Kandahar

Name

According to the scholar Warwick Ball, the name of Kandahar is probably derived from that of Gandhara, with C. E. Bosworth stating in the Encyclopedia of Islam that the "name Ḳandahār itself must be connected with Gandhāra". The early Arab writers usually mentioned Gandhara proper as Kandahar or Qandahar due to the absence of the alphabet for 'G' in Arabic. The 10th-century geographer al-Ma'sudi states the name to have been carried from Gandhara proper to what would later be known as modern Kandahar by "the settlement of the Gandharians on the banks of the Arghastan". C. E. Bosworth and John Everett-Heath also suggest that Kandahar gained its name from the settlement of Gandharans in the region.

According to another theory of its name, it is derived from that of the city built here, Alexandria Arachosia by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The name "Alexander" in the local Pashto language is rendered as "Iskandar". It is believed that over time this transformed into "Scandar", and eventually the modern "Kandahar". The change of the name from "Scandar" to Candar is mentioned by the 16th-century Portuguese historian João de Barros in his work, Décadas da Ásia. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names considers suggestion of its derivation from Alexander or Iskandar less plausible, with S. W. Helmes and Warwick Ball rejecting it in favour of derivation from Gandhara.

Ernst Herzfeld claimed Kandahar perpetuated the name of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares, who re-founded the city under the name Gundopharron. However, modern historians and linguists generally find this derivation implausible. According to Abdur Rahman, the name is usually translated as "the land of fragrance" (from Sanskrit gandha 'fragrance' and -hara 'land').

History

Prehistory

Excavations of prehistoric sites by archaeologists such as Louis Dupree and others suggest that the region around Kandahar is one of the oldest known human settlements known so far.

Early peasant farming villages came into existence in Afghanistan ca. 5000 B.C., or 7000 years ago. Deh Morasi Ghundai, the first prehistoric site to be excavated in Afghanistan, lies 27 km (17 mi) southwest of Kandahar (Dupree, 1951). Another Bronze Age village mound site with multiroomed mud-brick buildings dating from the same period sits nearby at Said Qala (J. Shaffer, 1970). Second millennium B.C. Bronze Age pottery, copper and bronze horse trappings and stone seals were found in the lowermost levels in the nearby cave called Shamshir Ghar (Dupree, 1950). In the Seistan, southwest of these Kandahar sites, two teams of American archaeologists discovered sites relating to the 2nd millennium B.C. (G. Dales, University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, 1969, 1971; W, Trousdale, Smithsonian Institution, 1971 – 76). Stylistically the finds from Deh Morasi and Said Qala tie in with those of pre-Indus Valley sites and with those of comparable age on the Iranian Plateau and in Central Asia, indicating cultural contacts during this very early age.

British excavations in the 1970s discovered that Kandahar existed as a large fortified city during the early 1st millennium BC; while this earliest period at Kandahar has not been precisely dated via radiocarbon, ceramic comparisons with the latest period at the major Bronze Age city of Mundigak have suggested an approximate time-frame of 1000 to 750 BC. This fortified city became an important outpost of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th to 4th centuries BC, and formed part of the province of Arachosia.

Ancient history

The main inhabitants of Arachosia were the Pakhtas, an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe, who might have been among the ancestors of modern Pashtuns. Mundigak served as the provincial capital of Arachosia and was ruled by the Medes followed by the Achaemenids until the arrival of the Macedonians. The now-called Old Kandahar was founded in 330 BC by Alexander the Great, near the site of the ancient city of Mundigak (established around 3000 BC era), as Alexandria Arachosia.

Kandahar was a frequent target for conquest because of its strategic location in Asia, controlling the main trade route linking South Asia with West Asia and Central Asia. The territory became part of the Seleucid Empire after the death of Alexander.

It is mentioned by Strabo that a treaty of friendship was established eventually between the Greeks and the Mauryas (Indians). While the Diadochi were warring amongst themselves, the Mauryas were expanding in the northern part of Indian subcontinent. The founder of the empire, Chandragupta Maurya, confronted a Macedonian invasion force led by Seleucus I in 305 BC and following a brief conflict, an agreement was reached as Seleucus ceded Gandhara, Arachosia and areas south of Bagram to the Mauryas.

During the Mauryan period, Buddhism was introduced and eventually become one of the major religions alongside Zoroastrianism. Inscriptions made by Emperor Ashoka, a fragment of Edict 13 in Greek, as well as a full Edict, written in both Greek and Aramaic has been discovered in Kandahar. Written in Classical Greek, in this Edict Ashoka used the word Eusebeia ("Piety") as the Greek translation for the ubiquitous "Dharma" of his other Edicts written in Prakrit.

The city eventually became part of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (250 BC – 125 BC), and continued that way for two hundred years under the later Indo-Greek Kingdom (180 BC – 10 AD). Hellenistic polities were followed successively by Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians, and Kushan; who were in turn followed by a variety of Hunnic kingdoms, notably Nezak Huns, and in the 7th century, by Zunbils.

Medieval history

Muslim conquest

In the 7th century AD, Arab caliphates initiated the conquest of the region. The leader of the expedition was Abbad ibn Ziyad, who governed Sijistan between 673 and 681. In 870, Yaqub ibn Layth Saffari, a local ruler of the Saffarid dynasty, made Islam the official religion of the area after defeating the Zunbil dynasty, while others claim it was an Eastern Persian realm where the inhabitants practiced Zurvanism.

Ghaznavids

The region fell to the Ghaznavids under Sebüktegin and his son Mahmud of Ghazni in the 10th/11th centuries, followed by Muhammad of Ghor. Kandahar appears to have been renamed Teginābād in the 10th–12th centuries, but the origin of the new name is unclear. During this period, nearby Panjwayi served as the administrative center for the area. However, Kandahar was of much more strategic importance, to the extent that Minhaj-i-Siraj attributes the downfall of the Ghaznavids to the loss of Kandahar. The city's name was changed back to Kandahar by the 13th century, after Ala ad-Din Husayn Jahansuz sacked Lashkari Bazar, near Bost. Again, the reason for the name change is not clear.

Mongols

Kandahar was besieged by a Mongol army in 1221, although Jalal al-Din Mangburni defeated them. In 1251, upon accession to the Mongol throne, Möngke Khan granted Kandahar, along with other lands in Afghanistan, to Shams ad-Din Mohammad Kart of the Kart dynasty. However, the city is mentioned as being under Chagatai control in 1260–61; Kandahar did not come under Kart control until 1281. Later, in 1318, a Chagatai prince raised an army from Kandahar against the Ilkhanid governor of Sistan. Kandahar was described by Ibn Battuta in 1333 as a large and prosperous town three nights journey from Ghazni.

Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire, captured Kandahar in 1383 and later made his grandson Pir Muhammad the governor of the region. Following his death in 1405, the region was ruled by other Timurid governors. Kandahar was entrusted to the Arghuns in the late 15th century, who eventually achieved independence from the Timurids. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, is believed to have visited the town (c. 1521 AD) during his journey between Hindustan and Mecca in Arabia.

Formation of the current city

Mirwais Hotak, chief of the Ghilji tribe, revolted in 1709 by killing Gurgin Khan, an ethnic Georgian subject and governor of the Shia Safavid Persians. After establishing the Hotak dynasty in Kandahar, Mirwais and his Afghan army successfully defeated subsequent expeditions by Kay Khusraw and Rustam Khan. It has been said that Mirwais resisted attempts by the Persian government who was seeking to convert the people of Kandahar from Sunni to the Shia sect of Islam. He died of a natural death in November 1715 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, but after being suspected of giving Kandahar's sovereignty back to the Persians he was killed by his nephew Mahmud Hotak.

In 1722, Mahmud led an army of Afghans to the Safavid capital Isfahan and proclaimed himself King of Persia. The Hotak dynasty was eventually removed from power by a new Persian ruler, Nader Shah. In 1738, Nader Shah invaded Afghanistan and destroyed the now Old Kandahar, which was held by Hussain Hotak and his Ghilji tribes. In the meantime, Nader Shah freed Ahmad Khan (later Ahmad Shah Durrani) and his brother Zulfikar who were held prisoners by the Hotak ruler. Before leaving southern Afghanistan for Delhi in India, Nader Shah laid out the foundation for a new town to be built next to the destroyed ancient city, naming it "Naderabad". His rule ended in June 1747 after being murdered by his Persian guards.

Ahmad Shah Durrani, chief of the Durrani tribe, gained control of Kandahar and made it the capital of his new Afghan Empire in October 1747. Initially, Ahmad Shah had trouble finding land on which to build his city. His own tribe had no extensive lands and others who had, such as the Alikozai and Barakzai, refused to give up their lands. Only the Popalzai finally offered him his pick of their lands. The foundations for the city were laid in June 1761. Once begun, the city was built with grand proportions. It was laid out in the form of a regular rectangle with a circumference of three miles; walls 30 feet thick at the bottom and 15 feet at the top, rose 27 feet high to enclose it. Outside, the walls were ringed by a moat 24 feet wide. Six mammoth gateways pierced these walls: the Eid Gah Gate on the north, the Shikarpur Gate on the south; the Herat and Top Khana Gates on the west; and, the Bar Durrani and Kabul Gates on the east. At its peak, Ahmad Shah's empire included present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Khorasan and Kohistan provinces of Iran, along with Punjab in India. In October 1772, Ahmad Shah retired and died from a natural cause. A new city was laid out by Ahmad Shah and is dominated by his mausoleum, which is adjacent to the Mosque of the Cloak in the centre of the city. By 1776, his eldest son Timur Shah had transferred Afghanistan's main capital, due to several conflicts with various Pashtun tribes, from Kandahar to Kabul, where the Durrani legacy continued.

Geography

Kandahar is in southern Afghanistan, connecting South Asia with Central Asia and Western Asia with Eastern Asia. It is between the Arghandab River and the Tarnak River, and has 15 city districts (nahias), covering a land area of 273 km2 (105 sq mi) or 27,337 ha (67,550 acres).

Kandahar is connected by a road network with Tarinkot to the north, Qalat to the northeast, Spin Boldak to the southeast, and Grishk and Lashkargah to the west. It is the regional hub in southern Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan. Non-built up land use accounts for 59% of the total land area. Within the built-up area, vacant plots occupy a slightly higher percentage of land (36%) than residential land (34%). There is a significant commercial cluster along the road to Pakistan in District 5. In 2015 there were 61,902 dwelling units in the city.

Climate

Kandahar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), that borders on a hot desert climate (BWh), characterised by little precipitation and high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers start in mid-May, last until late September, and are extremely dry. Temperatures peak in July with a 24-hour daily average of around 31.9 °C (89.4 °F). They are followed by dry autumns from early October to late November, with days still averaging in the 20s °C (above 68 °F) into November, although nights are sharply cooler. Winter begins in December and sees most of its precipitation in the form of rain. Temperatures average 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) in January, although lows can drop well below freezing. They end in early March and are followed by a pleasant spring until late April with temperatures generally in the upper 10s °C to lower 30s °C (65–88 °F) range. Sunny weather dominates year-round, especially in summer, when rainfall is extremely rare. The annual mean temperature is 18.6 °C (65.5 °F).

Transport

The Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport is southern Afghanistan's main airport for domestic and international flights. Next to the airport is the now-abandoned United States military base. Most international flights are to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Kandahar is connected to Kabul by the Kabul-Kandahar Highway and to Herat by the Kandahar-Herat Highway. The city is also connected to Spin Boldak by the Kandahar-Spin Boldak Highway. The bus terminals in Ayno Maina and Bagh-e-Pul have Mercedes-Benz buses that take passengers to other cities. For the first time the city is being connected by a railroad with Herat to the northwest and Spin Boldak to the southeast.

The government-run Milli Bus had a number of buses in Kandahar in the 1970s. The service ended in the 1990s. Most people in the city own a vehicle or have access to one. Others use taxis, rickshaws, motorcycle, scooters, and bicycles. There are many dealerships on Airport Road importing cars from Dubai, UAE.

Demographics

The city of Kandahar has an estimated population of 732,629 settled residents. This estimated figure does not include the large number of recent returnees from neighboring countries, nor does it include the large number of workers and visitors from other areas of the country.

Most people in Kandahar are Pashtuns while some are Baloch, Tajiks, Uzbeks and other. In 2015 there were 61,902 dwelling units in the city. Pashto is the most widely used language and Dari is understood by a number of residents. Both are the official languages of Afghanistan. A 2007 government document stated the following: The major ethnic group living in [the] province is Pashtoons. This includes major tribes such as Barakzai, Popalzai, Alkozai, Noorzai and Alezai. Pashtu is spoken by more than 98% of population and in more than 98% of villages. Dari is spoken in six villages by 4000 people and Balochi is spoken by 8000 people in two villages. 19000

people in nine villages speak some other unspecified language.

The Pashtun culture, history, traditions, clothing and Pashtunwali is dominant in this region.

Economy

Kandahar's economy is mainly based on agriculture, trade, transport, and tourism. The province is famous for grapes and pomegranates, which are also exported to other countries. Many residents of the city work in the industrial park in the Shorandam area, which has about 300 factories. More are being built in the near future. The city also has several pharmaceutical companies.

There are a number of banks and shopping areas in the city. The following are some of the popular hotels and shopping places.

Tourism

The only remaining historical city gate is at Eidgah Gate Square, on Kandahar's main road. The Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani is located near there, which also houses Durrani's brass helmet and other personal items. In front of the mausoleum is the Khirka Sharif, which contains the Cloak of Muhammad. The cloak is kept locked away, taken out only at times of great crisis. 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'minin (Commander of the Faithful). Prior to that it was taken out when the city was struck by a cholera epidemic in the 1930s. Durrani's historical residence is also in the city.

Just to the north of the city, there is a shrine dedicated to a saint who lived in Kandahar more than 300 years ago. The grave of Hazratji Baba, 7.0 m (23 ft) long to signify his greatness, but otherwise covered solely by rock chips, is undecorated save for tall pennants at its head. The Shahidano Chawk (Martyrs' Square) is located in the center of the city. It was built in the 1940s in honor of the Afghan fighters who died during an attack on British-Indian forces at the Herat Gate.

The Chilzina Complex and Old Kandahar are two other tourists attractions. The Chilzina Complex contains a rock-cut chamber above the plain at the end of the rugged chain of mountains forming the western defense of Old Kandahar, where Ashoka's Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription was found. A forty steps climb leads to the chamber, which is inscribed with an account of Babur's conquest.

A short distance from the Chilzina Complex, going west on the main road, the Mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak appears on the right after passing the Mirwais Maina neighborhood. The Mausoleum of Baba Wali is also popular for afternoon outings. He was a Muslim pir who had a strange encounter with Guru Nanak at Hasan Abdal in what is now Attock District of Pakistan. The Mausoleum of Baba Wali is important to both Muslims and Sikhs.

The Sarpuza Fortress in the Old Kandahar area is said to be originally built by Maurya Emperor Ashoka in the 3d century BC. Sher Surkh village is where Ahmad Shah Durrani's corronation took place. It is located southeast of the city, near what was once called Nadirabad. The Kandahar Museum is located at the western end of the third block of buildings lining the main road east of Eidgah Gate. It has many artifacts, including paintings by the now famous Ghiyassuddin. He is acknowledged among Afghanistan's leading artists. There are numerous mosques, shrines, mausoleums, gardens, and public parks in and around the city. The following are only a few of them.

Education

There are a number of public and private schools in the city. Some of the oldest schools are Ahmad Shah Baba High School, Malalai High School, Mirwais Neeka High School, Shah Mahmud High School, Zahir Shah High School and Zarghona Ana High School. Many new schools opened in the last two decades, and more are being built as the city's population is rapidly growing with the large returns of Afghans from neighboring countries. Afghan Turk High Schools is one of the top private schools in the city.

There are also a number of universities in the city. Kandahar University was established in 1990 in the northwestern part of the city. It is a public university under the Ministry of Higher Education. A number of private higher education institutions have also opened in the last decade such as Benawa Institute of Higher Education, Malalay Institute of Higher Education, Mirwais Neeka Institute of Higher Education, and Saba Institute of Higher Education.

Healthcare

Kandahar has a number of hospitals and clinics. The following is a list of some of the hospitals in the city. Those seeking advanced medical care travel to faraway cities such as Kabul, Herat or Mazar-i-Sharif. Some apply for medical visa to visit hospitals in foreign countries.

Afghan National Army Regional Hospital

Bilal Hospital

Mirwais Hospital

Momand Hospital

Sial Curative Hospital

Sydal Hospital

Communications

Telecommunication services in the city are provided by Afghan Wireless, Roshan, Etisalat, MTN Group and Afghan Telecom. In November 2006, the Afghan Ministry of Communications signed a $64.5 million agreement with ZTE for the establishment of a countrywide fibre optical cable network.

Law and government

The city of Kandahar is within the jurisdiction of Kandahar District and administratively divided into 15 municipal districts (nahias). Every nahia has a police station and a number of neighborhoods. Mullah Hekmatullah serves as the current mayor of the city. His predecessor was Haji Nimatullah Hassan. The Kandahar Municipality's structure consists of several departments under the mayor. Like other provincial municipalities in Afghanistan, the Kandahar Municipality deals with city affairs such as infrastructure developments. The city districts collect certain taxes and issue building licenses. Each city district has a district head appointed by the mayor.

The decades of war left Kandahar depopulated and with outdated infrastructure, but in recent years large amount of funds poured in for construction purposes. New townships have been established around the city, and a number of modern style buildings have been constructed. Nearly all residents have access to clean drinking water and electricity, and the government is working to extend these services to every home. The city currently gets electricity from the several power plants in the area. Many homes also have solar panels. About 30 km (20 mi) north of the city is the Dahla Dam, the second largest dam in Afghanistan.

The Ayno Maina is a new township in the northeastern part of the city. Started by Mahmud Karzai, the project includes building up to 20,000 single-family homes and associated infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, and community buildings, including schools. It has won 2 awards, the Residential Project and Sustainable Project of the Year at the Middle East Architect Awards. Many high-ranking government employees and civil servants as well as wealthy businessmen began living there, which is a more secured community in Kandahar. Work on the next $100 million scheme was initiated in 2011. Construction of Hamidi Township in the Morchi Kotal area of the city also began in August 2011. It is named after Ghulam Haider Hamidi, the mayor of Kandahar who was assassinated in late July 2011. Situated along the Kandahar-Uruzgan Highway in the northeast of the city, the new township will have 2,000 residential and commercial plots. Including new roads, schools, commercial markets, clinics, canals and other facilities.

About 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Kandahar is the Shorandam industrial park, which was established nearly two decades ago. The following is a short and incomplete neighborhood list.

Sports

Cricket, football, futsal and volleyball are the most popular sports in Kandahar.

Professional sports teams from Kandahar

Stadiums

Kandahar International Cricket Stadium

Kandahar Stadium