ABSTRACT
The single most significant element in the attraction to Kabul of the Hazaras was the more egalitarian treatment they received from the government. Kabul was not only regarded as a sanctuary from both poverty and fear, but also offered them a more just and non-discriminatory environment. The Hazara Resistance Movement, perhaps the most organized and successful resistance force against the invading Soviet army and the Kabul regime, must be studied in two separate phases. Phase one, which lasted some four years, remains one of the best examples of successful popular resistance movement anywhere in the developing world. Phase two, which lasted between 1983–1989 was a period of intense internal fighting within Hazarajat. While the changes in Kabul were from top to bottom, in Hazarajat they began at the bottom and moved upwards, providing a more durable base for fundamental and permanent improvements and development.
