[1] Previously barren and agricultural, Dashte Barchi became populated in the early 2000s by newcomers from the provinces, mostly ethnic Hazaras from Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, and Parwan, also some Kochi Pashtuns.

[4] While Dashte Barchi was at one point seen as one of the safest neighborhoods in Kabul, attacks by extremist groups starting around 2016 quickly changed its reputation to one of the most dangerous.

[5][6] Due to its majority-Shia population, the district is a constant target for the extremist Sunni militias, most notably the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP).

[8] During and after the First Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Dasht-e Barchi saw a massive influx of Hazara migrants from rural enclaves, most notably Jaghori, Wardak, and Bamiyan.

[8] Barchi's main paved street, named for the Hazara mujahideen commander Abdul Ali Mazari, runs throughout the length of the neighborhood.