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Baghlan Province

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Baghlan (Dari and Pashto: بغلان [bɐɣˈlɑːn]) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the north of the country. As of 2020, the province has a population of about 1,014,634.[3]

Baghlan
بغلان
Province
Map of Afghanistan with Baghlan highlighted
Map of Afghanistan with Baghlan highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 36°N 69°E / 36°N 69°E / 36; 69
Country Afghanistan
CapitalPuli Khumri
Government
 • GovernorQari Bakhtiar Muaz[1]
 • Deputy GovernorMohammad Idris[1]
 • Police ChiefSafiullah [1]
Area
 • Total
21,118 km2 (8,154 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total
1,033,760
 • Density49/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Postal code
36xx
ISO 3166 codeAF-BGL
Main languagesDari (Persian)

Its capital is Puli Khumri, but its name comes from the other major town in the province, Baghlan. The ruins of a Zoroastrian fire temple, the Surkh Kotal, are located in Baghlan. The lead nation of the local Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was Hungary, which operated from 2006 to 2015.

History

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Further information: History of Afghanistan

Early history

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The name Baghlan is derived from Bagolango or "image-temple", inscribed on the temple of Surkh Kotal during the reign of the Kushan emperor Kanishka in the early 2nd century CE. The Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang traveled through Baghlan in the mid-7th century CE, and referred to it as the "kingdom of Fo-kia-lang".[4]

In the 13th century CE, a permanent garrison of Mongol troops was quartered in the Kunduz-Baghlan area, and in 1253 fell under the jurisdiction of Sali Noyan Tatar, appointed by Möngke Khan. Sali Noyan's position was later inherited by his son Uladu and grandson Baktut.[5] These Turco-Mongol garrison troops (tamma) formed the Qara'unas faction, and by the 14th Century had allied with the Chaghataite Khanate. Under the rule of Temür the Qara'unas were given to Chekü Barlas, and then to his son Jahānshāh. Beatrice Forbes Manz notes that these Kunduz-Baghlan forces appear to have remained cohesive and influential throughout the Timurid period, though under different leaders and different names, up until the Uzbek invasion.[when?][6] By the Islamic year 900 (1494–1495 CE), the area was noted in the Baburnama as ruled by a Qipchaq emir.[7]

20th century

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In the mid-20th century, as Afghanistan became the target of international development from both the Western and Soviet world, agricultural-industrial projects were initiated in Baghlan. These included factories for the production of sugar from sugar beets (initiated by Czech experts in the 1940s[8]) and for vegetable oil.[9] Czech expertise also figured heavily into the development of Baghlans' coal-mining industry,[10] centred at Baghlan's Karkar Valley, the only coal mine in Afghanistan to remain operational up through 1992.[11]

The modern Baghlan Province was created out of the former Qataghan Province in 1964.[12]

During the Soviet–Afghan War, the Soviets in 1982 established the Kayan military zone in southern Baghlan. The area was defended by 10,000 Ismaili militiamen, increasing to 18,000 by 1992, who sided with the Soviets due to differences with the Islamist opposition.[13] Afghan Ismailis overall were inclined to support the Communists, though a local Ismaili leader, Sayed Manuchehr, lead a partisan movement against the Communists until Ismaili leader Sayed Mansur Naderi accepted Soviet support.[14]

Large portions of Baghlan and neighbouring Samangan Province were under the sway of the Soviet-aligned Naderi clan, the hereditary Ismaili Sayeds (spiritual leaders) of Kayan. Under their jurisdiction, was largely quiet and societally functional throughout the 1980s, with hospitals, schools, and administrative services, funded by the communist central government. Despite the Naderi's alliance with the Communists, they also maintained positive relations with the Mujahideen as well, permitting them to move through the area provided they refrained from attacks.[15]

One of the Soviets' three primary bases in Afghanistan, Kiligai, was located in Baghlan Province, and served as the "largest military supply and armoury centre of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan."[16]

The capital of Baghlan province was officially transferred to the city of Puli Khumri from the central city of Baghlan. This transition occurred during the 1980s under the influence of Sayed Mansur Naderi, son of Sayed Kayan, who held significant military and political power at the time.[17] The relocation aimed to enhance public access to administrative offices, leveraging Puli Khumri's strategic location along the Kabul-Mazar highway. The cabinet of Dr. Najibullah, led by Sultan Ali Keshtmand, initially proposed this move through declaration number 492 on March 1, 1989. It was subsequently formalized by Dr. Najibullah through decree number 1603 on March 9, 1989.[18]

Recent history

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Outpost of the 209th corps of the Afghan National Army in Baghlan in 2010

As the 2001 Afghan War commenced, Ismaili leader Sayed Mansoor Naderi attempted to retake Baghlan from the Taliban. Naderi was aligned with Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum and his Jumbesh-e Milli party, and the competing Tajik-dominated Jamiat-e Islami party was also keen to seize control of Baghlan as Taliban power eroded. The Jamiat were able to seize the capital of Pul-i Khumri before Naderi, who despite his strong backing among the Afghan Ismailis and Shia Hazaras, was unable to rally enough supporters to control the province. Naderi failed to retake the capital in 2001 and 2003, in the latter event he negotiated a power-sharing agreement with the dominant Andarabi militias and made the Ismaili bastion of the Kayan Valley his base.[19]

On 13 June 2012, two earthquakes hit Afghanistan and there was a major landslide in Burka District of Baghlan Province. The village of Sayi Hazara was buried under up to 30 meters of rock, killing an estimated 71 people.

On 13 April 2021, an official in Baghlan Province said a group of Taliban militants attacked a checkpoint in the province that day and killed six security personnel.[20][better source needed]

Claiming that the Taliban had not acted in the spirit of amnesty, the Public's Resistance Forces under Khair Muhammad Andarabi reportedly attacked Taliban fighters 20 August 2021 in several parts of Baghlan province, inflicting up to 60 Taliban killed or wounded. They claim to have captured Puli Hisar, Dih Salah and Banu districts, and are advancing on other Taliban-held districts.[21] Clashes were still reported in Baghlan province by January 2022.[22]

Warlord of Kayan

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Sayed Jafar Naderi Warlord of Kayan

The Warlord of Kayan is a significant and popular documentary movie, filmed in 1989 by Jeff B. Harmon, featuring the political and social landscape of Baghlan during the civil wars. The former governor of Baghlan Sayed Jafar Naderi was chosen as the central character in this documentary. He, who was also known as Jeff Naderi outside the borders of Afghanistan, is the son of Sayed Mansur Naderi, an influential political and religious figure.[23][24] The film won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.[25][26]

The film was also featured in the Sunday Times magazine and a picture of Sayed Jafar Naderi taken by Jeff B. Harmon during one of the filmmaking scenes had gone on the magazine's front cover. Hard copies of magazine collected by Magazine Canteen are still available.[27]

Politics and governance

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Further information: Politics of Afghanistan and List of governors of Baghlan

The town of Puli Khumri serves as the capital of the province. All law enforcement activities throughout the province are handled by the Afghan National Police (ANP). The provincial police chief represents the Ministry of the Interior in Kabul. The ANP is backed by the Afghan Armed Forces, and previously by NATO-led forces. Taj Mohammad Jahid has been the governor of the province since July 2020.[28]

Demographics

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Languages

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The majority of the population in Baghlan province speak the Dari variety of Persian.[29]

Ethnic groups

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The majority of the population of this province is Tajiks, Hazaras (mostly Sunni Hazaras), Uzbeks, and Pashtuns.[2][30]

Baghlan province is also home to a small community of Isma'ili Hazaras, led by the Sayeds of Kayan.

Healthcare

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Further information: Health in Afghanistan

The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 19% in 2005 to 25% in 2011.[31] The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant increased from 5.5% in 2005 to 22% in 2011.[31]

Education

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Further information: Education in Afghanistan

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 21% in 2005 to 24% in 2011.[31] The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 29% in 2005 to 62% in 2011.[31]

Economy

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Further information: Economy of Afghanistan

Agriculture

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Baghlan's primary crops (as of 1974) were cotton and sugar beets, industrial sugar production having begun under Czech supervision in the 1940s. The area also produced grapes, pistachios, and pomegranates. The primary livestock is Karakul sheep.[8]

Other products

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The province also produces silk, and coal is mined in the Karkar Valley.[8][11]

Districts

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Districts of Baghlan Province before 2005, when Kahmard District was moved to Bamyan Province, and the districts of Andarab and Khost Wa Fereng were subdivided.
Districts of Baghlan Province
District Capital Population[32] Area Pop.
density 		Notes
Andarab 28,830 807 36 Majority Hazaras (mostly Sunni Hazaras) and Tajiks[33]
Baghlani Jadid Baghlan 12059 (1990) 1,676 118 Majority Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras[34]
Burka 59,521 933 64 60% Uzbek, 20% Tajik, 10% Hazaras[35]
Dahana-e-Ghuri 66,618 1,333 50 Hazaras[36]
Dih Salah 36,137 633 57 Created in 2005 within Andarab District
Dushi 75,597 2,356 32 60% Hazara, 39% Tajik, 1% Pashtun[37]
Farang Wa Gharu 18,733 244 77 Created in 2005 within Khost Wa Fereng District
Guzargahi Nur 11,426 425 27 Created in 2005 within Khost Wa Fereng District
Khinjan 34,411 1,017 34 Majority Tajiks, Hazaras (mostly Sunni Hazaras), and Pashtuns[38]
Khost Wa Fereng 71,345 1,898 38 Majority Tajiks and Hazaras (mostly Sunni Hazaras), created in 2005
Khwaja Hijran 26,971 659 41 Created in 2005 within Andarab District
Nahrin 78,438 998 79 60% Tajik, 35% Pashtun, 5% Uzbek [39]
Puli Hisar 31,222 905 35 Created in 2005 within Andarab District
Puli Khumri Puli Khumri 242,859 664 366 Majority Tajiks, Pashtuns, Hazaras, and Uzbeks[40]
Tala wa Barfak 34,144 2,525 14 70% Hazaras, 30% Tajik [41]
Baghlan 1,014,634 18,255 56 Tajiks, Hazaras, Pashtuns, Uzbeks, others.[note 1]
  1. ^ Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "د نږدې شلو ولایاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول". 7 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2020-21" (PDF). Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, National Statistics and Information Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  4. ^ Xuanzang. Record of the Western Regions. translated by Samuel Beal (1884) in Buddhist Records of the Western World, London: Trubner & Co. Ltd., 1884
  5. ^ Manz, Beatrice Forbes (1999). The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. pp. 160–163. ISBN 9780521633840.
  6. ^ Manz 1999, p. 81
  7. ^ Manz 1999, p. 187
  8. ^ a b c Clements, Frank; Adamec, Ludwig W. (2003). "Baghlan Province". Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-85109-402-8. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Asian Annual: The "Eastern World" Handbook". 1959. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  10. ^ Rafferty, Kevin; Marsden, Peter (2002). "Afghanistan: Economy". The Far East and Australasia 2003. London: Europa Publications. pp. 79–86, page 85. ISBN 9781857431339.
  11. ^ a b Christensen, Asger (1995). Aiding Afghanistan: The Background and Prospects for Reconstruction in a Fragmented Society. Copenhagen, Denmark: NIAS Books. p. 42. ISBN 9788787062442.
  12. ^ Bivar, A. D. H.; Balland, D.; de Planhol, X. (2011). "Baḡlān". In Ehsan Yarshater (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. The Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation (EIF). pp. 416–418. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017.
  13. ^ Bhatia, Michael V.; Sedra, Mark (2008). Afghanistan, arms and conflict: armed groups, disarmament and security in a post-war society. Psychology Press. pp. 252ff. ISBN 978-0-415-45308-0.
  14. ^ Emadi, Hafizullah (2005). Culture and Customs of Afghanistan. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-313-33089-6.
  15. ^ Giustozzi, Antonio (2009). Empires of Mud: The Neo-Taliban Insurgency in Afghanistan 2002-2007. London: Hurst & Company. pp. 61–62. ISBN 978-1-85065-932-7.
  16. ^ "Summary of World Broadcasts: Far East". 11 May 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  17. ^ Author: Hakimi, Aziz Ahmed. Title: Fighting for Patronage: American counterinsurgency and the Afghan Local Police. Publisher: University of London. Date: 23.07.2015. Access date: 04.04.2024.
  18. ^ Official Gadget of Ministry of Justice of Afghanistan Republic Government. (1989, July 6). Decree number 1603 of March 9, 1989 by Afghanistan President about transfer of Baghlan capital to Puli Khumri city and omission of Puli Khumri as a district in the administrative structure of the province. Retrieved April 5, 2024, from https://law.acku.edu.af/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/acku_risalah_knf2720_meem69_1368_n695_dari_title1.pdf
  19. ^ Giustozzi 2009, p. 118
  20. ^ "Afghan government forces killed 91 Taliban fighters". 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  21. ^ India Today Web Desk (21 August 2021). "Resistance forces capture 3 districts in Afghanistan, several Taliban fighters killed: Report". India Today. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  22. ^ Pannier, Bruce (29 January 2022). "Taliban's Arrest Of Ethnic Uzbek Commander Sparks Clashes In Northern Afghanistan". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Warlord of Kayan". Journeyman Pictures Website. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  24. ^ "From Allentown to the Afghan mountains, October 2001". The Morning Call (Pennsylvania). 28 October 2001.
  25. ^ "Warlord of Kayan: An Insightful Documentary on Afghanistan's History". Khaama Press. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  26. ^ "Jeff B. Harmon - Air date 10-14-96 (Interview)". Harold Channer. 13 May 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  27. ^ "THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE - SAYED JAFAR NADERI AFGHANISTAN". Magazine Canteen. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Ghani appoints new governors for five provinces of Afghanistan". The Khaama Press News Agency. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  29. ^ "Baghlan Development.pdf". 29 February 2024.
  30. ^ "Provincial Development Plan, Baghlan: Provincial Profile" (PDF). Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Government of Afghanistan. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2009.
  31. ^ a b c d "Baghlan Province". NATO's Civil-Military Fusion Centre (CFC). Archived from the original on 31 May 2014.
  32. ^ "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  33. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (10 April 2002). "District Profile: Andarab" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  34. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Baghlan Jadid" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2005.
  35. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Burka" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  36. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (10 April 2002). "District Profile: Dahana-i-Ghori" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  37. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (10 April 2002). "District Profile: Dushi" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2005.
  38. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Khinjan" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  39. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Nahrin" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  40. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Pul-i-Khomri" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  41. ^ UNHCR Sub-Office Mazar-i-Sharif (9 April 2002). "District Profile: Tala-wa-Barfak" (PDF). Afghanistan Information Management Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
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