Qarluq / Karluk Hazaras

Qarluq Hazaras, also pronounced as “Qalugh”, live mainly in Baghlan, Qunduz, Shekhali and a large number of them once lived in Uruzgan province of Central Afghanistan (Hazaristan). In Baghlan, they are an independent Hazara clan, whereas in Uruzgan, they were a sub-clan of one of the Hazara clans that lived in that province, possibly Dai Khitai or Polada (1). There were three main Hazara clans in Uruzgan, Dai Chuban, Dai Khitai, Polada and also a number of smaller Hazara clans. This was before Amir Abdur Rahman’s invasion attempts to try to eliminate local Hazaras living in Uruzgan and instead repopulate the region with his followers. His army faced fierce resistance from the local Hazara clans in Uruzgan. His army was defeated in many of his first attempts, however, since local Hazaras were surrounded from all around, they were eventually defeated and most of their population were either massacred or forced to flee their homeland.

Amir Abdur Rahman’s invasion not only fulfilled his goal which was to massacre an ethnic group and force them to flee their homeland but through this, he was also able to unite many other tribes to follow him in this act. They were told that Hazaras are “infidels”, so he was going to a “holy war” against them.

Among the Uruzgani Hazaras, there are no Polada and Dai Khitai Hazaras left today. From Dai Chuban clan, Maska, which is a sub-clan, were also affected and lower Maska region was entirely invaded. Qalandar, a sub-clan of Dai Chuban faced a similar situation to Polada and Dai Khitai Hazaras. This is surely the greatest loss to a nation to have three of their clans being massacred at once. Nowadays we do not hear much of Qarlurq sub-clan among the Hazaras in Uruzgan, which shows that they either faced similar situation as the Polada and Dai Khitai Hazaras or they fled to somewhere else that we are unaware of. Many Hazaras fled to Quetta in Pakistan and also Mashhad in Iran. There is no trace of them in Quetta, which leaves Mashhad the only hope. There has not been any proper search done among the Irani Hazaras in Mashhad yet. We also hear that some Hazaras (possibly Maska Hazaras) left Mashhad for Turkmenistan.

P.S. It would be a great help if anyone with any news/info could either leave a comment or contact me regarding Uruzgani Qarluq Hazaras and Maska Hazaras who fled to Iran and Turkmenistan.

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Sources:

(1) This was one of the findings of Sir Alexander Burnes, an English explorer who passed Hazara villages in Uruzgan in early 1800’s on his way to Kabul. This piece of info was taken by an Author named Elizabeth E. Bacon, from one of his journals in London.