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Kandahar

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Coordinates: 31°37′″N, 65°42′″E

Kandahar, Afghanistan
Image:Arghandab Valley.jpg
View of Arghandab Valley
Country Afghanistan
Province Kandahar
Area  
 - City km²
Population  
 - City (2002) 316,000
Time zone GMT+04:30 Kabul (UTC)
For the film Kandahar, see Kandahar (film)

Kandahar or Qandahar (Pashto, Persian: کندهار) is the second largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of 316,000 people (2002 official estimates). It is the capital of Kandahar province on the Arghandab River, approximately 3,297 feet (1,005 meters) above sea level. It is linked by highways with Herat to the west, Ghazni and Kabul to the east, Tarin Kowt to the north, and Quetta in Pakistan to the south.

The city of 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. Together with Peshawar in Pakistan, Kandahar is the main city of ethnic Pashtuns.

Kandahar was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. Many empires long fought over the city, due to its strategical location along the trade routes of Central Asia. Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire, made Kandahar the capital of Afghanistan in 1748.<ref>The Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition) - Kandahar...Link</ref><ref>The Columbia Encyclopedia (Fifth Edition) - The City of Kandahar...Link</ref>

Contents

Name

There is speculation about the origin of the name Kandahar. Some believe the name is derived from Gandhara, a nearby kingdom along the Kashmir and Afghanistan border or even Gandar the seventh satrapy of the Persian Achaemnid Empire.

However, it is more likely that the name Kandahar is a localized transliteration of Alexandria, which was commonly given to new cities Alexander the Great founded or renamed during his conquests. 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. Kandahar was known as Arachosia before the invasion of Alexander the great in 330 BC.

History

Image:AsokaKandahar.jpg

Kandahar is one of the oldest cities that the world has known, which dates back in history to the time of the epic Mahabharata (possibly 3120 BCE Indo-Aryan era).<ref>Nancy Hatch Dupree - An Historical Guide To Afghanistan - Sites in Perspective (Chapter 3)...Link</ref>

The present city of Kandahar was founded in 330 BC by Alexander the Great, near the site of the ancient city of Mundigak (established around 3000 BC). It was also known as Alexandropolis, after its founder, Alexander. The city has been a frequent target for conquest because of its strategic location in Central Asia, controlling the main trade route linking the Indian subcontinent with the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. It was part of the Achaemenid Empire and the Mauryan Empire. The Indian emperor Ashoka erected a pillar there with a bilingual inscription in Greek and Aramaic.

Kandahar was dominated early by various tribes, but the Pashtuns would remain the most prominent group during most of its history.

Image:Circle-question-red.svg The factual accuracy of this section is disputed.
Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.

In 674 AD, the Muslim armies reached western Afghanistan, conquering Kandahar by 750 AD. However, between then and 809 AD, the Abbasids (second phaze of Muslim Arab conquerers) attempted to conquer Kandahar on several occasions but were defeated by the local Afghans of the area[citation needed]. During the 9th century, after loya jirgas (peaceful meetings) were held[citation needed], the locals decided to make Islam their official religion[citation needed], but retaining their language and culture. Kandahar was invaded by the Ghaznavids in the 10th century and Genghis Khan in the 12th century, followed by Timur Lang in 1383.

Emperor Babur, the founder of Moghal Empire, annexed Kandahar in the 16th century. Babur's son, Humayun, lost Kandahar to the Shah of Persia (Iran). Humayun's son, Akbar, regained control of Kandahar but by the early 1700s subsequent Mughal emperors lost the territory to the Persian Safavids.

Image:Coronation of Ahmad Shah Durrani (1747).jpg

Mirwais Khan Hotak, a local leader of the Ghilzai clan, was mayor of Kandahar City in 1709 when he killed Gurgin Khan, the Georgian governor that ruled in the name of the Persian Shah. Mirwais Khan succefully defeated the Persian Safavids, who were attempting to convert the population of Kandahar from Sunni to Shia sect of Islam. Mirwais Khan remained in power until his death in 1715 and was succeeded by his son Mahmud Hotak.<ref>Afghanland - Mirwais Khan Hotak...Link</ref>

In 1722, Mahmud Hotak led an Afghan army to Isfahan {now in Iran), sacked the city and proclaimed himself King of Persia.<ref>The Encyclopaedia Britannica - The Hotakis (from Afghanistan)...Link</ref> Mahmud was eventually removed from power by a new ruler, Nader Shah, who conquered Kandahar in 1738 but was assassinated nine years later.

Ahmad Shah Durrani, who was Nadir's top military commander and the founder of modern Afghanistan, gained control of Kandahar in 1747 and made it the capital of his new Afghan Empire the following year. His empire included present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Khorasan region of Iran and western India. In 1772, Ahmad Shah retired to his home in Maruf, Kandahar, where he died peacfully in October of that year.<ref>The Encyclopaedia Britannica - Ahmad Shah Durrani...Link</ref> The (now) "Old City" was laid out by Ahmad Shah and is dominated by his mausoleum. In 1776, his son Timur Shah Durrani transferred the capital from Kandahar to Kabul after inheriting power, and the Durrani legacy continued there.<ref>Nancy Hatch Dupree - An Historical Guide To Afghanistan - The South (Chapter 16)...Link</ref>

Kandahar was sometimes a center of jihad and mujahideen activities, but local Pashtun tribes tended to live by their pre-Islamic code of honor known as Pashtunwali. On 28th Muharram 1242 Hijri (September 2, 1826) Syed Ahmad Shaheed's forces reached Kandahar en route to Peshawar. Their purpose was to wage a jihad against the Sikh kingdom of Ranjit Singh and aid their fellow Pashtuns of Peshawar, and within a few days more than 400 Kandarians presented themselves for jihad, out of whom 270 were selected. Syed Deen Muhammad Kandarai was appointed their leader.

British-India occupied the city during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42) and during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80) in which the British were forced to withdraw, despite winning a victory near the city (see Battle of Kandahar). Kandahar became part of the modern state of Afghanistan nonetheless and remained peaceful for the next 100 years.

In the 1960s, Kandahar International Airport was built 16 kilometers (10 miles) south-east of the city. It was used by the Red Army during their ten years occupation of the country. As of 2001, the airport is used by US-led coalition forces as a military base.

During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989), Kandahar was firmly under Soviet command and witnessed heavy fightings. Soviet troops surrounded the city, and subjected it to a savage artillery and air bombardment in which great number of innocent civilians lost their lives.<ref>Conflict Studies Journal at the University of New Brunswick...Link</ref>After the Soviet withdrawal, Kandahar slowly fell into the hands of a local Pashtun millitia leader (Gul Agha Sherzai).

Image:CrossFit Kandahar.jpg

In August 1994, the Taliban emerged from the city and set out to conquer the country by applying the Islamic Sharia law. Since their removal in late 2001, smaller bands have spread throughout the nearby provinces, and Kandahar 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.

The new Afghan government, which is supported by US and NATO forces, is gradually expanding its authority and presence throughout the entire country. Kandahar is presently in full control of the new Afghan government that is led by US backed President Hamid Karzai.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Kandahar International Airport serves the population of the city as a method of traveling to far destinations. The airport is currently used by NATO forces and is being upgraded for civilian use, which will be completed in the near future.

Kandahar has its own public buses that take commuters on daily routes to many destinations throughout the city. There are also yellow taxicabs that can be spotted just about anywhere in and around the city.

Private vehicles are on the rise in Kandahar, with huge dealerships of fine imported cars from Dubai, UAE. More and more people are buying cars as the roads and highways are being improved. The average car driven in Kandahar is a Toyota Corolla.

Communications and technology

Telecommunications in the city are provided by Afghan Wireless, Roshan and Areeba mobile companies. All three have boasted increase in rapid cellular phone usage. In November 2006, the Afghan Ministry of Communications has signed a US 64.5 million dollar agreement with a company (ZTE Corporation) on the establishment of a countrywide fibre optical cable network. This will improve telephone, internet, television and radio broadcast services not just in Kandahar but throughout the country.<ref> Pajhwok Afghan News - Ministry signs contract with Chinese company...Link</ref>

Local (Afghan) television channels include:

Reconstruction and developments

Image:Kandahar Valley (1).JPG

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 has been pouring in for construction purposes. New modern-style buildings are slowly replacing the older ones. Kandahar's major highways were repaired and completed. However, works on smaller roads in some parts around the city are still in progress. Kandahar's residents have access to clean drinking water and 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 a new empty land in Kandahar.<ref>U.S. Department of State - South Asia - U.S. Government Agency Grants $3 Million to Build Afghan Homes...Link</ref>

Image:Kandahar Valley (2).JPG

About 6 miles (10km) 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. <ref>Afghanistan Industrial Parks Development Authority...Link</ref>

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 railtrack. The work on the railtrack will take approximately 2 years to complete.

Places of interest

The most important historical monument in Kandahar is the mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani, fondly known as Ahmad Shah Baba (Father of Afghanistan) who ruled an empire from Kandahar from 1747–1772. The shrine of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammad adjoins Ahmad Shah Durrani’s mausoleum. This is one of the holiest shrines in Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah received the Prophet’s Cloak from Murad Beg, Amir of Bokhara, in 1768, as part of a treaty settling the northern boundaries.

The city of Kandahar was laid out by Ahmad Shah with amazing regularity. The four principal bazaar streets meet in the center of the city at the Char Suq, a square once covered with a lofty dome where public proclamations were made. The Mosque of the Hair of the Prophet is located inside the covered bazaar, on the left as you enter from the Kabul Bazaar. It was built by Kohendil Khan, one of the Kandarai Sardars who held sway over Kandahar during the first half of the 19th century.

The charming village of Sher Surkh is located southeast of the city, about a mile south of Jadi Haji Jamal, in the suburbs of the old city of Nadirabad. Jadi Haji Jamal continues to Zakud, the homelands and mausoleum of the 18th century Barakzai chief who stepped down in favor of Ahmad Khan, later Ahmad Shah Durrani, in 1747. His son, Payenda Khan, who was murdered by Ahmad Shah’s grandson, is also buried here. Payenda Khan was the father of Amir Dost Mohammad who was destined to take the throne from Ahmad Shah’s grandsons and establish the dynasty which ruled at Kabul until 1973.

Just to the north of the city, off its northeast corner at the end of the 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, 23 feet long to signify his greatness, but otherwise covered solely by rock chips, is undecorated save for tall pennants at its head. The graves of the Kandarai Sardars lie near the saint’s tomb. Kohendil Khan lies to the right of the saint; Mehrdil Khan to the right of Kohendil Khan. Sherdil Khan lies at the foot of the saint’s tomb and Purdil to Sherdil’s left.

Kandahar Museum is located at the western end of the third block of buildings lining the main road east of the Id Gah 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.

A Monument to Pious Martyrs (Shahidan: those who died in battle) stands in the center of Kandahar’s main square called Da Shahidanu Chawk, which was built in the 1940s.

Chihlzina is a rock-cut chamber high 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 Chihlzina was hewn form the natural western bastion of the Old City of Kandahar which was destroyed in 1738 by Nadir Shah Afshar of Persia. The very last battle for Kandahar, however, was fought among these ruins when the armies of Amir Abdur Rahman and his cousin, Ayub Khan, the hero of the Battle of Maiwand, faced each other here on September 22nd, 1881

A short distance from Chilzina, going west on the main highway, a bright blue dome suddenly appears above a grove of trees on the right. This is the mausoleum of Mirwais Khan Hotak 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. The terrace in front of an elaborate teahouse affords a fine view of the valley. The British forces, in 1842 and 1878, fought several battles in this same exact location.<ref>Nancy Hatch Dupree - An Historical Guide To Afghanistan - The South (Chapter 16)...Link</ref>

  • Districts
    • Kandahar Valley (Under Construction)
    • Shāri Noe
    • Dand
    • Sarpuza
    • Mirwais Mina
    • Zoar Shār (Old City)
    • Karz
  • General
    • Chilzina View (Emperor Babur's inscription site)
    • Baba Saab (Picnic Area & Weekend Spot)
    • Bāghi Pull (Picnic Area & Weekend Spot)
    • Shāri Noe Fairground (Local Amusement Park)
  • Mosques and Shrines
  • Mausoleums
    • Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani
    • Mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak
  • Museums
    • Kandahar Musuem
  • Shopping
    • Herat Bazaar
    • Kabul Bazaar
    • Shah Bazaar
    • Shkar Pur Bazaar

Trivia

See also

References and footnotes

<references/>
  • Hill, John E. 2004. The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Draft annotated English translation.[1]
  • Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [2]
  • Thapar, Romila (1963): Aśoka 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

da:Kandahar de:Kandahar et:Kandahār es:Kandahar eo:Kandaharo fa:قندهار fr:Kandahar it:Kandahar (città) nl:Kandahar ja:カンダハール no:Kandahar pl:Kandahar pt:Kandahar ru:Кандагар sl:Kandahar fi:Kandahar sv:Kandahar zh:坎大哈

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