Afghan Craftsmen

Beskrivelse

Asta Olesen’s book explores the lives of nomadic craftsmen in Afghanistan, focusing on their unique occupational specializations. She delves into the traditions and social structures of several artisan communities, revealing a fascinating aspect of rural Afghan life.

An in-depth look at the specialized crafts and cultural heritage of Afghan nomadic groups.

Asta Olesen lived among various nomadic craftsmen in Afghanistan, studying the occupational specializations that define many ethnic groups in the region. These communities, which include artisans, tradesmen, and entertainers, often form endogamous descent groups and live settled, nomadic, or semi-nomadic lifestyles.

In her detailed account, Olesen highlights the migrating Musalli threshers, Shaykh Mohammadi pedlars, and Ghorbat sievemakers, examining their historical backgrounds and relationships with settled peasants, merchants, and townspeople. The Musallis trace their origins to India, while the Ghorbat are believed to have Iranian roots. Both groups are occupationally specialized descent groups. The Shaykh Mohammadi, on the other hand, developed as a spiritual community in Afghanistan, gradually incorporating various unrelated occupational groups.

These three communities are rich in myths and legends, drawing heavily on Sufi influences typical of West Asian religious folklore. This Sufi inspiration also shapes the organization of their craft guilds, a connection that has seen little exploration in Afghan studies until now.

The book also features an appendix containing the Kesb Nāma, a professional manual for potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, barbers, laundrymen, and dyers, translated from Pashto by Mohammad Azim Safi. Additionally, it includes myths and legends of the Musalli, Shaykh Mohammadi, and Ghorbat groups, along with a bibliography, glossary, and index.

Published in 1994 as part of The Carlsberg Foundation's Nomad Research Project, the hardcover edition spans 328 pages and is richly illustrated with 173 images-100 in color-and 7 maps. These maps include a physical map of Afghanistan, locations of Musalli communities in Laghman and around Kabul, Shaykh Mohammadi operational areas, historical Ghorbat dispersion, and seasonal migrations of the Qāsem Khēl.

For further reading, the series also features works by Gorm Pedersen, Birthe Frederiksen, and Klaus Ferdinand, who explore various aspects of Afghan nomads and their changing lifestyles.

Asta Olesen is a senior anthropology lecturer at Copenhagen University, with extensive fieldwork experience in Afghanistan from 1975 to 1979 among itinerant craftsmen.

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