Badakhshan Province

Badakhshan Province ولایت بدخشان
Province
Different districts of Badakhshan Province
Map of Afghanistan with Badakhshan highlighted
Coordinates: 38°0′N 71°0′E / 38.000°N 71.000°E / 38.000; 71.000Coordinates: 38°0′N 71°0′E / 38.000°N 71.000°E / 38.000; 71.000
Country	Afghanistan
Capital	Fayzabad
Government
• Governor	Ahmad Faisal Begzad
Area[1]
• Total	44,059 km2 (17,011 sq mi)
Population (2012)[2]
• Total	904,700
• Density	21/km2 (53/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4:30
ISO 3166 code	AF-BDS
Main languages	Dari, Khowar, Kyrgyz, Shughni, Munji, Ishkashimi, Wakhi

Badakhshan Province (Pashto: د بدخشان ولایت‎ Badaxšān wilāyat and Persian: ولایت بدخشان‎, translit. Velâyat-e Badakhšân) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the farthest northeastern part of the country between Tajikistan and northern Pakistan. It shares a 56.5-mile (91 km) border with China.

It is part of a broader historical Badakhshan region. The province contains 22 to 28 districts, over 1,200 villages, and approximately 904,700 people.^[2] Feyzabad serves as the provincial capital.

Geography

Noshaq (or Nowshak) (Dari: نوشاخ) is the second highest independent peak of the Hindu Kush Range after Tirich Mir (7,492 m (24,580 ft)). It lies on the border between Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The north and west sides of the mountain are in Afghanistan whereas the south and eastern sides are in Pakistan. Noshaq is Afghanistan's highest mountain and is in the northeastern corner of the country along the Durand line (which marks the border with Pakistan). It is the westernmost 7000m peak in the world.

Valley of Kuran wa Munjan in Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Looking from the center of the main valley towards the south.

Badakhshan is primarily bordered by Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and Khatlon Province in Tajikistan to the north and east. In the east of the province a long spur called the Wakhan Corridor extends above northern Pakistan's Chitral and Northern Areas to a border with China. The province has a total area of 44,059 square kilometres (17,011 sq mi), most of which is occupied by the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges.

Badakhshan was a stopover on the ancient Silk Road trading path, and China has shown great interest in the province after the fall of the Taliban, helping to reconstruct roads and infrastructure.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, Badakhshan contains temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, as well as Gissaro-Alai open woodlands along the Pamir River. Common plants found in these areas include pistachio, almond, walnut, apple, juniper, and sagebrush.

Montane grasslands and shrublands are existent in the province, with the Hindu Kush alpine meadow in the high mountains in the northern and southwestern regions.

The Wakhan corridor contains two montane grassland and shrubland regions: the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe and in the Pamir Mountains and Kuh-e Safed Khers in Darwaz region.

South of Fayzabad the terrain becomes dominated by deserts and xeric shrublands. Common vegetation includes thorny bushes, zizyphus, acacia, and Amygdatus. Paropamisus xeric woodlands can be found in the province's northwestern and central areas. Common vegetation includes almond, pistachio, willows, and sea-buckthorn.

History

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Ancient Indus Valley Civilisation 2200–1800 BC Oxus civilization 2100–1800 BC Aryans 1700–700 BC Median Empire 728–550 BC Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BC Seleucid Empire 330–150 BC Maurya Empire 305–180 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 256–125 BC Parthian Empire 247 BC–224 AD Indo-Greek Kingdom 180–130 BC Indo-Scythian Kingdom 155–80? BC Kushan Empire 135 BC – 248 AD Indo-Parthian Kingdom 20 BC – 50? AD Sasanian Empire 230–651 Kidarite Kingdom 320–465 Alchon Huns 380–560 Hephthalite Empire 410–557 Nezak Huns 484–711
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Badakhshan province under Mauryan Empire rule

Main article: Mauryan Empire

The Badakhshan province territory fell to the Maurya Empire, which was led by Chandragupta Maurya. The Mauryas introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to the region and were planning to capture more territory of Central Asia until they faced local Greco-Bactrian forces. Seleucus is said to have reached a peace treaty with Chandragupta by giving control of the territory south of the Hindu Kush to the Mauryas by intermarriage and 500 elephants.

Maurya Empire under Ashoka the Great

Alexander took these away from the Indo-Aryans and established settlements of his own, but Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus (Chandragupta), upon terms of intermarriage and of receiving in exchange 500 elephants.^[3]

— Strabo, 64 BC–24 AD

Some time after, as he was going to war with the generals of Alexander, a wild elephant of great bulk presented itself before him of its own accord, and, as if tamed down to gentleness, took him on its back, and became his guide in the war, and conspicuous in fields of battle. Sandrocottus, having thus acquired a throne, was in possession of India, when Seleucus was laying the foundations of his future greatness; who, after making a league with him, and settling his affairs in the east, proceeded to join in the war against Antigonus. As soon as the forces, therefore, of all the confederates were united, a battle was fought, in which Antigonus was slain, and his son Demetrius put to flight.^[4]

— Junianus Justinus

Newly excavated Buddhist stupa at Mes Aynak in Logar Province of Afghanistan. Similar stupas have been discovered in neighboring Ghazni Province, including in the northern Samangan Province.

Having consolidated power in the northwest, Chandragupta pushed east towards the Nanda Empire. Afghanistan's significant ancient tangible and intangible Buddhist heritage is recorded through wide-ranging archeological finds, including religious and artistic remnants. Buddhist doctrines are reported to have reached as far as Balkh even during the life of the Buddha (563 BCE to 483 BCE), as recorded by Husang Tsang.

In this context a legend recorded by Husang Tsang refers to the first two lay disciples of Buddha, Trapusa and Bhallika responsible for introducing Buddhism in that country. Originally these two were merchants of the kingdom of Balhika, as the name Bhalluka or Bhallika probably suggests the association of one with that country. They had gone to India for trade and had happened to be at Bodhgaya when the Buddha had just attained enlightenment.^[5]

The area has a long history like the rest of Afghanistan, dating to its conquering by the Achaemenid Empire and beyond. Badakhshan etymologically derives from the Middle Persian word badaxš, an official title. The suffix of the name, -ān, means the region belonged to someone with the title badaxš.^[6]

The territory was ruled by the Uzbek Khanate of Bukhara between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century. It was given to Ahmad Shah Durrani by Murad Beg of Bukhara after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750 and became part of the Durrani Empire. It was ruled by the Durranis followed by the Barakzai dynasty, and was untouched by the British during the three Anglo-Afghan wars that were fought in the 19th and 20th centuries. It remained peaceful for about 100 years until the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War at which point the Mujahideen began a rebellion against the central Afghan government.

During the 1990s, much of the area was controlled by forces loyal to Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud.^[7] Badakhshan was the only province that the Taliban did not conquer during their rule from 1996 to 2001. However, during the course of the wars a non-Taliban Islamic emirate was established in Badakhshan by Mawlawi Shariqi, paralleling the Islamic Revolutionary State of Afghanistan in neighboring Nuristan. Burhanuddin Rabbani, a Badakhshan native, and Ahmad Shah Massoud were the last remnants of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance during the peak of Taliban control in 2001.

Politics and governance

The current Governor of the province is Shah Waliullah Adeeb.^[9] His predecessors were Munshi Abdul Majid and Baz Mohammad Ahmadi. The borders with neighboring Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan are monitored by the Afghan Border Police (ABP). All law enforcement activities throughout the province are handled by the Afghan National Police (ANP). A provincial Police Chief is assigned to lead both the ANP and the ABP. The Police Chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. The ANP is backed by the military, including the NATO-led forces.

Fayzabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, sits on the Kokcha River and has an approximate population of 50,000. The chief commercial and administrative center of northeast Afghanistan and the Pamir region, Fayzabad also has rice and flour mills.

Transportation

Fayzabad Airport serves the province with regular direct flights to Kabul.

Healthcare

The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 13% in 2005 to 21% in 2011.^[10] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 1.5% in 2003 to 2% in 2011.^[10]

Education

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) fell from 31% in 2005 to 26% in 2011.^[10] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 46% in 2005 to 68% in 2011.^[10]

Economy

Classic lazurite specimen from Sar-e-Sang district.

Despite massive mineral reserves, Badakhshan is one of the most destitute areas in the world. Opium poppy growing is the only real source of income in the province and Badakhshan has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, due to the complete lack of health infrastructure, inaccessible locations, and bitter winters of the province. BORNA Institute of Higher Education being the first private university located on the bank of Kokcha river.

Lapis lazuli has been mined in the Sar-e-Sang mines, located in the Kuran wa Munjan District of Badakhshan, for over 6,000 years. The mines were the largest and most well-known source in ancient times.^[11][12] Most recent mining activity has focused on lapis lazuli, with the proceeds from the lapis mines being used to fund Northern Alliance troops, and before that, anti-Soviet Mujahideen fighters.^[13] Recent geological surveys have indicated the location of other gemstone deposits, in particular rubies and emeralds.^[14] It is estimated that the mines at Kuran wa Munjan District hold up to 1,290 tonnes of azure (lapis lazuli).^[15] Exploitation of this mineral wealth could be key to the region's prosperity.^[14]

Sport

The province is represented in Afghan domestic cricket competitions by the Badakhshan Province cricket team BORNA Cricket Club which belong to BORNA Institute of Higher Education is coming up with its own team and will be groomed by the experts in the field of cricket.

Demography

Districts of Badakhshan Before 2005

The population of the province is about 904,700, which is a multi-ethnic rural society.^[2] Dari-speaking, Tajiks make up the majority followed by Uzbeks, Hazaras, Pashtuns, Kyrgyz, Qizilbash, and others.^[16] There are also speakers of the following Pamiri languages: Shughni, Munji, Ishkashimi, and Wakhi.

The inhabitants of the province are mostly Sunni Muslims, although there are also some Ismaili Shias.

Historical population estimates for Badakhshan province are as follows:^[17]

Districts

| Districts of Badakhshan Province|

District	Capital	Population[18]	Area	Number of villages and ethnic groups
Arghanj Khwa		12,000
Argo		83,999	1,032 km2	145 villages. 60% Uzbek and 40% Tajik.[19]
Baharak	Baharak	33,012	328 km2	51 villages. 60% Tajik, 35% Uzbek, and 5% Pashtun.[20]
Darayim		72,000	570 km2	101 villages. 80% Tajik, 15% Uzbek and 5% Hazara.[21]
Fayzabad	Fayzabad	96,826	514 km2	175 villages. 97% Tajik and 3% others.[22]
Ishkashim	Ishkashim	12,566	1,123 km2	43 villages.[23]
Jurm		51,714	1286 km2	75 villages. 95% Tajik and 5% Uzbek.[24]
Khash		15,436	264 km2	21 villages. 70% Tajik, 20% Uzbek, and 10% Mughol and Baloch.[25]
Khwahan	Khwahan	27,000	80 km2	46 villages. Tajik.[26]
Kishim	Mashhad	71,262	264 km2	100 villages. 60% Tajik, 37% Uzbek, 10% Baluch, 1% Hazara and 1% Bayat.[27]
Kohistan		13 Villages Tajik
Kuf Ab	Qal`eh-ye Kuf	16,000
Keran wa Menjan	Keran wa Menjan	8,084	1,588 km2	42 villages. 100% Tajik.[28]
Maimay	Jamarj-e Bala	12,000
Nusay	Nusay	31,195	4,589 km2	16 villages. Tajik.[29]
Raghistan	Ziraki	37,000	25 villages Tajik
Shahri Buzurg	Shahri Buzurg	80,000	956 km2	74 villages.[30]
Sheghnan	Shughnan	27,750	3528 km2	28 villages. Khowar, Tajik and Qizilbash.[31]
Shekay	Jarf	27,000	1,700 km2	38 villages. Tajik, etc.[32]
Shuhada		26,430	1,521 km2	62 villages. 99% Tajik and 1% others.[33]
Tagab		22,000
Tishkan		26,850	812 km2	57 villages. 70% Tajik, 20% Hazara and 10% Uzbek.[34]
Wakhan		14,657	10,953 km2	110 villages. Tajik, Kuchi people during winter.[35]
Warduj		16,609	929 km2	45 villages. 90% Tajik and 10% Uzbek.[36]
Yaftali Sufla		60,000	605 km2	93 villages. 60% Tajik and 40% Uzbek.[37]
Yamgan		30,000	1,779 km2	39 villages. 100% Tajik[38]
Yawan		27,000
Zebak	Zebak	26,430	1,521 km2	62 villages. 99% Tajik and 1% others.[39]

Notable people from Badakhshan

• Zulmai Mujadidi, Member of Parliament representing Badakhshan
• Burhanuddin Rabbani, leader of the Jamiat-e Islami political party and former president of Afghanistan
• Tahir Badakhshi, political activist
• Latif Pedram, political activist and candidate for Afghanistan's presidency
• Nasratullah Nasrat, Afghan cricketer
• Fawzia Koofi, noted Afghan women's rights activist, member of Parliament and 2014 presidential candidate
• Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, Chief architect of the Taj Mahal

See also

• Badakhshan
• Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

References

Further reading

• Burhanuddin Kushkaki. Rāhnamā-yi Qaṭaghan va Badakhshān. Kabul: Vizarat-i Ḥarbiyah, 1923.
• Jan-Heeren Grevemeyer: Herrschaft, Raub und Gegenseitigkeit: Die politische Geschichte Badakhshans 1500–1883, Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1982
• Wolfgang Holzwarth: Segmentation und Staatsbildung in Afghanistan: Traditionale sozio-politische Organisation in Badakhshan, Wakhan und Sheghnan In: Berliner Institut für vergleichende Sozialforschung [Red.: Kurt Greussing u. Jan-Heeren Grevemeyer] (Hrsg.): Revolution in Iran und Afghanistan – mardom nameh – Jahrbuch zur Geschichte und Gesellschaft des Mittleren Orients Syndikat, Frankfurt am Main 1980, ISBN 3-8108-0147-X.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Badakhshan Province.

• Badkhshan Province - Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development