AFGHANISTAN Spring 2005
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Watch as riders play the ancient game of Buzkashi, a galloping gauntlet that’s part polo, part rugby and all warfare. |
Haseeb shifts left and spreads his feet to avoid the crush of a trampling hoof from his dapple-white horse.
“These days simple things get him excited,” Haseeb explains, as he picks up a loose rein and strokes the gelding’s neck to calm him. “The weather is warmer,” he says, with eyes showing his own excitement. “He can tell things are changing. Spring, the competitions, are almost here.”
Haseeb is a professional “chopendoz,” or horseman, in Afghanistan. He spends part of each year preparing for the coming weeks when Afghanistan celebrates Navrouz, the Persian new year.
In the United States, college football bowl games reign as an icon of new year's celebration. In Afghanistan, “buzkashi” is king.
During the first weeks of the new year, villages and towns across Afghanistan shut down when buzkashi starts up. Thousands of men and boys gather each afternoon at the edges of open fields to watch this fierce competition.
Horsemen have played buzkashi on the steppes of Afghanistan and Central Asia for centuries. Since the days of Genghis Khan in the 13th century, horsemen have tested one another’s courage and skill in this galloping gauntlet that’s part polo, part rugby and all warfare, explains “Todd,” a worker who has served in the country for more than five years.
“The game reflects the country,” Todd said. “The struggle to survive is intense here. This is still a fragile time, but things have gotten so much better. You can see that things are starting to improve. People are hopeful about the future, but it all can change in a heartbeat.”
But come March 21st when Afghans celebrate their new year, worries about the future give way to present pursuits of glory.
“For me, there’s nothing like it in the world,” Haseeb says. “Boys and grown men dream about winning a game. If you fight your way into the ring just once, you will never forget it for the rest of your life.”
The ring Haseeb dreams about is a large circle, about 10 feet across, marked out on the ground. It’s called the “hallal,” which means “circle of justice.” About one hundred yards to the right of the hallal is a pole or flag, and sometimes far to the left is another.
The object of the game is for one rider to grab the carcass of a goat or calf, called the “boz” (pronounced “buzz”), from within the hallal, race around one or both poles, and return the boz to the circle. All the other riders try to prevent this by attacking the first rider and attempting to steal the boz away. Smaller games involve a dozen or so riders, but major new year’s day events can draw upwards of one hundred riders.
The game is said to have rules, yet to the outside observer it seems that anything goes as men and horses clash in a turmoil of whips, hooves and clouds of dust.
Only the most aggressive of riders manages to capture the boz. As soon as he takes hold of the carcass and tugs it up from the ground, he will struggle to break free of the pack of riders.
Most chopendoz wear tall leather boots, a long quilted jacket and a fur hat. However, some riders have traded in their traditional hats for padded Soviet tank helmets.
The riders carry short leather whips they use to not only whip their horses but also other riders, especially the one carrying the boz. There was a time when riders also carried knives, using them to stab an opponent’s horse or a rider who attempted to steal the boz. Deaths were not uncommon in the past. Today’s games are not as lethal, yet crushed and broken bones remain a fixture of the competition.
There is strategy in the game. Occasionally a spontaneous alliance forms and a group of riders set up a block for the man with the boz. Mounted offensive linemen change into an attacking pack, allowing the rider with the boz to make an end run toward the hallal. If the maneuver fails, the action may return to a melee with each man fighting for himself.
Games flow between times of packed commotion and breakaway sprints. Each time the boz falls to the ground, surrounding riders race to it and fight from horseback for the prize. In a matter of seconds a struggle between two or three riders will grow into a rugby-like scrum where dozens of horses pile into one another in a controlled riot. The pack boils and churns until the next breakaway.
A single match may last three or more hours and playing field boundaries are mere suggestions. During most games, packs of horses pile right into groups of fans. This is a real crowd pleaser, except for the unfortunate few who find themselves tangled up under pummeling hooves.
Eventually one rider prevails and lugs the boz into the ring. Fans then get their turn to break into a riot, with some of the most exuberant followers running onto the field and even right into the pack of horses. The winning rider then takes a victory lap, prompting fans to toss money into air. A small entourage of footmen trail behind, collecting the hard-earned honorariums.
Haseeb longs for just such a day. Todd, however, thinks about another hope. He is reminded of Psalm 147:10.
“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man. The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
*Names changed to protect believers.
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Pray for Afghanistan
Southern Baptist workers in the region need your prayers. They ask that you pray for the people of this troubled land.
Pray for the new Afghan government. Pray that these first, tentative steps of democracy will bring stability and peace. Pray that God will give wisdom and discernment to those in positions of authority.
Pray that more people will gain access to medical care in Afghanistan. Tuberculosis remains a deadly reality for many in this developing country. Pray for workers who are helping fight this disease, which kills more than 20,000 Afghans each year.
Pray for the people groups in Afghanistan's east provinces. One of the largest people groups in this area are the Pashtuns, who account for about 38 percent of the Afghan population. These eastern provinces remain nearly closed to the gospel. Ask God to provide an opening in this difficult part of the world.
Pray for the peoples of Afghanistan
Aimaq :: Hazara :: Pakhtun :: Taji