Shirin’s Petition: an Enslaved Hazara Woman’s Quest for Justice in the Late 19th Century

Abstract This article examines the life of an enslaved woman named Shirin, the daughter of Mir Muhammad ʿAzim Big, who was captured during the Afghan state’s war against the Hazaras (1891–1893). While in captivity, Shirin petitioned the Afghan government regarding the circumstances under which her family’s properties were seized. Drawing on documents from the National Archives of Afghanistan, colonial archives, and oral accounts, among other sources, this article reconstructs the life of Shirin and her family from the start of the war to its tragic conclusion. We argue that Shirin’s petition not only highlights her legal struggles with Afghan bureaucracy but also offers a rare glimpse into the Hazara War from the perspective of an enslaved woman who, along with her family, endured immense injustices. A contribution to the history of slavery in Afghanistan, this article also presents the full texts of the petition and the Afghan amir’s response to it.