The Kulobi people, also spelt Kulyabi or Kulabi, are the

Tajik Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Tajikistan * Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan * Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan * Tajik (surname) * Tajik cu ...

inhabitants of the southwest area of

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

History

The term Kulobi comes from the

Kulob Oblast Kulob Oblast ( tg, вилояти Кӯлоб; also Kulyab Oblast from Russian spelling) was an administrative subdivision in Tajikistan during the Soviet period (Tajik SSR). It was created in 1939 but was abolished in 1955 along with Gharm Oblas ...

that existed during the

Soviet period The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...

and was merged with

Qurghonteppa Oblast Qurghonteppa Oblast (also known as Kurgan-Tyube Oblast (russian: Курга́н-Тюби́нская область; tg, Вилояти Кӯрғонтеппа)) was an administrative subdivision in Tajikistan until 1992, when it was merged with Ku ...

in 1992 to create

Khatlon Province Khatlon Region ( tg, Вилояти Хатлон, ''Viloyati Xatlon''), one of the four provinces of Tajikistan ( tg, вилоят, ''Viloyat''), is the most populous of the four first level administrative regions. It is situated in the southwest ...

. The Kulobis are ethnic

Tajiks Tajiks ( fa, تاجيک، تاجک, ''Tājīk, Tājek''; tg, Тоҷик) are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Tajiks are the largest ethnicity in Tajik ...

and speak

. During the

Civil War in Tajikistan The Tajikistani Civil War ( tg, Ҷанги шаҳрвандии Тоҷикистон, translit=Jangi shahrvandiyi Tojikiston / Çangi shahrvandiji Toçikiston; russian: Гражданская война в Таджикистане), also known ...

the Kulyabis fought on the side of the government against

Gharmis The Gharmi, or Garmi people (russian: Гарми tg, Ғармӣ, tg, Ğarmî/Ƣarmī/غرمى), are one of the original groups of Tajiks, originate from the Rasht Valley in central Tajikistan. From the 1920s to 1955 there was a Gharm oblast in ...

and

Pamiris The Pamiris, russian: Пами́рцы, Pamírtsy, zh, s=帕米尔人, p=Pàmǐ'ěrrén, ur, are an Eastern Iranian ethnic group, native to the Badakhshan region of Central Asia, which includes the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Taj ...

Emomalii Rahmon Emomali Rahmon (; born Emomali Sharipovich Rahmonov, tg, Эмомалӣ Шарӣпович Раҳмонов, script=Latn, italic=no, Emomalī Sharīpovich Rahmonov; ; born 5 October 1952) has been the 3rd President of Tajikistan since 16 Novem ...

, from Dangara in Kulob oblast, became president of Tajikistan in November 1992 when Kulobi militiamen took control of the capital

Dushanbe Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (r ...

from opposition forces. The current government in Tajikistan is perceived to be dominated by Kulobis.

References

Ethnic groups in Tajikistan {{Tajikistan-stub