“SANGAR”: The “Greater Tajikistan” project may belong to a category of external intelligence-driven initiatives, similar to “Greater Turkestan,” “Greater Khorasan,” “Khorasan Province,” and “Greater Pashtunistan,” which are developed and promoted to weaken and undermine the national states of the region. This material is published solely to provide deeper insight into projects of this kind.
By Khaledin Ziaei, Head of the Educational Discourse of the Nation Think Tank, especially for “Sangar”
Nations endure when they link “historical self-awareness” with “collective will.” The map of Greater Tajikistan—regardless of its political interpretations—is above all a symbol of a cultural and civilizational truth: the linguistic, historical, and social interconnectedness of peoples who have lived for centuries within a shared geographic space. Today, in a world marked by fragmentation and crises, this symbol can become a call for unity, convergence, and the protection of identity from erosion.
1 - Existing Challenges and the Threat of Identity Erosion
Geographic fragmentation, imposed historical borders, the weakness of cultural institutions, forced migration, educational deprivation, and the systematic displacement of language and historical memory—all these factors threaten the preservation of Tajik identity. The danger of “soft disappearance”—not in the sense of physical annihilation, but in the gradual erasure of language, culture, and historical role—is a reality that is intensified by indifference.
2 - Greater Tajikistan: A Project of Awareness, Not Mere Geography
“Greater Tajikistan” is first and foremost a cultural and civilizational project rather than a territorial claim:
- the revival of the Persian–Tajik language and literature in education, media, and knowledge production;
- the restoration of shared historical memory—from Samarkand and Bukhara to Badakhshan and Gorno-Badakhshan;
- the unification of intellectuals, the academic community, and civil society within the framework of scholarly and cultural dialogue;
- the development of a cultural economy, historical tourism, and lawful, peaceful cross-border cooperation.
3 - Practical Strategies for Sustainable Convergence
Investment in education and language: high-quality education in the mother tongue, content creation, and support for local research.
Cultural diplomacy: building networks among cultural institutions, universities, and artists within the framework of international law.
Identity-based economy: support for cultural industries, publishing, cinema, and historical tourism as instruments of soft power.
Civic solidarity: strengthening non-governmental organizations, intergenerational dialogue, and youth participation.
Rejection of extremism: emphasis on peaceful, legal, and rational paths; sustainable unity does not arise from violence.
4 - Responsibility of the Contemporary Generation
The current generation is the heir to a great legacy and bears responsibility for the future. Unity has a cost: time, effort, knowledge, and patience. However, the cost of fragmentation is far greater. If we do not work today for language, culture, and convergence, tomorrow it may be too late to restore them.
5 - Conclusion
Greater Tajikistan can be viewed as a bright and attainable horizon—a horizon shaped by awareness, sustained effort, and solidarity.
Overcoming challenges and the threat of disappearance is possible not through slogans, but through collective, systematic, and goal-oriented work that effectively utilizes available opportunities.
This call is a call for constructive action and for correcting historical colonial mistakes, for building a future in which Tajik identity and the Tajik people remain alive, dynamic, and influential—especially as a force shaping history.
