Zerok District ( ps, زېړوک ولسوالۍ), also spelled Zirok, is a district of

Paktika Province Paktika (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktika has a population of about 789,000, mostly ethnic Pashtuns. The town of Sharana ...

that once was a part of

Paktia Paktia (Pashto/Dari: – ''Paktyā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly 6 ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. The main town is

Zerok Zēṛōk ( ps, زېړوک) is the main town of Zerok District in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.Khost Khōst ( ps, خوست) is the capital of Khost Province in Afghanistan. It is the largest city in the southeastern part of the country, and also the largest in the region of Loya Paktia. To the south and east of Khost lie Waziristan and Kurram in ...

Urgun Urgun ( ps, ارګون) is the main town of the Urgun District of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. With an estimated population of 10,665,Spera District Spera District is situated in the most southwestern part of Khost Province, Afghanistan. It borders with Paktia Province to the south and west, Shamal District to the north. The district is within the heartland of the Zadran tribe of Pashtuns. To ...

Khost province Khost (Pashto/Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southeastern part of the country. Khost consists of thirteen districts and the city of Khost serves as the capital of the province. To the east, Khost Province is bord ...

, to the southwest by

Nika District Nika District ( ps, نکه ولسوالۍ, fa, ولسوالی نکه), also known as Naka, is one of the most remote districts in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. It lies in a bowl-shaped valley and is only accessible by a few rocky river beds and ...

, to the west by

Urgun District Urgun ( ps, ارګون ولسوالۍ, fa, ولسوالی ارگون) is a district of the remote Paktika Province in Afghanistan. Administrative seat The administrative seat of this district is the like-named town of Urgun, also known as ''Loy ...

and to the north by

Waziristan Waziristan (Pashto and ur, , "land of the Wazir") is a mountainous region covering the former FATA agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan which are now districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Waziristan covers some . ...

. The district has a population of roughly 43,190. The district is within the heartland of the Zadran tribe of

Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

. The people speak

Pashto Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani (). Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...

with Zadran accent.

Notables

Brigadier general Dawlat khan Zadran is the famous military person, whose is the chief of police in paktika province. Other elders (مشران) of Zerok are Abdul Manan, Gharanai, Haj and Saib Gul. The former top elder Abdu Rehman was also valued by tribes outside Zerok for his ability to resolve complicated issues. Mathiullah (famous with Gul Baz) was a former Jihadi commander. Noorullah Zadran was a former vice representative for the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. Mawlawi Sangin was a

Commander. Assistant Professor Saminullah Sameem Zadran teaches at

Shaikh Zayed University Shaikh Zayed University (SZU; ps, ), also known as Khost University ( ps, ), is a public university in the city of Khost, southeastern Afghanistan. With its original name "Afghan University Peshawar", it was initially established in 2000 in Pe ...

( ps, شیخ زاید پوهنتون).

Demographics

Tribally, the people of Zerok are anikhon Khail, but there are some sub-tribes including: * Soorai (سوری) * Schawzai (شوزی) * Madakai (مدکی) * Alamai (عالمی) * Khudkai (خودکی) * Inbikai (انبکی) * Dabb (ډاب کلی) Dabb is the capital (district centre) of Zerok district. It hosts the District Governor's office, the police headquarters, and a US

Forward Operating Base A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward Operational level of war, operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. A FOB may or may not contain an airfi ...

(FOB). Some people live outside the villages near the corner of Zerok's basin. These dwellings are called Kasski ( ps, کهاڅکی). 'Soorgul Kaskai' is located in the west of Zerok and belongs to the Schawzi tribe. The people are united and lesson to their elder. Generosity and hospitality are the other characteristics that are found in Zerok society. Zerok green site

Education

Zerok is known for its interest in modern education. Zerok also has a high number of graduates. The level of education and the percentage of educated people is not higher to compare to other districts such as

Urgun Urgun ( ps, ارګون) is the main town of the Urgun District of Paktika Province, Afghanistan. With an estimated population of 10,665,US base. Students and teachers left their school building because of a possible Taliban mortar missile.

Economy

The economy of Zerok is mainly based on mountains and cultivation. Zerok's mountains contain pine fruit which is comparatively expensive dry fruit. The area of Zerok's mountains is large and enough part is received by each family. When the pine crop is ripe, the elders prepare to divide it according to the number of male persons. In this area, mountains belong to common people not to the government. Each year the pine crops are divided among people. Each person receives a dadai, a certain area or a certain amount of pine trees. This is calculated according to male persons. Women are not calculated for achieving any dadai. Once divided, people go to mountains group by group for harvesting or collecting the pine fruit. It takes 15–30 days to collect the fruit. During this time people live in tents. After harvesting, the cones of pine trees are then put in sunlight in order to prepare for releasing the seeds (fruit). The fruit is then put in sacks and sold in markets. Other crops such as wheat, beans, maize, peas and vegetables such as spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and potatoes are also grown. Other sources for the economy outside of agriculture are truck driving, trade and cattle keeping. Pine Tree with Cones in Paktika

Village life

The life of the people is very simple. People wake up early in the morning and usually at least one person per family go to mountains to bring wood for burning and oak branches for cattle. Zerok's tall mountains are covered with trees and birds. In winter, the mountains are completely covered by snow. Homes are made of mud and stone and due to lack of land, they are built in two and three stories. The villagers sit on the way (piles of small stones) (وړۍ) near shops and have

green tea Green tea is a type of tea that is made from '' Camellia sinensis'' leaves and buds that have not undergone the same withering and oxidation process which is used to make oolong teas and black teas. Green tea originated in China, and since the ...

with sweets in their free time. They wear traditional clothes, waist-coats,

turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...

s (لونګۍ) and boots.

Wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

and

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

ceremonies are also performed according to tradition. Women sing songs, while men dance with local

Attan Attan ( ps, اتڼ) is a traditional dance originating from the tribal Pashtun regions of Afghanistan and North Western Pakistan. It is now considered the national dance of Afghanistan. Some believe it has spiritual roots connecting it to Zoro ...

( ps, اتڼ).

Traditions

As the people living here belong to

Loya Paktia Lōya Paktiā ( ps, لويه پکتيا; lit. Greater Paktia) is a historical and cultural region of Afghanistan, comprising the modern Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktia, and Paktika, as well as parts of Logar

, very old traditions are still alive in this society. We can mention the following for examples:"Interview script of Sahib Gul, 02.11.2013", Ziruk District Wedding واده: According to the local elder Sahib Gul, the ceremony performed in weddings is of very old traditions. A boy and girl are not allowed to have any type of relations before the wedding. Neither boys nor girls are allowed to perform any kind of action for their engagement. The engagement decision is in their parent's hands. Usually, the mother of a boy goes any home to ask for the relation of any girl to her son. Once the girl engaged to a boy after sometime marriage ceremony is performed. On the day of marriage, women sing songs while men perform their local Attan. Guns are also fired into the air at some weddings. The bride is decorated by her girlfriends in her home. After her decoration, she is woken up by her brother-in-law usually. The

dowry A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment b ...

is loaded in trucks and brought to the bridegroom's home along with the people singing on the way. The bridegroom is decorated with confetti and well suited as well. As in European and other countries, there is no

honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

in Zerok and in all Zadran tribe. Once the bride has reached the bridegroom's home, women sing songs and the men dance to drum with the local Attan. The people ( ps, وریڅي) are served food (dinner or lunch). Rose in ziruk morning

Akhtar or Eid اختر: As in other

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

tribes, people in Ziruk also celebrate Akhtar or Eid ( ps, اختر ) with great preparations. Children are mostly involved in this regard. There are two Eids in a year; Eidul Adha ( ps, لوی اختر) and Eidul Fitar ( ps, کوچنی اختر ). Children make early preparations for celebrating Akhtar. They collect wood, used tires etc. ( ps, اورګن) for burning fire on the Akhtar night. Women and children decorate hands with

henna Henna is a dye prepared from the plant ''Lawsonia inermis'', also known as the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet, the sole species of the genus ''Lawsonia''. ''Henna'' can also refer to the temporary body art resulting fr ...

( ps, نکریزې). They collect money from neighbors on the Akhtar night. In the morning (on the first day of Akhtar) they collect sweets ( ps, خوانی) and money from their relatives. Adults pray the Akhtar prayer on the first day of Akhtar. People walk home to eat lunch. Zerok's famous dish 'rice with peas' ( ps, کونډېل) is mostly welcomed on this day. Youths play by hitting eggs with each other. Akhtar is celebrated for three days. Funeral ceremony د جنازې مراسم: The people are very supportive during death ceremonies. If someone dies, the owner announces the death to the villagers through the mosques' loudspeakers. For three days the owner of the dead is not allowed to cook anything in their home. Dinner, lunch and breakfast are given by neighbours. The government does not support. The relatives of the dead are noticed and as soon as they reach and see their dead relative, start to cry. The dead are buried after the deceased is seen by almost all of their relatives and friends. After the burial, a suitable amount of money is divided among people as the charity for the dead. Pagara پګړه یا اشر: When someone needs to do any hard task and he or she can not do it alone or want to do it in short time, or if there is a public work such as constructing a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, road, water canal etc. then people are collected in a group shape called Pagara ( ps, پګړه یا اشر ). With the help of Pagara, a very hard task is completed in a short time. Narkh نرخ: Narkh is the local law made by the elders of the whole Zadran region. When there is a dispute between two persons or tribes then the issue or dispute is solved according to Narkh. If the Narkhchyan (The people who solve issues and know about Narkh) blame someone or any side, they have two options- to accept or reject. In case of acceptance, the issue is solved while in case of rejection the opponents find other Narkhchyan and want to challenge the former Narkhchi. Narkhchi نرخ ویونکی: The people who know more about Narkh and can solve issues. An amount of money called Bedona is given to them. The plural for Narkhchi is Narkhchyan. Bedona بدونا: The amount of money given to Narkhchi is called Bedona. Amount of Bedona is selected by Narkhchyan. Nanawathy ننوتي: If any conflict occurs between two persons or tribes e.g. one person or tribe kill anybody from another, then a

ram Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * Ra ...

bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

is brought and slaughtered by the murderer to the murdered relatives' home for rehabilitation. If it is accepted by the relatives of the murdered then the dispute is peacefully solved otherwise Badi is caused between them. Badi بدي: Badi is the enmity between two opponents. Chigha چیغه: When something dangerous or illegal has happened to one of the villagers, e.g. other villagers have beaten or killed someone. In such cases, the people collectively come out of their homes and try to catch the criminals. Chigha is formed in extreme emergency situations.

Shrines

The people of Zerok are religious. They accept those as

saints In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...

who seem sinless in the society. They believe saints are close to

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...

and when they pray, Allah accepts it soon. When such people die, their graves are made as tombs and people go there and alongside pray to Allah when they want something special. They believe Allah accepts the demands of those better who begin

shrines A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

. There are many shrines in Zerok but the famous one is Kari shrine ( ps, قاري زیارت).

Folklore

The people of Zerok have interesting beliefs, music, oral poetry, jokes and stories.

Beliefs

Eye blinking: Eye blinking is supposed as remembering of someones by others. When someone's eye start to blink he/she says someone remembers me. People think they are praised somewhere. Crow's caw: When a

crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifical ...

caws on the top of someone's home or on a tree near the home, they think someone has come home. The caw is believed as a message of any guest coming.

Sport and hobby

There are different plays played by residents according to season. The most famous hobbies are

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

( ps, غېږ نیونه), Andai ( ps, انډۍ),

marbles A marble is a small spherical object often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic, or agate. They vary in size, and most commonly are about in diameter. These toys can be used for a variety of games called ''marbles'', as well being placed in mar ...

( ps, مړدکۍ ), and

checkers Checkers (American English), also known as draughts (; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers ...

( ps, خطکی). Those who do not play pass their time in tea shops. They order black and green tea along with sweets and sit down in circles. They share the daily news and joke with each other.

References

{{Paktika Province Districts of Paktika Province