Hazara

American  

[huh-zahr-uh] / həˈzɑr ə /

noun

plural

Hazara, Hazaras

1. an Iranian ethnolinguistic group in central Afghanistan, north Pakistan, and Iran, most of whom are Shiʿite Muslims.

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Etymology

Origin of Hazara

From Persian hazār “a thousand, a military unit of a thousand soldiers,” from Middle Persian

Example Sentences

The city grabbed international attention in 2001, when the Sunni Pashtun Taliban authorities destroyed two large Buddha statues cherished by the predominantly Shia Hazara community in the region.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

Many of them have targeted Afghanistan's Hazara ethnic minority and have been claimed by Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISKP, the regional affiliate of the so-called Islamic State group, a major rival of the Taliban.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2024

For example, I advocate on behalf of a group of Hazara women who previously worked in the security sector.

From Slate • Aug. 23, 2023

The Hazara Express was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi when 10 cars derailed near the Sarhari railway station off Nawabshah, said senior railway officer Mahmoodur Rehman Lakho.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2023

I’d hear him singing to himself in the foyer as he ironed, singing old Hazara songs in his nasal voice.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini