This article is devoted to a comprehensive study of ethnopolitical processes in Afghanistan following the establishment of Taliban rule, in comparison with previous historical periods. Contemporary research on Afghanistan has focused primarily on issues of security, human rights, and international politics; however, the ethnopolitical dimension of the changes after 2021 remains relatively underexplored. This is particularly true regarding the role of Tajiks and other non-Pashtun ethnic groups, who, in most international analytical reports, fall outside the central focus. The subject of this study is the dynamics of change in Afghanistan's ethnopolitical processes, especially after 2021, including the stages, mechanisms, and the instrumentalization of religious mobilization for ethnic domination. The aim of the research is to identify the patterns of transformation of ethnopolitical conflicts in Afghanistan after 2021. The study of ethnopolitical processes is based on theories of ethnic conflict, ethnic mobilization, dominant ethnic groups, and political legitimation. The methodological framework of this article includes historical-political and comparative methods, while the empirical basis consists of content analysis and discourse analysis. The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive examination of ethnopolitical processes in Afghanistan under the new Taliban regime after 2021, and in identifying the mechanisms by which Islamic ideology is transformed into a tool for ethnic domination and the legitimation of power. This study identifies the key patterns in the dynamics of ethnopolitical processes, defines the role of Islamic doctrine in legitimizing the political regime, and provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of ethnic domination. The authors confirm that the instrumentalization of Islamic ideology to establish ethnic domination—through a combination of Sharia norms and the Pashtun tribal code of *Pashtunwali*—reinforces the dominance of the Pashtun ethnic group (which holds up to 90% of leadership positions within Taliban structures). At the same time, this article identifies manifestations of discrimination in personnel and language policies, as well as risks of destabilization (including minority discontent, external factors, and the economic crisis). The conclusions emphasize that the absence of a unified national identity, along with persistent ethnic and political fragmentation in contemporary Afghanistan, exacerbates political instability.
Sediqi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.