over several decades but through military conquest by the late 19th century would be achieved. It was as this Russian encroachment neared Afghanistan, that alarm amongst the British in India began to be raised…

The British Misinterpret Everything:

-Britain’s government and the East India Company misinterpreted the Russian view of events. It is true Russia sought to expand its influence but the British interpreted the expansion into Central Asia as meaning only one thing, eventual invasion and conquest of British India. Only Tsar Paul I in 1800 seriously pressed for an invasion of British India but he was assassinated and the plans for invasion never thought of as a practical reality by most in Russia’s military were cancelled. The Russians did want increased political influence in the area but even the most conservative of Russian tsars always believed a reproach with Britain could be obtained.

-The British also saw civil war in Afghanistan as well as the strength of the Sikh Empire as threats to their border and greater sphere of influence in India. The conflict between the Sikhs and Afghans meant they had to choose sides, they couldn’t be an alliance with both. Precisely, because of this conflict and the greater specter of Russian influence did Britain find itself on a course for war.

-In Afghanistan, the British and Russians had spies and intelligence agents acting as emissaries. The British had Scotsman Alexander Burnes, who joined the British East India Company. Burnes was stationed in Kabul and in turn his presence spurred the Russians to counter with their own envoy, the Polish-Lithuanian born Jan Prosper Witkiewicz. Both British and Russian envoys hoped to make an alliance with Afghanistan’s emir, Dost Mohammad Khan against the other. The emir for his part sought to regain Peshawar, recently lost to the Sikhs. This, however put the British in an awkward position, Company controlled India bordered the Sikh Empire and both sides had a mutual if tense respect for one another. The Sikh Empire was the last major independent kingdom of India outside of British rule and while Britain sought to eventually neutralize it, now was not the time. Furthermore, the Sikhs had a large standing army, with European doctrine, modern weapons and European officers who could pose a threat to British India, a threat they saw as greater than Afghanistan. Afghanistan had no formal army, only tribal men with tribal loyalties but nominally served their overlord the emir in times of national defense.

-Dost Mohammed Khan wasn’t enthused about the Russians to begin with but he believed the entertaining of an alliance might force the British to offer their alliance. Instead, given the British calculations of realizing they couldn’t support the Afghans over the more powerful Sikhs but also couldn’t abide the possibility of s Russian allied Afghanistan, moved closer to a casus belli for war.

-Burnes was apparently distraught at the arrival of the Russian envoy in 1836-1837, he wrote panicked reports. The Russians in turn reported on British maneuvers in Kabul. The British governor-general of India, Lord Auckland sent what amounted to a cease and desist letter to Dost Mohammed Khan. The letter was very demanding of Khan, ordering him to not negotiate with the Russians or even receive them as envoys. Khan was angered by this but wanted to avoid war. He had his own advisor, an American named Josiah Harlan talk to Burnes. Burnes argued he could only report on matters not make policy directly himself, Harlan saw this as merely stalling on his part and on his advice Khan expelled the British mission.

-Lord Auckland was now determined to force Afghanistan to submit to British demands. Furthemore, Russia and Afghanistan couldn’t come to a deal and their mission too broke down. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s major western city, Herat was besieged by Qajar Persia with Russian material support. Fearful the Russians might use this as a pretext to invade Afghanistan proper, Auckland would in turn use it as a pretext to restore “order” in Afghanistan.

-Auckland reached a reproach with Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Maharaja. His goal was to fend off the Persians and their Russian support. He would also depose Dost Mohammed Khan as emir, seeing him as too unfriendly to British interests by his earlier negotiations with the Russians, as well his conflict with the Sikhs, who the British treated as a nominal ally at the time. His plan included placing the former Durrani emir, Shuja Shah on the throne once more. Shah had lived in exile in British india since 1818 and had been deposed in 1809. In the three decades since he last reigned, he was hardly remembered by anyone, aside from those who remembered his cruelty that had led to his deposition in the first place. Shah had been given a Company pension and comfortable living in exile, considered a useful pawn in British geopolitics, he in turn was willing to ally with anyone who would support his restoration to the throne. Auckland was led to believe that Shah was actually popular and that the instability in Afghanistan meant Khan was unpopular himself, the inverse turned out to be the case...

The First-Anglo-Afghan War:

-By October 1838, Auckland sent the so called Simla Declaration which resolved the British and the Sikhs to march in Afghanistan and restore Shuja Shah to the throne on the grounds that Dost Mohammed Khan was unpopular, had lead to instability within the country, was a threat to the Sikhs and British by extension and given rise to the prospect of foreign (Russian) interference.

-In Punjab, Lord Auckland and Ranjit Singh held a grand parade of the so-called Grand Army of the Indus which would march in Afghanistan jointly to bring “order”. Two things happened in the interim. The Persian siege of Herat was called off and the Russian tsar had recalled his envoy altogether. The British pretexts for war ended before war began. Auckland and others heading the Company’s policy in India however were deadset to commit to a military operation, believing Afghanistan essentially needed to be put in its place, meaning it needed a British backed ruler who would amount to a puppet and could put British interests in the region first.

-December 1838 saw the British East India Company’s 21,000 strong army set out for Afghanistan. Composed of British and Indian troops (mostly rank and file Indians and British officers) along with nearly 40,000 Indian camp followers, Indian servants, families and even prostitutes following too. Ranjit Singh in the end backed out of the plan, not sending any troops to aid in Afghanistan.

-The British trek took months to cross the snowy Hindu Kush mountains. Finally they reached the area near Kandahar in April 1839. From there they waited two months until better conditions in the summer to march to Kabul. The British found themselves having to besiege the fortress-city of Ghazni in July. Eventually upon destroying a weakened gate, they breached the city and after much fighting captured the city.

-Khan upon hearing of Ghazni’s fall, offered a surrender to the British, he was replied with removal of his position on the throne to a life of exile in India, this was unacceptable, so the march to Kabul continued, though Ghazni remained occupied.

-A battle took place outside of Kabul which forced Dost Mohammed Khan to flee the city, the British entered and Shuja Shah was placed on the throne. The war was seemingly at end, the main objective achieved, Khan’s removal and Shah placed on the throne. Most of the British Indian force returned to India, leaving some 8,000 to occupy Afghanistan in various places from Kandahar to Kabul.

-The initial invasion was successful but the occupation and continued support of Shuja Shah was costly in terms of public relations for the British. Shah resumed his cruelty, he punished and executed those who he considered traitors from decades before. By his own admission, his people were dogs in need of “obedience” and corrective punishment. He raised taxes which hurt the already impoverished economy. This hurt his limited popularity along with his essentially martial rule, upheld by the British. Now, a guerilla war phase was being instituted by various Afghan groups, some loyal to Khan and some just offended by the presence of foreign invaders.

-The British for their part did not help matters. Many officers imported their families from India into Kabul, where they took residence in a cooler mountain valley climate, they created gardens and set up English country gentrified life in the Afghan capital. Some English customs weren’t especially troublesome to the Afghans, tea drinking socials, cricket and polo, even ice skating on frozen ponds in the winter which actually amazed the Afghans having never before seen such a thing.

-However, the more the British lingered, the sense they'd never leave crept in, their presence in the daily markets brought raised prices which coupled with higher taxes meant they were linked with such economic hardship. The British also drank alcohol and had wine cellars fully stocked, in a devout Muslim country this was offensive given Islamic prohibitions on alcohol. However, most trying for the Afghan populace was the sexual relations between the occupiers and Afghan women. British men soon found themselves acquiring the services of willing Afghan women for prostitution. Afghanistan was quite poor to begin with and coupled with hardships brought on by the invasion a number of Afghan women, married or unmarried found themselves becoming prostitutes to the British. Afghan women realized even the lowest paid British soldier was more wealthy than Afghan men, so their turns to prostitution were not unsurprising. Others willingly entered into romantic relationships with the British and indeed some British officers did marry Afghan women, including daughters of tribal leaders. This development offended the Afghan men, particularly the Pashtun who had a sense of society that revolved around honor to manhood, any slight real or imagined could be responded to with justified violence in their code of honor. The Pashtun men could enact honor killings on women who fraternized with the British, on the grounds that these women brought shame to the men in their family for engaging in immoral behavior and for sleeping with infidel Christians.

-The guerilla war that developed in reaction to the British also spurred their sense of prolonging their stay. Shuja Shah knew more British was the only way to ensure his continued reign. Isolated British outposts or patrols could be attacked in ambush due to fighters whose entire fighting style relied less on technical skill or discipline beyond waging ambushes and raids. Most Afghan warriors would have been armed with little more than an old matchlock musket or possibly a dagger or sword.

-The British nevertheless were negotiating with Shuja Shah to develop a standing army and do away with the tribal levy system. He argued there was not enough infrastructure or more succinctly, funding to maintain a standing army. So the British occupation dragged on.

-Dost Mohammed Khan was eventually taken prisoner and exiled to India. However, his sons continued to wage the war on their dynasty’s behalf.

- By 1841, George Elphinstone was in charge of the British forces in Kabul, most of his time was spent bed ridden with gout and other ailments.

-Early November, saw in motion a planned uprising. For months through Shuja, tribal chieftains had their loyalty earned by bribes of money. The British used this as a way to pacify the resistance with some success but it was a tenuous development. The spark for the uprising in Kabul came from British agent, Alexander Burnes. Burnes had been particularly well known for his sexual relations and womanizing of Afghan women and was viewed as largely a focal point of the resentment Afghans had towards the British. The final straw came when a slave girl from Kashmir who belonged to a Pashtun chieftain escaped to Burnes home. At first the chieftain sent retainers to retrieve the girl, only to find Burnes in the act of sleeping with her himself, Burnes own guards then beat the retainers and sent them on their way. The chieftain, having his code of honor offended along with other chieftains, proclaimed jihad. The next morning a large riot broke out at Burnes residence in Old Kabul, away from the British camp which had moved to the outside of town. Burnes, his brother and others were hacked to death by the angry mob, their beheaded skulls placed on pikes for display. Shuja Shah sent a single British regiment to put down the events, it suffered casualties and was forced to return. Shuja realized the people were rebelling against him and the British and he was effectively overthrown.

-Elphinstone was gripped with indecision on how to deal with the matter, he wrote to the Company Civil Administrator, William Macnaughten. Macnaughten tried to negotiate with Akbar Khan, son of Dost Mohammed, with an eye towards making him vizier, in exchange for extending the British stay. Macnaughten also negotiated with other tribal leaders to assassinate Akbar Khan. The news of these two faced dealings led to Macnaughten being captured and killed by Khan’s men, his body dragged through the streets of Kabul.

-Elphinstone realized it was time to withdraw, the British presence no longer tenable. The Afghans had not attacked the encampment directly due to the concentrated British strength but these appeared to be only a matter of time. He made the decision to withdraw the garrison, 4,500 strong with 12,000 camp followers including family and mostly Indian servants and some Afghan women who preferred life with their British lovers as opposed to facing the wrath of their angered families who would kill them for shaming them.

-January 1842 saw Elphinstone’s withdrawal in a massive column through snowy passes. The retreat dragged out for weeks with little food, bad weather and repeated attacks from Pashtun guerillas who attacked and killed as many as they could. Repeatedly, Elphinstone met with Akbar Khan to call off the attacks, Khan allowed the English women and children to return to Kabul to be ransomed later, but the Indian camp followers were not spared, they were forced to freeze to death in the snowy passes. Meanwhile as Elphinstone and the army marched on, the attacks continued with Khan playing Elphinstone for a fool. Eventually, he treated Elphinstone to a good meal before taking him prisoner, Elphinstone would die as a hostage some months later. The 44th Foot, the only all British regiment made a famous last stand fending off many Afghan charges before being overrun. The British column was mostly starved, frozen or hacked to death in the passes, most of the victims being Indian sepoys or their families and camp followers (servants) of the British officers. Some British women and children remained in Afghan captivity for a time, with some being ransomed and released, most being well treated. Some women were forced to marry their captors and others as children were adopted into Afghan families, some living into the early 20th century in Afghanistan. Only one British doctor and some scattered sepoys survived the ordeal at all. Much of this episode was detailed by Lady Florentia Sale in a diary, later published to great acclaim. She would spend nine months in captivity before her and her daughter were rescued by the British.

-The Afghans stormed the other British garrisons but all these attacks were repelled, in turn British reinforcements were arriving from India. These reinforcements subsequently beat Akbar Khan in a pitched battle. Plans were underway for a retaking of Kabul with a new larger force but Lord Auckland suffered a stroke and was replaced by Lord Ellenborough as Governor-General of India. Plus, elections in Britain’s parliament brought a new government with orders to change policy, withdraw from Afghanistan, which found itself in a military stalemate. A last battle took place in which Akbar Khan who was routinely defeated in pitched battles was beaten again with huge casualties at Kabul. However, the measure was merely punitive for the deaths of Elphinstone’s column. The Company at government orders withdrew all British troops from Afghanistan, having inflicted numerous deaths on the Afghan side and destroyed more forts of theirs but politically been unable to change the situation.

-Dost Mohammaed Khan was allowed to return where he co-ruled with his son Akbar who eventually died in 1845, possibly poisoned on orders from his father, who is rumored to have misgivings about his ambition. Dost Mohhamed Khan’s primary goal was to restore Peshawar from the Sikhs all along, during the Anglo-Sikh Wars that followed in the decade ((1845-1846 & 1848-1849), he was nominally neutral albeit he somewhat supported his old rivals the Sikhs with an Afghan mercenary force, still hoping to negotiate Peshawar. These wars resulted in British victory over the Sikhs, the last of Indian independent kingdoms fell and India was more or less completely in Company hands, the Afghan border nor directly bordered British India in the Punjab. The British never returned Peshawar despite their own promises to do so, but Dost having faced his own temporary overthrow and captivity realized, the British were far too powerful to resist in the long run and so he maintained quiet on his part, staying neutral during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, ruling until his death in 1863.

-The British for their part were defeated in the first Anglo-Afghan War, though their military generally held the upper hand in pitched battles and their initial invasion for all its hubris and motivations was successful. It was the occupation that proved too much of an expense than originally endeavored. British arrogance and ignorance of local custom also worsened reception of their plans. In the end, it was British paranoia, belief in imperial prestige and jingoism that had led to a war that while a limited military success was a political failure, having achieved none of their goals, which seemed to shift as the situation shifted. It was a confused war, brought on by people on all sides misreading the events surrounding them and made worse by their stubborn commitment to short-sighted policy goals and ego. Britain would avoid venturing into Afghanistan for nearly forty years when similar disputes over diplomacy led to a second war...

#19th century #military history #afghanistan #the great game #british imperialism #british east india company #india #islam #pashtun #tajik #persian #russian empire #guerilla warfare #kabul

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tanyushenka · 5 years

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Tajik wedding rituals. Chimilig. The bride's relatives offer a ceremonial libation to the groom. Russian Turkestan, Tajikistan, 1872 This photograph of a Tajik wedding ritual is from Turkestan Album, one of the richest sources of visual information on the cultural monuments of Central Asia as they appeared in the 19th century. This multi-volume work was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of Konstantin P. von Kaufman, a Russian army general and the first governor-general of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire's Central Asian holdings were called. Kaufman held that position from 1867 to 1886, during which time he played a major role in establishing Russia's dominant position in Central Asia. The forces of conquest were followed by administrators and entrepreneurs, as well as scholars interested in documenting the region's cultural heritage. The Tajiks, many of whom came into the Russian Empire after the conquest of the Khanate of Kokand, are related by both culture and language to the Iranian peoples.

#Russian Turkestan #Tajikistan

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logoqoxu-blog · 5 years

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One of the Most Incredibly Ignored Systems for Tajikistan Visa GBAO

https://ja.ivisa.com/tajikistan-visa-gbao

The folks are nice, and you'll feel welcomed. In reality, Tajikistan faces a severe electricity and food crisis. The 2 countries are split by means of a river and there's a great deal of army surveillance going up and down.

Finding an Afghan visa is surprisingly effortless, although ridiculously costly. When travelling in Uzbekistan, you should be registered. Difference is going to be refunded.

If you've got an Uzbekistan Consulate in your house country must find the visa before arrival. Tajik visas cannot be obtained at the border. You are not able to get an Uzbekistan visa at the airport once you arrive-you must apply well ahead of time.

The Fight Against Tajikistan Visa GBAO

In case the aim of your visit is tourism, no invitation letter is required to submit an application for a visa. It is also feasible to apply in 1 embassy and pick this up in another one another option to prevent long delays. You simply need to mention it to the immigration official.

The Fight Against Tajikistan Visa GBAO

Transit passengers with the visa to the third country and won't escape from the airport are eligible for visa-free accessibility to Tajikistan. The fee (paid to a neighborhood man from a little village close to the road turnoff), seemed the same as a ploy to earn a few dollars off of tourists. Officially you don't will need to register if you're staying in a given town for under three nights.

It isn't always simple or possible to extend your visa if you desire to stay in the nation for longer than you had originally intended. The visa is very easy there. If you would like a double-entry visa, you will nonetheless must stop by an embassy.

One particular blank page is required for the visa. If you're from a nation which is not qualified for the e-visa, you also need to present a visa support letter. Upon receiving the payment, you will have the ability to download the e-Visas a payment receipt (below the name of the very first applicant).

Again, the application has to be filed prior to any overstay, the price is normally USD 160, and there's no guarantee of approval. If you're Chinese, your report is the most welcome.

There are nine simple actions to finish. It was worth the excess money to accelerate the procedure and attempt to prevent any difficulties. U.S. security cooperation indicates some promise.

When asking in the event you wish to drink alcohol, an Uzbek will tab the rear of her or his cheek. If you're not certain about your passport type, here you may read the difference between an official and a normal passport. Your passport has to be signed on the right line.

The Characteristics of Tajikistan Visa GBAO

After making sure your country is in the list, you may apply online on the official site of the portal. Business visitors must receive a letter from an Uzbek small business partner. An express service might be available for an extra fee.

The site can be found in many languages. You'll obtain an email to verify your email address. To acquire an e-visa, you must fill in an application form online.

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16-233 · 6 years

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On whether Only “Chinese/Chinese-American” actors should play “Chinese” characters

I see this discussion come up very often in the casting stage for shows, such as the debate of the father role in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat being played by a Korean American Randall Park, and how Jamie Chung wanted to audition for Crazy Rich Asians but was turned down because she wasn’t Chinese.

So first of all, unless a segment in the show/movie requires the actor to speak Mandarin/Canto to his family, and the actor utterly fucking failed at the task and broke immersion for the viewers who speak Mandarin/Canto, the fact that he "looks not Chinese" would not fucking even matter.

I’m only speaking for the Chinese “ethnicity/identity” here so don’t take this as me justifying Chinese actors taking Japanese roles if Japanese people have a problem with it. (Even though usually it’s because Japanese ppl looks down on Chinese and think we are unworthy of playing a Japanese person, but let’s not touch that for now)

It is possible to be ethnically “Korean” or a myriad of other things (such as Russian) and be Chinese.

In the instance of the father in Fresh off the Boat, 朝鲜族 (Korean Ethnicity) is one of the 56 ethnicities officially recognized by the Chinese government, and there's almost 2 million of them in China (mostly in the northeast, but people migrate to Tier1/2 cities all the time).

They've been living in China since the fucking Qing dynasty (and possibly earlier) and identify as "Chinese".

“But the family in the show is Taiwanese not Mainland Chinese!!” you say?

Well, guess what, there's been this thing in the 40s called the Chinese Civil War. Like a bunch of people escaped to Taiwan with the KMT because the commies won and pretty much it's the entire fucking reason Taiwan and China are separate entities. People of all ethnicities were in the KMT army dudes. Do you know Qi Yu and her brother Qi Qin? If you are Taiwanese, ask your parents who they are, they probably know. They are both ethnic Manchus. If there are Manchu people in Taiwan (who may or may not have--but most likely have--immigrated there with the KMT because the ancestral land for the Manchu people are way up north... in fact, there’s a border dispute between South Korea and China because the Korean “holy mountain” and the Manchu “holy mountain” is the same thing) then there's no reason why the father in the show couldn't be ethnic Korean. (Even if during the war, most ethnic Koreans sided with the Communists... according to the Communists. lol.)

Plus, it is completely possible for a Taiwanese person of Northern Chinese descent to have Korean blood in them and still be unaware of it and identify as Han or Man.

由于地缘和中国与朝鲜半岛历史上的紧密关系，朝鲜族长期在中国东北地区或聚居或与其他民族杂居。早期到来的朝鲜人多汉化或者旗化，归化为汉族或满族。中国现代朝鲜族大多是19世纪后迁入中国的朝鲜族人的后裔。

Due to proximity in geography and the close history between China and the Korean Peninsula, Korean people has been living in the Chinese Northeast in self-segregated and integrated communities for a long time. The earliest arrivals had mostly assimilated with the Han or Manchu, and identify as ethnic Han or Manchu. The contemporary "Ethnic Koreans" are often descendants of the immigrants that came after the 19th century.

(x)

This is not a case of "all Asians are interchangeable", that's equivalent to, like, casting a Han Chinese person to play an Indian person (or a Malaysian or Filipino, but that gets messy because there are actually people of Han Chinese descent living in those countries) or casting a Korean person to play a Thai character (also can get messy because there are a good number of pale Thai people... but you get the gist). A korean person playing a Chinese character is no different from a British person being cast to play a German, or a Swede being cast to play French--or some other generic "white" nationality.

It's different than casting an Indian actor to play Han/Han-resembling Chinese... which would be like casting a fucking ginger to play someone from the Mediterranean.

Let's not pretend Koreans aren't already playing people of Han Chinese descent in CHINESE dramas. There's 蔡琳, who actually changed her name from 朴蔡琳 (Park Chae-rim) so that her name would sound more "Chinese" to get her career to take off in China. And I really dunno why she chose to do that because Park Hae-jin did plenty well (he was in a couple of Chinese dramas in 2011, before he did My Love From The Star) without changing his name. Then there's Choo Ja-hyun and many more lesser-known Koreans working in the Chinese entertainment industry.

On the reverse, there are also tons of ethnic Han Chinese actors working in Korea, like Song Xi and Han Geng.

So the precedent has already been set and it wasn't set by white people.

Chinese people don't all look like what the Han ethnic look like. China is a civilization-state made up of 56, again, 56 different ethnicities. Someone can appear middle-eastern and be Chinese. Someone can appear Persian and be Chinese. Someone can appear white and be Chinese.

See this person?

She doesn't look "Chinese" does she? Well she is. She is a Tajik living in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and before you say "Xinjing is not part of China"... if she doesn't identify as Chinese, then why the fuck is she working in the Chinese police department (anti-terrorism division)? It's perfectly normal for someone to be Tajik or Uyghur and self-identify as Chinese, just like its normal for someone to be ethnic Han and believe in Uyghur/Tibetan Independence. (Though the Xinjiang situation is WAY messier because there are many more ethnic minorities in that region, not just Uyghurs, and the Uyghurs are laying claims to certain lands inhabited by the Kazakhs and Tajiks, plus some Uyghur identify as Chinese (for example, the capital Ürümqi is divided between two sides, the south side is inhabited mostly of Uyghur with separatist sentiments while the North is inhabited by people who believe in unity with China.))

The tajik people look like this:

More photos from an English source here, and their histories here.

If you are Han Chinese, they probably look nothing like you, but they are not LESS Chinese than you. Their ancestors have been living in the land that's been under the rule of Tang, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and People's Republic of China.

In fact, the Tajiks are actually famous for being extremely patriotic since the Tang dynasty. They were autonomous but was akin to a vassal state and kept their sworn oath to the Emperor of "China" during many foreign invasions.

Speaking of Russians... It's also possible to be ethnic Russian and be Chinese. Guess what, "Russian" is one of the 56 ethnic groups! They live in northern China and mostly Northeastern China, however, there are groups of them in the Xinjiang region.

(look at dat Haier brothers sticker on their cabinet XD dat is so 90s Chinese...)

The ethnic Russians first came to China in the 18th century, and more of them came in the 19th century due to turmoil in their homeland. Some of them married with Han or Mongol and became more mixed, while some of them still looks... Russian.

The Tartars are also an ethnic group living in Western China.

So if a show was about a girl from the far north or northwestern China and they hired a Russian girl, if she could speak fluent Chinese (with Dongbei accent =w= ), it’s not AS problematic as, say... Emma Stone playing a white-passing hapa in Hawaii.

What about South-east Asians playing “Chinese”?

These are the Wa people of southern China. Who looks like this:

(more on google image)

A southeast Asian actor could probably play a Wa Chinese (who would be from southern China), because there are Wa people in Thailand and Vietnam and Myanmar/Burma.

For certain ethnic groups, sometimes they identify with their ethnicity first. So say a Wa person moves to America, he or she might identify with other Southeast Asians of the same descent and simply say she's "wa" instead of "Chinese", while some will say they are Chinese. I've seen Hakka Chinese from Fujian identify as Hakka first when asked, instead of Chinese, even though the Hakka people are often regarded as the "purest/oldest" Han-Chinese lineage in China (because northerners mixed with the Xianbei people before Tang and Mongol/Manchu people after Song and Ming).

Using "Chinese" as a racial signifier to mean "Han and Han-passing ethnic groups" when you are Han Chinese is as messed up as a white person saying his "race" is "American". "Chinese" indicates where you come from and it's an indication of culture sphere/assumption of lineage (again, it is the ASSUMPTION of lineage. It's like picking out a dude in a crowd and using "he" pronouns for him because cis people account for like over 90% of the population). It is NOT the end-all be-all of one's outward appearance and ethnicity.

The actual Chinese word for "people of Chinese descent" is 华裔. It comes from the world 中华, which is derived from 华夏. "华" started as Han-exclusive, and it was meant to contrast against all other groups of people who were given derogatory names (such as 蛮夷, 鞑子, etc) because they were considered barbaric and uncivilized. (i.e 服章之美谓之华,有礼节之大故称夏)

This word hasn't been Han-exclusive since Han people started assimilating other ethnic groups (we were doing white people shit before American white people did white people shit) during their expansion or when Han people are conquered. (For example, a group of Xianbei people conquered the Han people but their leader commanded his people to learn the Han language and culture and pretty much assimilated his people with the Han, the same group of people went on to become the Sui and Tang dynasties.)

“华人”一词最初指汉族，但随着华夏文明扩展到全国各地，“华人”的概念渐由当初单指华夏族，扩展到受中华文明影响的周边少数民族身上。并成为了全体中华民族之人的代称，其下包括了“中国人”以及海外“华侨”。

"Hua ren" at first meant the Han ethnic, but as Chinese (Huaxia) culture spreads, the definition of "Huaren" became inclusive to the minority ethnic groups that were influenced by/assimilated into the culture, it became an identifier for all who identify as Zhong Hua Min Zu (Chinese National or of Chinese National Origins).

Like literally the meaning of “Chinese” in the Chinese sense is super blurry and made even blurrier in English because there just isn’t the vocabulary for it. In the Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋), the definition of being “Chinese” is literally: ”夷狄用諸夏禮則諸夏之“ (If a barbarian uses the etiquette of the Chinese nation, he is Chinese) So like, according to this definition, if a white person who follows Chinese customs in life can self-identify as Chinese. I know some people must have an aneurysm with this but like, I didn’t make the rules.

Words like "Chinese American" "Chinese Singaporean" and "Chinese Indonesian" indicate where one's ancestors came from. One can be Miao (note here for Hmong readers) and "Chinese Singaporean", one can be Buyi and "Chinese Indonesian".

If you use "Chinese" to signify something specifically Han, and especially in a context regarding one's appearance, even if you don't mean to be racist (because remember, the original Han-exclusive definition of "hua" automatically assumes superiority over other ethnic groups, and the whole reason Hmong people outside of China would like to be referred to as Hmong instead of "Miao" has to do with this exact issue) and exclusionary, it can be racist and exclusionary. Either you use "Chinese" to mean all people who identify as Chinese and are recognized by the Chinese government as Chinese, or you say "Han Chinese" or "Hakka Chinese" or "Hmong/Miao Chinese" instead of using simply "Chinese" when you mean han + han-passing.

It's exactly like saying "Asian" when you just mean "just East Asian, not the brown people", like... just don't.

#chinese culture #chinese media #chinese ethnicity #whitewashing #diversity in media #randall park #jamie chung #representation in media

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