31°36N 65°47E, pop (2000e) 409 200. Capital of Kandahar province, S Afghanistan; on the ancient trade routes of C Asia, and fought over by India and Persia; capital of Afghanistan 174873; occupied by the British (183942, 187981) during the Afghan Wars; Taliban stronghold, attacked by US-led military forces in October 2001 in response to the Taliban government's refusal to give up Osama bin Laden; woollen cloth, silk, felt; market for sheep, wool, grain, tobacco, fresh and dried fruits.
Coordinates: 31°37′″N, 65°42′″E
| Kandahar, Afghanistan | |
| View of Arghandab Valley | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Province | Kandahar |
| Area | |
| - City | km² |
| Population | |
| - City (2002) | 316,000 |
| Time zone | GMT+04:30 Kabul (UTC) |
Kandahar or Qandahar (Pashto: کندهار) is the second largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of 316,000 people (2002 official estimates). The city of Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. Kandahar has an international airport and extensive road links. Together with Peshawar in Pakistan, Kandahar is the main city of ethnic Pashtuns.
There is speculation about the origin of the name of Kandahar.
It is more likely, though, that the name of the city, Kandahar, is a localized transliteration of Alexandria, which was commonly given to new cities Alexander the Great founded or renamed during his conquests.
Kandahar is one of the oldest cities that the world has known.
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).
Kandahar was dominated early by various tribes, but the Pashtuns would remain the most prominent group during most of its history.
Since 7th century to late 8th century, the Abbasids (Arabs) attempted to conquer Kandahar on many occasions but were defeated by the Pashtuns. 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. Humayun's son, Akbar, regained control of Kandahar but by the early 1700s subsequent Mughal emperors lost the territory to the Persian Safavids.
Mirwais Khan Hotak, a Pashtun 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.
In 1722, Mahmud Hotak led an Afghan army to Isfahan, sacked the city and proclaimed himself Shah of Persia (King of Persia). Mahmud was eventually removed from power by a new ruler, Nader Shah, who conquered Kandahar in 1738 and was assassinated nine years later.
Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of Afghanistan, gained control of Kandahar in 1747 and made it the capital of his new Afghan Empire the following year, which stretched from Delhi to Mashad in Iran and from Sindh to Balkh in the north. In 1772, Ahmad Shah retired to his home in Maruf, Kandahar, where he died peacfully in October of that year. In 1776, his son Timur Shah Durrani transferred the capital from Kandahar to Kabul after inheriting power, and the Durrani legacy continued there.
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.
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.
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.After the Soviet withdrawal, Kandahar slowly fell into the hands of a local Pashtun millitia leader (Gul Agha Sherzai).
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. 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.
Kandahar has its own public buses that take commuters on daily routes to many destinations throughout the city.
Private vehicles are on the rise in Kandahar, with huge dealerships of fine imported cars from Dubai, UAE.
Communications and technology
Telecommunications in the city is provided by Afghan Wireless, Roshan and Areeba mobile companies. This will improve telephone, internet, television and radio broadcast services not just in Kandahar but throughout the country.
Local (Afghan) television channels include:
Aina TV Ariana TV Lamar TV Shamshad TV Tolo TV Ariana Afghanistan TVReconstruction 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.
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.
About 6 miles (10km) east of Kandahar, a huge industrial park is under construction with modern facilities.
A railroad track from the Pakistani town of Chaman to Kandahar is planned for the near future. Weekend Spot) Shāri Noe Fairground (Local Amusement Park) Zoar Shār (Old City) Mosques and Shrines Khalka Sharifa (Prophet Mohammad's Cloak) Jami Wrashtan Mubārak (Prophet Mohammad's Piece of Hair) Shrine of Baba Wali Mausoleums Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani Mausoleum of Mirwais Hotak Shopping Herat Bazaar Kabul Bazaar Shah Bazaar Shkar Pur Bazaar Banks Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) Western Union Kabul Bank Azizi Bank Communication Afghan Wireless Roshan
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