Regions with significant populations | |
---|---|
Afghanistan | 2,000 (no date)[1] |
Languages | |
Moghol language, Dari Persian | |
Religion | |
predominantly Sunni Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Mongolic peoples |
The Moghols (also Mogols, Moghuls, Moguls, Monghuls, Monguls) are a Mongolic people that live in Afghanistan. They reside in the Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla villages of Herat province and some parts of northern Afghanistan. They used to speak the Moghol language.[1] They are descendants of the Mongol Empire's soldiers that invaded Afghanistan. The Moghols sometimes call themselves "Shahjahan", because some of them joined the army of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Previously, Moghol villages could be found in Ghor, throughout the Hazarajat, and as far east as Badakhshan.[2]
The ancestors of the Moghols established themselves in the region in the 13th and 14th centuries serving as soldiers during the Mongol conquests. They occupied Khwarazm and the area that soon become the Ilkhanate during this period. While the Moghols used to live throughout Afghanistan, their settlements were reduced to Herat by the mid-20th century. In recent decades, most Moghols have adopted the Dari language and the Moghol language may currently be extinct as a result.[3]
By religion the Moghols are predominantly Sunni Muslims.[4]