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Kandahar
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Kandahar, also spelled Qandahar, (Pashto and DARI: ?????? or ??????) is the third largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 (2006 estimate). It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m (3,297 feet) above sea level. The Arghandab River runs right next to the city.
Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco.
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Encyclopedia
Kandahar, also spelled Qandahar, (Pashto and DARI: ?????? or ??????) is the third largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 (2006 estimate). It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m (3,297 feet) above sea level. The Arghandab River runs right next to the city.
Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. The region produces fine fruits, especially pomegranates and grapes, and the city has plants for canning, drying, and packing fruit. Kandahar has an international airport and extensive road links with Farah and Herat to the west, Ghazni and Kabul to the northeast, Tarin Kowt to the north, and Quetta in Pakistan to the south.
Many empires have long fought over the city, due to its strategic location along the trade routes of Southern and Central Asia. In 1748, Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Durrani Empire, made Kandahar the capital of Afghanistan.
Ethnography
Kandahar is primarily a Pashto-speaking city. DARI-speakers, such as ] and Hazara, form a minority. The DARIWAN are found not just in the city as the Hazara are, but also in the mixed communities to the west and southwest of environs of the city. It seems that the city has been losing the DARIWAN and gaining Pashtuns since it was rebuilt alongside the ancient city by the Afsharid king of DARI, Nader Shah after he destroyed the historic Kandahar with artillery fire in 1738.
Climate
Kandahar has an arid, continental climate characterized by little precipitation and high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers start in mid-May, last until late-September, and are extremely dry. They peak in June with average temperatures of around 32oC (90oF). They are followed by a dry autumn from early-October to late-November with average temperatures sliding from 18oC (64oF) to 9C (48oF).
Winter starts in December and sees most of the precipitation in the form of snow. Temperatures average around 5-8oC (42 - 46oF), although lows can drop well below freezing. They end in early-March and are followed by a pleasant spring till late-April with temperatures in the 15oC (60oF) range.
Name
Kandahar may have been derived from Gandhara, the name of an ancient kingdom and its capital city located between the Hindukush and Sulaiman Mountains (basically identical to the modern extend of the Pashtun-inhabited territories in Pakistan and Afghanistan and a former satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire, although Kandahar in modern times and the ancient Gandhara are not totally identical, geographically.. A folk-etymology deriving the name of the city from the garbling of Alexander's name, is just a modern folklore. A temple to the deified Alexander as well as an inscription in Greek and Aramaic by the emperor Ashoka, who lived a few decades later, have been discovered in the old citadel.
History
Prehistory
Excavations of prehistoric sites by Louis Dupree, the University of Pennsylvania, the Smithsonian Institution, and others suggest that the region around Kandahar is one of the oldest human settlements known so far. Dupree writes:
Hellenistic era
Kandahar was founded in 330 BC by Alexander the Great, near the site of the ancient city of Mundigak (established around 3000 BC). Previously, the city was the provincial capital of Arachosia and was ruled by the Achaemenid Empire. The main inhabitants of Arachosia were the Pactyans, an ancient Iranian tribe, who were probably one of the ancestors of today's Pashtuns. Kandahar was named Alexandria, a popular name given to many cities that Alexander founded or refounded during his conquests.
The city has been a frequent target for conquest because of its strategic location in Southern Asia, controlling the main trade route linking the Indian subcontinent with the Middle East, Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. It later became part of the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, after the departure of Alexander. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka erected a pillar there with a bilingual inscription in Greek and Aramaic. The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom occupied Kandahar after the Mauryans, but then lost the city to the Indo-Greek Kingdom.
Buddhist and Hindu era
Qandahar is derived from Gandhara, (Sanskrit): ??????, is the name of an ancient kingdom (Mahajanapada), located in northern Pakistan, Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. Gandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau (see Taxila) and on the Kabul River. Its main cities were Purushapura (modern Peshawar), literally meaning City of Man and Takshashila (modern Taxila).
The Kingdom of Gandhara lasted from c. the 6th century BC to the 11th century AD. It attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Buddhist Turki Shahi Kings. The Hindu Shahi, a term used by history writer Al-Biruni to refer to the ruling Hindu dynasty that took over from the Turki Shahi and ruled the region during the period prior to Muslim conquests of the tenth and eleventh centuries.After it was conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni in AD 1021, the name Gandhara disappeared.
Islamic conquest
In the 7th century AD, Arab armies brought the new religion of Islam to the region but were unable to succeed in fully converting the population. In 870 AD, Yaqub ibn Layth Saffari, a local ruler of the Saffarid dynasty in Seistan, conquered Kandahar and the rest of the nearby regions in the name of Islam. Dupree writes:
Kandahar was taken by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the 11th century. In the 13th century it was invaded by Genghis Khan and his Mongol armies. It became part of the Timurid Empire during the 14th century and 15th century, which was founded by Tamerlane. Pir Muhammad, grandson of Tamerlane, held the seat of government in Kandahar from about 1383 until his death in 1407. Following Pir Mohammad's death, the city was ruled by other Timurids. In the late 15th century Kandahar was entrusted to the Arghuns, who eventually achieved independence from the Timurids.
Tamerlane's descendant, Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, annexed Kandahar in the 16th century. Babur's son, Humayun, lost it to the Shah of Persia. Humayun's son, Akbar, regained control of Kandahar but by the early 1700s subsequent Mughal emperors lost the territory once again to the Persians.
Modern history
Mirwais Khan Hotak, a local Afghan (Pashtun) from the Ghilzai clan, revolted and killed Gurgin Khan, the Georgian governor who ruled in the name of the Persian Shah. Mirwais Khan defeated a subsequent expedition by Gurgin's nephew Kay Khusraw and succefully resisted attempts by the Persian government to convert the local people from Sunni to the Shia version of Islam. Mirwais Khan remained in power until his death in 1715 and was succeeded by his son, Mir Mahmud Hotaki.
In 1722, Mir Mahmud led an army of Afghans to Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Persia and proclaimed himself King of Persia. The Hotaki dynasty was eventually removed from power by a new ruler, Nader Shah Afshar, who totally destroyed Kandahar by artillery fire in 1738. Removing the surviving inhabitant, Nader Shah built a new town to the west of the ancient city, naming it after himself, "Naderabad." Modern Kandahar is Naderabad that has retrieved the ancient name. As such, there are no buildings older than 1738 in the city, as all that existed were leveled with artillery fire in the ancient Kandahar. Only the ruins of the old citadel can one find marks of the ancient, destroyed city. Nader was assassinated nine years later in 1747 by his own officers, while on yet another campaign. A trusted officer and his treasurer, Ahmad Khan Abdali fled the camp within hours of Nader's assassination, fearing for his life. He carried off a good portion of the treasury that was under his supervision. The wealth proved an indispensable windfall for him when he returned to Kandahar and set out to create a state for himself
Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun and chief of the Abdali clan, gained control of Kandahar in 1747 and made it the capital of his new Afghan Empire. Previously, Ahmad Shah served as a military commander and personal bodyguard of Nader Shah of Persia. His empire included present-day Afghanistan, the souther provinces of the then Soviet Russia, Pakistan, and Kohistan provinces of Iran. In October 1772, Ahmad Shah retired to his home in Maruf, Kandahar, where he died peacefully. The (now) "Old City" was laid out by Ahmad Shah and is dominated by his mausoleum. Between 1773-76, his eldest son Timur Shah Durrani transferred the capital of Afghanistan from Kandahar to Kabul, where the Durrani legacy continued.
- "Under the shimmering turquoise dome that dominates the sand-blown city [of Kandahar] lies the body of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the young Kandahari warrior who in 1747 became Afghanistan's (then Khorasan) Pashtun first king, crowned by Saber Shah Kabuli. The mausoleum is covered in deep blue and white tiles behind a small grove of trees, one of which is said to cure toothache, and is a place of pilgrimage. In front of it is a small mosque with a marble vault containing one of the holiest relics in the Islamic World, a kherqa, the Sacred Cloak of Prophet Mohammed that was given to Ahmad Shah by Murad Beg, the Emir of Bokhara. The Sacred Cloak is kept locked away, taken out only at times of great crisis1 but the mausoleum is open and there is a constant line of men leaving their sandals at the door and shuffling through to marvel at the surprisingly long marble tomb and touch the glass case containing Ahmad Shah's brass helmet. Before leaving they bend to kiss a length of pink velvet said to be from his robe. It bears the unmistakable scent of jasmine.
1 Until Mullah Omar took it out in November 1996 and displayed it to a crowd of ulema of religious scholars to have himself declared Amir al-Mu'mineen, (Commander of the Faithful), the last time had been when the city was struck by a cholera epidemic in the 1930s."
Kandahar was in the last 3 decades a center of jihad and Mujahideen activities, as well that of Taliban terrorists and Al-Kaida. On 28th Muharram 1242 Hijri (September 2, 1826) Syed Ahmad Shaheed's forces reached Kandahar en route to Peshawar. Their purpose was to wage jihad against the Sikh kingdom of Ranjit Singh and aid their fellow Pashtuns of the N.W.F.P. Within a few days more than 400 Kandharians presented themselves for the jihad, out of whom 270 were selected. Sayed Deen Muhammad Kandharai was appointed their leader.
British and Indian forces from British India occupied the city in 1839, during the first Anglo-Afghan war. They were forced to withdraw approximately three years later, in 1842. The British and Indian forces returned in 1878 during the second Anglo-Afghan war. They emerged from the city in July 1880 to confront Ayub Khan, but were heavily defeated at the Battle of Maiwand. They were again forced to withdraw a few years later, despite winning a battle near the city (see Battle of Kandahar). Kandahar remained peaceful for the next 100 years.
In the 1960s, Kandahar International Airport was built, with the help of the United States Agency for International Development, 10 miles (16 kilometers) south-east of the city. It was used by the Red Army during their ten-year occupation of the country. As of 2001, the airport is used by the US and NATO forces as a military base.This very Airport received the Highjacked Indian Airlines IC814 on 30 December 1999.
During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), Kandahar was under Soviet command and witnessed heavy fighting. Soviet troops surrounded the city, and subjected it to a heavy artillery and air bombardment in which many civilians lost their lives. After the Soviet withdrawal and the fall of Najibullah's government in 1992, Kandahar fell into the hands of a local militia leader (Gul Agha Sherzai).
In August 1994, the Taliban captured Kandahar and turned the city into their capital. Since their removal in late 2001, smaller bands have spread throughout the nearby provinces. Kandahar once again came under the control of Gul Agha Sherzai, who had controlled the province and city before the rise of the Taliban, and was credited with permitting the same corruption that first fueled the growth of the Taliban. Sherzai was transferred in 2003 and replaced by Yusuf Pashtun until the current Asadullah Khalid took the post in 2005.
The military of Afghanistan, which is supported by US-NATO forces, has gradually expanded its authority and presence throughout most of the country. Kandahar is in full control of the new Afghan government, which is led by US-backed President Hamid Karzai. The Canadian Forces maintain their military command headquarters at Kandahar, being the main NATO-led security force in the province.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Kandahar International Airport has been used by the NATO forces to deliver troops and humanitarian supplies since late 2001. Repairs and upgrades also occurred during that period; the airport re-opened for civilian use in late 2006.
Commuters of the city use the public bus system (Millie Bus), and yellow taxicabs are common. Private vehicle use is increasing, partially due to road and highway improvements. Large dealerships are importing cars from Dubai, UAE.
A proposed rail link is being studied to establish a rail link to neighboring Pakistan to help facilitate trade and commerce between the two nations. Kandahar is connected by roads to the capital Kabul and to Quetta in neighboring Pakistan where many of the Kandahari Pashtun tribesmen have set up shop and settled. Due to the ongoing war the route to Kabul has become increasingly dangerous as insurgent attacks on convoys and destruction of bridges make it an unreliable link between the two cities.
Communications and technology
Telecommunication services in the city are provided by InstaTelecom, Afghan Wireless, Roshan, Etisalat and Areeba mobile companies. In November 2006, the Afghan Ministry of Communications signed a US 64.5 million dollar agreement with a company (ZTE Corporation) for the establishment of a countrywide fiber optical cable network. This will improve telephone, internet, television and radio broadcast services not just in Kandahar but throughout the country.
Besides foreign channels, Afghanistan's local television channels include:
Reconstruction and developments
Due to almost 30 years of destruction and no development, Kandahar (along with the rest of the country) is going through a nationwide reconstruction period. As of 2002, large amounts of money have been pouring in for construction purposes. New modern-style buildings are slowly replacing the older ones. Kandahar's major highways were repaired and completed including the highway to Kabul. However, work on smaller roads in some parts around the city is still in progress.
Kandahar's residents have access to clean drinking water and 24 hour electricity. Although not every part of the city may receive it, plans and works are underway to extend these services to every home.
Up to 20,000 single-family homes and associated infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, and community buildings, including schools, are under construction on empty land in Kandahar.
About 6 miles (10 km) east of Kandahar, a huge industrial park is under construction with modern facilities. The park will have professional management for the daily maintenance of public roads, internal streets, common areas, parking areas, 24 hours perimeter security, access control for vehicles and persons.
A railroad track from the Pakistani town of Chaman to Kandahar is planned for the near future. The feasibility study was completed in or about early 2006, allowing for the next step to lay-down the rail track. The work on the rail track will take approximately 2 years to complete.
Places of interest
The most important historical monument in Kandahar is the mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who founded the Durrani Empire. The shrine of the Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammed, adjoining Ahmad Shah’s mausoleum, is one of the holiest shrines in Afghanistan. The Mosque that contains Hair of Muhammad is located inside the covered bazaar, on the left as you enter from Kabul Bazaar.
The charming village of Sher Surkh is located southeast of the city, in the suburbs of the old city of Nadirabad. Kandahar Museum is located at the western end of the third block of buildings lining the main road east of Eidgah Durwaza (gate). It has many paintings by the now famous Ghiyassuddin, painted while he was a young teacher in Kandahar. He is acknowledged among Afghanistan’s leading artists.
Just to the north of the city, off its northeast corner at the end of buria (matting) bazaar, there is a charming shrine dedicated to a celebrated saint who lived in Kandahar more than 300 years ago. The grave of Hazratji Baba, long to signify his greatness, but otherwise covered solely by rock chips, is undecorated save for tall pennants at its head. A monument to pious martyrs (Shahidan: those who died in battle defending their land) stands in the center of Kandahar’s main square called Da Shahidanu Chawk, which was built in the 1940s.
The Chilzina is a rock-cut chamber above the plain at the end of the rugged chain of mountains forming the western defence of Kandahar’s Old City. Forty steps, about, lead to the chamber which is guarded by two chained lions, defaced, and inscribed with an account of Moghul conquest. The rugged cliffs from which the Chilzina was hewn form the natural western bastion of the Old City of Kandahar which was destroyed in 1738 by Nadir Shah Afshar of Persia.
A short distance from Chilzina, going west on the main highway, a bright blue dome appears on the right. This is the mausoleum of Mir Wais Khan, the Ghilzai chieftain who declared Kandahar’s independence from the Persians in 1709.
The shrine of Baba Wali, its terraces shaded by pomegranate groves beside the Arghandab River, is also very popular for picnics and afternoon outings.
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- Airports
- Kandahar International Airport
- Districts
- Arghandab Valley
- Daman
- Dand
- Kandahar Valley (under construction)
- Karz
- Mirwais Mina
- Sarpuza
- Shari Noe
- Zoar Shar (Old City)
- General
- Baba Saab (picnic area & weekend spot)
- Baghi Pull (picnic area & weekend spot)
- Chilzina View (Moghul Emperor Babur's inscription site)
- Kandahar Stadium
- Shari Noe Fairground (local amusement park)
- Shopping
- Herat Bazaar
- Kabul Bazaar
- Shah Bazaar
- Shkar Pur Bazaar
Also See
Notable people from Kandahar
- Shaheed Haji ata jan baloch(shahwani)
- GAFFAR KHAN BALOCH(SHAHWANI) NOW A DAYS A KHAN OF KILLA BALCOHA NEAR KARZ
Further reading
- Hill, John E. 2004. The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Draft annotated English translation.
- Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue ?? by Yu Huan ??: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation.
- Thapar, Romila (1963): Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas. Oxford University Press. 3rd impression, New Delhi, 1980.
- Frye, Richard N. (1963). The Heritage of Persia. World Publishing company, Cleveland, Ohio. Mentor Book edition, 1966.
- Toynbee, Arnold J. (1961). Between Oxus and Jumna. London. Oxford University Press.
- Vogelsang, W. (1985). "Early historical Arachosia in South-east Afghanistan; Meeting-place between East and West." Iranica antiqua, 20 (1985), pp. 55-99.
- Wood, Michael (1997). In the footsteps of Alexander the Great: A Journey from Greece to Asia. BBC, London. First published 1997. Paperback Edition 2001.
External links
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