List of Afghans explained

The following is a list of notable Afghan people, which includes all the ethnic groups of the modern state of Afghanistan. Afghanistan has gone through territorial changes. This list generally excludes Ethnic Pashtuns who originate from regions that were not controlled by Afghanistan at the time, though there are exceptions for certain figures who are prominent to Pashtuns. It also includes historical figures coming from the present day borders of Afghanistan, even if they were non-Pashtuns.

Monarchs

Humayun (reigned 26 December 1530 – 17 May 1540) Second Mughal emperor
Demetrius I of Bactria (c. 200 – c. 180 BCE) King of Bactria
Eucratides I (reigned 171–145 BC) King of the Bactrian Empire
Menander I (reigned 165/155–130 BC) Indo-Greek king
Mahmud of Ghazni (reigned 998 – 30 April 1030) Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire
Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad (reigned 1163 – 11 February 1203) Sultan of the Ghurid Empire
Muhammad of Ghor (reigned 1173–1202) Sultan of the Ghurid Sultanate
Muhammad Shah (reigned 27 September 1719 – 26 April 1748) 13th Mughal Emperor
Abu Sa'id Mirza (reigned Samarkand: 1451–1469,Herat: 1459–1469) Ruler of the Timurd empire
Alauddin Khalji (reigned 19 July 1296 – 4 January 1316) Turco-Afghan Ruler of Delhi Sultanate
Ulugh Beg II (reign 1461–1502) Timiurd Ruler of Kabul and Ghazni
Sayed Kayan Sayed Nadir Shah Al-Hussaini Kayani who was known as Sayed Kayan was a prominent Islamic philosopher, religious and political figure.
Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza Timiurd Ruler of khorasan
Sher Shah Suri (1537 – 22 May 1545) Founder of the Suri Empire in India,
Sultan Husayn Bayqara (reigned 1469 – 4 May 1506) Amir of the Timurid Empire
Ahmad Shah Durrani (1747–1772) was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded by some (though there is no historical record) as the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan
Jalal-ud-din Khalji (reigned 13 June 1290 - 19 July 1296) Founder of the Khalji dynasty, 12th Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate
Kalu Khan Yousufzai - Yousufzai Afghan monarch of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. known for the Battle of Malandari Pass (1586)

Presidents

Daoud Khan
- Nur Muhammad Taraki Mohammad Najibullah
Burhanuddin Rabbani
Hamid Karzai
Ashraf Ghani-served as the fifth president of Afghanistan,and as the second and final president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Politicians and diplomats

Muhammad Yunus Nawandish, was the Mayor of Kabul from after his appointment by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in January 2010
Mohammad Siddiq Chakari
Sayed Mansur Naderi Former Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Abdul Ahmad Zahedi Niqala
Sadat Mansoor Naderi, Former State Minister for Peace
Wahid Omar
Amrullah Saleh the second Panjshir resistance
Rafael Pinhasi Israeli politician
Mahmud Tarzi Afghan politician and intellectual, known as founder of Afghan journalism
Mohammad Ibraheem Khwakhuzhi
Zalmay Khalilzad Afghan-American diplomat and foreign policy expert
Rangin Dadfar Spanta
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Ali Ahmad Khan Afghan politician and self proclaimed Emir of Afghanistan for a few weeks
Ismael Balkhi Hazara political leader and reformist
Abdul Rahman Pazhwak diplomat, scholar and poet
Abdul Qadir (Afghan communist) Afghan politician, diplomat, and military officer
Mohammed Aziz Khan Afghan prince and diplomat
Abdur Rahim Khan (governor) Afghan governor of Herat
Abdul Rashid Dostum Afghan warlord
Farkhunda Zahra Naderi, Former MP and Senior Advisor to President Ashraf Ghani
Juma Khan Hamdard governor of Paktia Province from 2007 to 2015
Al-Sari ibn al-Hakam(died November 820) served twice as the Abbasid Caliphate's governor of Egypt.
Sayed Mohammad Ali Jawid Afghan politician
Khairullah Khairkhwa current Afghan Minister of Information and Culture and a former Minister of the Interior.
Dawood Laghmani Afghan politician
Abdur Rahman Mahmudi, medical doctor and politician
Kubra Noorzai Afghan politician. She was the first woman to become a government minister in the country.
Nasima Razmyar Afghan-Finnish politician, elected to the Finnish Parliament in 2015
Mohammad Nabi Omari Afghan politician, governor of Khost province and held for nearly twelve years in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay
Abdul Ali Mazari political leader of the Hezb-e Wahdat party
Khushnood Nabizada Chief of Staff to State Ministry for Peace (SMP)
Ahmad ibn Nizam al-Mulk born in Balkh, Persian vizier of the Seljuq Empire and then the Abbasid Caliphate.
Shah Mahmud Khan Prime Minister of Afghanistan from May 1946 to 7 September 1953, under King Mohammed Zahir Shah's monarchy
Abdul Hadi Dawi Afghan poet, diplomat and government official.
Naqibullah Orya Khail, leader of Hezb-e-Jawanan Musalman Afghanistan

Military figures

Kamal al-Din Gurg (died late 1315 or early 1316), general of the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji.
Adham Khan general of Akbar the Great, third Mughal empire
Mullah Omar Mujahideen leader, co-founder of the Taliban and served as its first leader
Ahmad Shah Massoud military commander
Jalaluddin Haqqani Afghan insurgent commander who founded the Haqqani network
Ala al-Dawla Mirza Timurid prince and a grandson of the Central Asian ruler Shah Rukh
Bairam Khan military commander and commander-in-chief of the Mughal army
Wazir Akbar Khan Afghan prince, general and Emir
Habibullāh Kalakāni leader of the Saqqawists
Abdul Qadir (Afghan communist) military officer in the Afghan Air Force
Commander Shafi Hazara ethnic Hazara military commander in Afghanistan
Kabir Andarabi military official
Sayed Jafar Naderi Military Official and former governor of Baghlan province.
Abdul Rasul Sayyaf Mujahideen commander
Dadullah Taliban's senior military commander in Afghanistan until his death in 2007
Obaidullah Akhund Defence Minister in the Afghan Taliban government of 1996–2001
Amin Wardak major Afghan Mujahideen leader
Abdul Raziq Achakzai Afghan Army Lieutenant General and Police Chief, considered to be one of the most powerful security officials in Afghanistan for the last few years of his life
Tahir ibn Husayn General and Governor of Khurasan during the Abbasid caliphate
Masrur al-Balkhi senior military officer in the late-9th century Abbasid Caliphate
Azad Khan Afghan military commander
Sardar Shah Wali Khan political and military figure in Afghanistan
Mohammad Akram, vice Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army; died in a suicide attack in 2005.
Mohammad Fahim (1957-2014), Marshal in the Afghan National Army
Khoshal Sadat Pashtun military officer

Scientists

Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani philosopher
Hedayat Amin Arsala economist
Mohammad Amin Fatemi physician
Nake M. Kamrany professor of economics
Habib Mangal physician
Abdul Ahad Mohmand astronaut, he became the first Afghan citizen and the fourth Muslim to visit outer space, he also made Pashto the 4th spoken language in space.
Abdul Karim Mustaghni
M. Ishaq Nadiri professor of economics
Ghulam Faroq Nijrabi physician
Abbas Noyan engineer
Hamidullah Qalandarzai engineer
Mohammad Qayoumi engineer; president of San Jose State University
Daud Shah Saba geologist
Sima Samar physician
Habiba Sarobi hematologist
Nazif Shahrani professor of anthropology
Kabir Stori psychologist
Zemaryalai Tarzi archeologist
Abdul Qayum Tutakhail physician
Ghulam Sediq Wardak inventor
Sediq Afghan mathematician
Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (787-886 AD) astrologer
Abu Zayd al-Balkhi (850–934 AD) – geographer and mathematician
Al-Muqanna (-783 AD) chemist, also known for leading an Islamic revolt and claiming to be a prophet
Al-Sijzi (945-1020 AD) Muslim astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer

Entrepreneurs

Historians

Abu Mansour al-Hosein ibn Muhammad al-Marghani
Hamid Naweed
Akram Assem
Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar (1898 - 1978)
Zalmay A. Gulzad
Abdul Hai Habibi (1910 - 1984)
Faiz Mohammad Katib Hazara
Omara Khan Massoudi geographer, historian
Abdul Shakoor Rashad (1921 - 2004)
Abd al-Razzaq Samarqandi – chronicler and Islamic scholar
Khvandamir

Actors and film directors

Latif Ahmadi director of Afghan Film, Afghanistan's state-run film company
Leena Alam actress
Siddiq Barmak (born 1962) directed the drama film Osama (2003)
Abdul Ghafoor Breshna painter, music composer, poet and film director
Sonia Nassery Cole directed the drama film The Black Tulip (2010)
Zohre Esmaeli (born 1985) model, author, designer
Fahim Fazli actor, author, modification speaker, cultural technical advisor for US Marines
Azita Ghanizada, actress
Marina Golbahari
Haji Kamran
Kader Khan (1937–2018), Bollywood film actor and producer
Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada
Mamnoon Maqsoodi (born 1966)
Celina Jaitly, actress in Indian cinema
Anisa Wahab
Abdul Wahid Nazari (born 1953)
Nelofer Pazira
Soosan Firooz
Arshi Khan, model and celebrity
Atiq Rahimi – French-Afghan filmmaker, writer
Salim Shaheen
Kawa Ada
Awesta Zarif actress, director, singer

Writers (including journalists)

Mohammad Jan Fana (born 1932)
- Nelufar Hedayat Khaled Hosseini (born 1965)
Hafizullah Khaled
Qiamuddin Khadim
Sultan Munadi (1976 - 2009)
Fariba Nawa (born 1973)
Nelofer Pazira
Dr. Hafiz Sahar (1928–1982)
Sayed Ihsanuddin Taheri
Mahmud Tarzi (1865 - 1933)
Sakena Yacoobi
Rahnaward Zaryab
Ahmad Javeed Ahwar
- Tamim Ansary Homeira Qaderi
Gul Mohamad Zhowandai
- Leila Christine Nadir Abu Ubaid al-Qasim bin Salam (770–838) philologist and the author of many standard works on lexicography, Qur’anic sciences
Abu Mansur al-Azhari (895 - 980) lexicographer, philologist and grammarian of Arabic; prominent philogist of his time
Abdul Khaliq Hussaini journalist, activist
Aziz Ullah Haidari journalist
Chékéba Hachemi Afghan feminist and writer
Mohammad Haider Zhobal history writer
Nelufar Hedayat, journalist
Yalda Hakim, journalist
Dr. Hafiz Sahar (1928–1982)
Khushnood Nabizada, journalist and entrepreneur

Poets

Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī the great Sufi mystic and poet of 13th century
Khwaja Abdullah Ansari
Hafizullah Khaled
Hamza Baba (1907 - 1994) Sage of Herat, the great Sufi mystic of 11th century
Rahman Baba (1650 - 1715)
Wasef Bakhtari
Khalilullah Khalili (1907 - 1987)
Ghani Khan (1914 - 1996)
Khushal Khan Khattak (1613 - 1689)
Latif Nazemi (born 1947)
Parween Pazhwak (born 1967)
Pir Roshan (1525–1582/1585)
Sana Safi
Layla Sarahat Rushani (died 2004)
Hakim Sanai (1080 - 1131)
Kabir Stori (1942 - 2006)
Mahmūd Tarzī (1830 - 1900)
Nazo Tokhi
Qahar Asi (1956–1994)
Wasef Bakhtari
Mohammad Hashem Zamani
Rabia Balkhi from the city of Balkh, possibly the first female poet of Persian literature
Abu al-Fath al-Busti (942–1010)
Abdul Bari Jahani Afghan poet, most notable work is the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Makhfi Badakhshi
- Nadia Anjuman Abdul Rahman Pazhwak (1919–1995)
Ali-Shir Nava'i (1441–1501) poet, writer, politician, linguist, mystic and painter
Unsuri 10-11th century Persian poet, from Balkh
Matiullah Turab^[1]

Artists

See main article: List of Afghan artists and List of Afghan women artists.

Dust Muhammad born in Herat, Persian painter of miniatures, calligrapher, and art historian. Disciple of Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād
Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād (1455–1535), painter
Ali-Shir Nava'i (1441–1501)
Mariam Ghani visual artist, photographer, filmmaker
Lida Abdul video artist and performance artist
Malina Suliman graffiti artist, metalworker, and painter
Abdul Ghafoor Breshna one of Afghanistan's most talented artists
Shamsia Hassani graffiti artist, a fine arts lecturer, and the associate professor of Drawing and Anatomy Drawing at the Kabul University

Religious figures

Ibrahim ibn Adhamearly ascetic Sufi saint
Asif MohseniAfghan Twelver Shi'a Marja'
Muqatil ibn Sulayman scholar of Islam, wrote earliest, possibly first commentaries of the Quran
Hiwi al-Balkhi 9th century exegete and critic of the bible
Ali Hujwiri 11th-century sunni Muslim mystic, theologian and preacher.
Shahid Balkhi Persian theologian, philosopher, poet and Sufi. Famous Persian poet Rudaki has a poem in Balkhi's elegy.
Ali al-Qari Islamic scholar
Haji Dost Muhammad Qandhari Afghan Sufi master
Sheikh Mohammad Rohani Sufi cleric born around 1220 AD
Abobaker Mojadidi spiritual Muslim leader and socio-political activist
Ahmed Gailani was the leader of the Qadiriyyah Sufi order in Afghanistan
Mirza Muhammad Ismail Afghan religious scholar and the first convert to the Ahmadiyya faith
Sultan Balkhi 14th century Muslim saint, known for preaching Islam in Bengal
Ibn Hibban scholar, Muhaddith, historian and author of well-known works
Malak Yousaf Afghan primogenitor of the Qazyan family^[2]

Sportspeople

Rashid Khan cricketer, the ICC Men's T20I Player of the Decade
Mohammad Nabi – cricketer, 1st in Allrounder rankings.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman – cricketer
Hamid Hassan – cricketer
Hazratullah Zazai – cricketer, led Afghanistan to the highest T20I score of 278/3
Rahmanullah Gurbaz – cricketer
Qais Ahmad – cricketer
Asghar Afghan – cricketer, Afghanistan's former captain and ended his career with the highest T20I wins as a captain.
Rohullah Nikpai – first Afghanistan's Taekwondo Olympic winner of 2008 and 2012
Mustafa Amini Afghan-Australian footballer
Javed Ahmadi cricketer
Sandjar Ahmadi footballer
Raees Ahmadzai cricketer
Yamin Ahmadzai cricketer
Shamsuddin Amiri footballer
Jan Alam Hassani volleyballer
Qaher Hazrat cyclist
Gulbadin Naib cricketer
Nasratullah Nasrat cricketer
Said Karimulla Khalili Russian-Afghan biathlete
Dawlat Zadran cricketer
Siyar Bahadurzada UFC fighter
Nadia Nadim footballer
Jeff Bronkey Afghan-American former Major League Baseball pitcher
Shamila Kohestani footballer, and former captain of the Afghanistan women's national football team
Hussain Sadiqi Afghan Australian martial artist
Khaleqdaad Noori cricketer
Moshtagh Yaghoubi Afghan-born Finnish footballer

Musicians (including composers)

Female activists

Sima Samar human rights, democracy, first Afghan's Noble award candidate
Aryana Sayeed women's rights activist and famous singer
Roqia Abubakr
Sitara Achakzai women's rights activist
Jamila Afghani founder of Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO)
Safia Ahmed-jan women's rights activist
Khadija Ahrari helped give women the right to vote
Fatema Akbari
Farkhunda Zahra Naderi Women Rights Activist
Farida Azizi advocate for peace and women's rights.
Marzia Basel advocate for women's education
Mariam Ghani artist and advocate for women's rights
Laila Haidari (born 1978)^[3]
Malalai Joya (born 1978)
- Fawzia Koofi Anahita Ratebzad (1931–2014)
Masuma Esmati Wardak
Manizha Wafeq^[4]
Asila Wardak
Rona Tarin (born 1971), Afghan politician and women's rights activist

Others

Safi Rauf (born 1994)
Ahmad Massoud (born 1989)
Sharbat Gula (born 1972)
Abdul Khaliq Hussaini (born 1977)
Mir Masjidi Khan (died 1841) Afghan resistance leader
Youssof Kohzad writer, painter, playwright, artist, poet and actor
Abdul Majid Zabuli (1896 - 1998) founder of Bank-e-Melli Afghanistan
Zallascht Sadat model
Vida Samadzai model
Vida Mohammad model
Khwaja Usman Mughal opponent, Baro-Bhuyan chieftain
Abdul Latif Pedram professor of literature
Azizullah Royesh social activist
Al-Farabi (872–950) early Islamic philosopher and polymath; also known as Alpharabius in the west
Razia Muradi (born 1995/1996) academic
Abdul Khaliq Hazara assassin
Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi soldier, poet, and military leader
Nur Jahan Empress consort of Mughal Empire
Khalid ibn Barmak born in Balkh, 8th century Soldier and administrator
Robert Joffrey born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan to Afghan father and Italian mother; choreographer, dancer, director
Afghana tribal chief or prince of Pashtuns, traditionally considered the progenitor of modern-day Pashtuns.
Yoram Cohen born to Afghan Jewish parents, director of Israel's internal security service "Shin Bet"
Zablon Simintov Afghan Jewish carpet trader and restaurateur; widely known for being thought as the last Jew remaining in Afghanistan
Malalai of Maiwand national folk hero of Afghanistan also known as "Afghan Jeanne d'Arc"; rallied the Pashtun fighters to fight against the British invaders in the Battle of Maiwand causing an Afghan victory
Trapusa and Bahalika first two lay disciples of the Buddha
Durkhanai Ayubi Afghan-Australian food expert, restaurateur, and prize-winning cookbook author
Mohammad Sharif Razai medical doctor and researcher
Roxana princess that Alexander the Great married, either born in Bactria (Balkh) or Sogodia
Faiz Ahmad Marxist–Leninist Afghan revolutionary and the founding leader of the Afghanistan Liberation Organization (ALO)
Baysunghur prince from the house of Timurids

Notes and References

Ahmed,Azam (19 August 2013). "An Afghan Shapes Metal and Hard Poetry". The New York Times.
"Rohani Taroon" by Qazi Abdul Haleem Asar Afghani
News: Nordland. Rod. She's a Force of Nature, and She Just Declared War on Peace With the Taliban. 2019-02-15. The New York Times. 2020-03-14. en-US. 0362-4331.
Web site: Peace Through Business Network's Profile Photo Peace Through Business Network. ptbn.org.af. 2016-12-08. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220075503/http://ptbn.org.af/. 2016-12-20.