This is a list of notable people from the Tajik ethnic group, an Eastern Iranic people native to modern day Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. This list also includes other closely associated ethnicities to Tajiks.
Politics
- Sultan Pakhal Gibari - Founder of Sultanate of Swat, basically from Gibari (Magi) tribe of old Tajiks.
- Rustam Emomali, Mayor of Dushanbe and the eldest son of president Emomali Rahmon
- Habibullah Kalakani, former King of Afghanistan
- Abdurahmon Karimov, political party chairman in Tajikistan
- Jamshed Karimov, former Prime Minister of Tajikistan and a cousin of former President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov
- Ahmed Shah Massoud, Commander and Mujahideen in Afghanistan, assassinated by Al Qaeda
- Rahmon Nabiyev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Tajikistan and two time President of Tajikistan
- Burhanuddin Rabbani, former President of Afghanistan
- Emomali Rahmon, current President of Tajikistan
- Kokhir Rasulzoda, current Prime Minister of Tajikistan
- Fawzia Koofi, politician, writer
- Anahita Ratebzad, a socialist and Marxist-Leninist politician
- Meena Keshwar Kamal, Feminist and human rights activist
- Faiz Ahmad, politician
- Abdul Latif Pedram, politician and a Member of Parliament in Afghanistan
- Atta Muhammad Nur, politician
- Ahmad Massoud, politician and the founder of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan
- Ahmad Zia Massoud, politician
- Shirinsho Shotemur, a founding father of Tajikistan
- Amrullah Saleh, former Vice President of Afghanistan
- Sayid Abdulloh Nuri, founder and leader of Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan
Military
- Sherali Mirzo, Minister of Defense since November 2013
- Emomali Sobirzoda, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan
- Negmatullo Kurbanov, Commanding Officer of the Tajik Internal Troops
- Abduhalim Nazarzoda, former Deputy Minister of Defense
- Latif Fayziyev, Commander of the Tajik Mobile Forces
- Saimumin Yatimov, Chairman of the State Committee for National Security
- Ramazon Rahimov, Minister of Internal Affairs
- Gulmurod Khalimov, lieutenant-colonel when commander of the police special forces of the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan until 2015, he then defected to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Ismail Khan, Former Minister of Water and Energy and Governor of Herat
- Ahmad Shah Massoud, Afghan military personnel. Fought in the Afghan-soviet war and then the Afghan civil wars. He was famously named the lion of Panjshir
- Mohammad Qasim Fahim, former Marshal of Afghanistan, former Minister of Defense of Afghanistan and former Vice President
- Mir Masjidi Khan, Resistance leader against the British Empire in the First Anglo-Afghan War
- Mir Bacha Khan Kohdamani, Resistance leader against the British Empire in the Second Anglo-Afghan War
- Sayyid Husayn, former Minister of Defense and Saqqawist leader
- Purdil Khan, former Marshal and Minister of Defense of Afghanistan, Saqqawist leader
- Faizal Maksum, Tajik Basmachi Leader
- Bismillah Khan, Former Minister of Defense
Sports
- Farshad Noor, Professional football player
- Omid Musawi, Professional football player
- Omran Haydary, Professional football player
- Sharif Nazarov, football coach
- Alisher Chingizov, Professional swimmer
- Sherali Dostiev, Professional boxer currently competing in AIBA’s Light flyweight division
- Shamil Aliev, Former professional wrestler who competed in the men's light heavyweight category
- Farzad Mansouri, Taekwondo fighter
- Somon Makhmadbekov, Professional judoka wrestler who came 3rd place in 2024 Summer Olympics of Paris in the Men’s 81 kg event
- Nematullo Asranqulov, Professional Judoka wrestler who won a silver medal for his division (middleweight) at the 2007 Asian Judo Championships
- Temur Rakhimov, Professional Judoka wrestler who won bronze medal at 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris’s Men's +100 kg event
- Rasul Boqiev, Professional Judoka wrestler who won bronze medal at the 2007 World Judo Championships. Tajikistan's first ever Olympic medal, at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Komronshokh Ustopiriyon, Professional Judoka wrestler who competed in 2016 Summer Olympics of Rio de Janeiro and won 2 gold medals (2016, 2017) in Asian Judo Championships’s middleweight class
- Mukhamadmurod Abdurakhmonov, Judoka wrestler who competed in 2016 Summer Olympics’s Men's +100 kg event
- Sherali Bozorov, Professional Judoka wrestler who won a silver medal for his division (Half-Middleweight) at the 2007 Asian Judo Championships
- Saidahtam Rahimov, Professional Judoka wrestler who competed in the men's heavyweight event at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Khayrullo Nazriev, Professional Judoka wrestler who competed in the men's half-heavyweight event at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Akmal Murodov, Professional Judoka wrestler who represented Tajikistan in the men's 81 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Behruzi Khojazoda, Professional sambist and Judoka wrestler
- Khushqadam Khusravov, Professional sambist and Judoka wrestler
- Rustam Boqiev, Professional judoka wrestler
- Rauf Hukmatov, Professional judoka wrestler
- Parviz Sobirov, Professional judoka wrestler
- Makhmud Muradov, Professional MMA fighter who competed in the UFC’s Middleweight division
- Abdul Azim Badakhshi, Former professional MMA fighter and Kickboxer
- Siyar Bahadurzada, Former professional MMA fighter who competed in the UFC’s Welterweight division
- Muhammad Naimov, Professional MMA fighter who currently competes in the UFC’s Featherweight division
Business
- Rus Yusupov, co-founder of Vine and the co-founder and CEO of HQ Trivia
- Roya Mahboob, businesswoman
- Mahmoud Saikal, a Tajik diplomat and international development specialist
- Manizha Wafeq, businesswoman
Musicians and singers
Main article: List of Tajik musiciansEntertainment
- Malika Kalontarova, Tajik-American actress
- Manizha
- Mayram Isoeva
- Gulchehra Baqoeva
- Bozgul Isoeva, ballet dancer
- Katerina Izmailova, 3-time Olympic swimmer
- Hammasa Kohistani, model
Literature Figures
Authors and poets
- Khalilullah Khalili
- Sadriddin Ayni
- Mirzo Tursunzoda
- Layeq Sherali
- Farzona
- Timur Zulfikarov
- Makhfi Badakhshi
- Asad Gulzoda
- Mirsaid Mirshakar
- Gulrukhsor Safieva
- Roziya Ozod
- Gulnazar Keldi
- Gulchihra Sulaymonova
- Zulfiya Atoulloeva
- Abdumalik Bahori
- Latofat Kenjaeva
- Iskandar Khatloni
- Mavjuda Hakimova
- Ozod Aminova
- Khursheda Otakhonova
- Hadisa Qurbonova
- Payrav Sulaymoni
- Qahar Asi
Arts and culture
- Murivat Bekhnazarov
- Zuhur Habibullaev
- Rohat Nabieva Tajikistani historian
- Zakir Sabirov
- Suleiman Sharifi
Science
- Salizhan Sharipov, cosmonaut
- Mohammed dawran, cosmonaut
- Ghulam Faroq Nijrabi
- Nazif Shahrani
See also
References
- Bellew, Henry Walter. "An inquiry into the ethnography of Afghanistan, prepared and presented to the Ninth International Congress of Orientalists (1891)".
- "Tajikistan". The World Factbook. CIA. 2002. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2010.