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The Turkmen and Uzbek tribes who live in the Northern part of Afghanistan are about 12 per cent of the Afghan population. The Turkmen are Turkic-speaking tribes who trace their lineage to Oghuz Khan, the "father of all Turks," They gradually migrated west to Afghanistan, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Russia occupied their territories. The Turkmen are Sunni Muslims who closely resemble the people of Turkey and Turkmenistan. Originally a tribal society, they have adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle as farmer-herdsmen, and are noted for their fine carpets and jewelry.
The Uzbeks are descendants of Genghis Khan, but they share an ethnic relationship with the Iranian people. The Uzbeks are mostly Sunni Muslims who speak Uzbek, a Turkic dialect. They also fled into northern Afghanistan during the Bolshevik Revolution to escape the oppression of the Soviet government. Uzbeks are also farmer-herdsmen, but many are also astute businessmen and skilled artisans in silver, gold, leather, and rug making.
Because Northern Afghanistan has never been under full Taliban control, women there have enjoyed some freedom. Al Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, however, have established strongholds in the north, and Jihadists from Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Russia are a significant part of the fighters there. Their extremism threatens these gains for women.
