The Center for the Scientific Study of Families reports are designed to provide relevant information about the conditional state of families in a specified context. The report provides information such as population, culture, family structure, and family life. 

Family reports are an important tool for improving the lives of families. By providing information about the family’s conditional state and context, family reports can help improve communication between families and service providers and lead to better outcomes for families and children.

Introducing Baghlan Afghanistan

Baghlan is a province in northeastern Afghanistan, located about 250 kilometers north of Kabul. The provinces of Bamyan, Samangan, Kunduz, Takhar, Panjshir, Parwan, and Balkh border it. Baghlan has a population of approximately 1,015,000, and the capital of Baghlan is Pul-e-Khumri, which is also the largest city in the province.

Cultural and Ethnic Diversity of Baghlan

A variety of cultural groups live in the province of Baghlan. The U.S.-based Naval Postgraduate School lists the ethnic and cultural breakdown of this province as: 

• Tajiks: 52%- In Baghlan, Tajiks are the majority ethnic group and represent over 50% of the population. The Tajiks in Afghanistan tend to live in settled communities as opposed to a nomadic lifestyle. Pashtuns refer to them as Farsiwan, or speakers of Farsi, the lingua franca of Afghanistan (50% of Afghanistan speaks Farsi, as opposed to only 35% for Pashtu). 
• Pashtuns: 20%- They are the majority group in Baghlan Jadid district in the northwestern corner of the province and comprise roughly 20% of the population of Baghlan as a whole. They have historically adhered to the Pashtunwali moral code, also known as “the way of the Pashtun,” and can easily become extremely offended by violations of the code. grudge for generations. Several Pashtun communities were transplanted into Tajik-dominated Baghlan in the Nineteenth Century as part of the king’s ‘pashtunization’ policy. In general, Pashtuns have been slow to adapt to post-Taliban Afghanistan.
• Hazaras: 15%- As a minority ethnic and religious group in Afghanistan, they have faced discrimination and violence. The Hazara have physical characteristics distinct from those of the Pashtun majority. In terms of religion, the vast majority of the Hazara are of the Shia Muslim faith, again in contrast to the Pashtuns, who are Sunni Muslims. The Pashtun-dominated government has discriminated against the Hazara throughout modern Afghanistan due to these differences. Hazara, the Afghan underclass, were exploited as servants and laborers. Thus, Hazaras are anti-government and anti-Pashtun.
• Uzbeks: 12%- The Uzbek people of Afghanistan are found north of the Hindu Kush in Afghan Turkistan. In Afghanistan, they number approximately 1.6 million and comprise around 12% of the population of Baghlan Province. The frequent invasions of Central Asian Turks throughout history facilitated the presence of the Uzbek people in this region. Uzbeks are the most populous Turkish group in Afghanistan and are recognizable by distinct physical features. They are historically farmers and stockmen, breeding the Karakul sheep and an excellent type of Turkman horse. 
• Tatars: 1%- Tatars make up 1% of Baghlan’s population. They are classified as Turkic in origin and exist in significant concentrations in many former Soviet Republics. Their native tongue is Kazan Tatar (meaning archer).  Historically, the Tatar people have existed as an identifiable group since the tenth century. Today, the Tatar people are settled (as opposed to nomadic) and are generally peasants and merchants with no traditional tribal structure. Tatar families often have three generations, and the father is the legal head and makes all decisions. Most Tatars are Hanafite Sunni Muslims.

Lastly, the sectarian breakdown of Islamic groups in the region is 85% Sunni and 15% Shi’a. 

Family Statistics in Baghlan

According to the Global Data Lab, the average household size of families in this region of Afghanistan was 9.71 in 2018. There was no breakdown of this data by ethnic or tribal group in the province; rather, there was only an overall average number for the region of northeast Afghanistan. 

Family Structure

Our research did not reveal family structure information about the various ethnic, cultural, and tribal groups of Badakshan, but a Cultural Atlas report on Afghanistan notes the following as a general structure for Afghan families. 

Traditionally, this is made up of a husband, wife, their unmarried daughters, and their sons and sons’ spouse[s] and children.

In extended family households, three or four generations may live together.

Family Life

We were unable to find specific data on family life in Badakhshan, but one report details that family life in much of Afghanistan is traditional, with men (husbands, fathers, and sons) responsible for the financial support of the family and women (wives, mothers, and daughters) taking responsibility over household tasks and the rearing of children.  Children are expected to help around the home, with strong cultural values of respect for parents and elders.

Marriage & Divorce

The cultural atlas provides some information about marriage life and divorce in Afghanistan as a whole, but not for the specific province. 

Marriage is essential to Afghan life, and all relationships lead to marriage. Marriage is seen as two families merging. Parents often arrange their children’s marriages to ensure compatibility. Attraction between couples isn’t always important. The husband-wife relationship is usually endogamous (with parallel or cross-cousin marriages preferred). While kinship marriage is common, families may marry outside their family to diversify their assets.

People generally marry within their tribe or ethnicity. The status, network, wealth, and family background of the prospective spouse are also considered. Marriage can increase a family’s resources or resolve disputes. Young girls may be married to debtors to pay off family debt.

Polygamy is legal in Afghanistan if the man can support all wives financially, but it is rare. Usually, this occurs when a man’s brother dies and his widow has no support. That brother-in-law may marry her into his family (wife inheritance). In multi-wife families, each wife has her own room, belongings, and possibly a kitchen.

Afghan divorce is rare and stigmatized. Couples who divorce face intense family and social pressure to reunite. If her in-laws don’t inherit her, widows and divorcees can become poor.

Conclusion

Family life in Baghlan is a complex and dynamic topic. The diversity of the area’s cultures and ethnicities, as well as the history of war and conflict there, all have an impact on it. Despite the challenges, families in Baghlan continue to play an important role in providing their members with economic, social, and emotional support.

Future studies of Baghlan can include information about education (e.g., literacy rates), the dispersion of groups within the province, and the skills among the various cultural and ethnic groups.