The Dalak are an

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

found mainly in western

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. Technically, the word dalak is derived from the

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

word ''dalaka'' which means to rub. Their preferred self-designation is now Salmani, as the word ''dalak'' is seen as offensive, and the community were traditionally associated with the profession of barbering.The Mongols of Afghanistan : an ethnography of the Moghols and related peoples of Afghanistan by Schurmann, H. F. pages 225 to 227

Origin

The principal function of the Dalak is cutting hair, circumcision, the performance of music at certain events such as marriages for their patrons and carrying out certain minor surgical operations. Little is known about the origin of the Dalak, but a possible connection with the Jot people cannot be ruled. Unlike the Jat, who are nomadic, the Dalak are essentially a settled urban community, with settlements in

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...

, mainly in the neighbourhood of Kurt, and in Chisht as well as other towns of western Afghanistan. A claim is now being made that they are descended from Salman Al Farsi, a

Sahabah The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...

of Mohammad, hence the new name Salmani meaning a descendant of Salman. During the summer months, the Dalak leave their urban settlements and visit various villages, where they perform circumcision, entertain at weddings, cut hair and occasional perform agriculture labour. A patron client relationship exists with the local sedentary population. Historically, they were given in grain in return for their services, but increasingly they are now being paid cash. Their patrons belong mainly to the Aimaq, Tajik and Uzbek communities, and their culture is not dissimilar to the other

Dari Dari (; endonym: ), Dari Persian (, , or , ), or Eastern Persian is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the Afghan government's official term for the Persian language;Lazard, G.Darī – The New Persian ...

speaking communities. However, there is virtually no intermarriage between the Dalak and neighbouring ethnic groups, and as a community they are strictly

endogamous Endogamy is the cultural practice of marrying within a specific social group, religious denomination, caste, or ethnic group, rejecting any from outside of the group or belief structure as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relatio ...

. The Dalak are

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Musli ...

, although they incorporate folk beliefs.

References

{{Ethnic groups in Afghanistan Ethnic groups in Afghanistan

Origin

See also

References