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(Top) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coordinates: 38°0′N 71°0′E

Etymology
For the greater geographical region, see Badakhshan.
Geography

History ! %$ (' & )'+* , Badaxšān) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in
Badakhshan Province (Persian "# Badakhshan Province
! %$ (' & )'+*
"#
the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan in the north and the
Transportation
Pakistani regions of Lower and Upper Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan in the southeast. It also has a 91-
Healthcare Province
kilometer (57-mile) border with China in the east. It is currently contested between the NRF and the
Education Taliban.
Economy It is part of a broader historical Badakhshan region, parts of which now also lie in Tajikistan and China.
Sport The province contains 22 districts, over 1,200 villages and approximately 1 055 000 [1] people.[5]
Fayzabad serves as the provincial capital. Resistance activity has been reported in the province since
Demographics
the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.[6][7]
Districts

Notable people from Badakhshan Etymology [ edit ]

See also
Badakhshan's name comes from the Middle Persian word "badaxš", which is an official title. The word
Lower Chitral District is a district in
References "ān" is a suffix which demonstrates
Malakand aDivision
place's of
name; therefore the word "badaxšān" means a place
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
[8]
Further reading belonging to a person called "badaxš".
province in Pakistan.
External links During the Sassanids' reign it was called "bidix", and in Parthian times "bthšy". In Sassanid manuscripts
found in Ka'ba-ye Zartosht it was called "Bałasakan". In Chinese sources from the 7th century onwards it
was called "Po-to-chang-na".

Geography [ edit ]
Different districts of Badakhshan Province

Further information: Geography of Afghanistan

Badakhshan is bordered by Takhar Province to the west,

Panjshir Province to the south west, Nuristan Province to
the south, Tajikistan to the north and east (that nation's
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province and Khatlon
Province), China through a long spur called the Wakhan
Corridor to the east, and Pakistan to the south-east (Chitral
Noshaq (or Nowshak) (Dari: ‫ )نوشاخ‬is the
and Gilgit-Baltistan). The total area of Badakhshan is
second highest independent peak of the Map of Afghanistan with Badakhshan highlighted
Hindu Kush Range after Tirich Mir (7,492 m 44,059 square kilometres (17,011 sq mi), most of which is Coordinates: 38°0′N 71°0′E
(24,580 ft)). It lies on the border between occupied by the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges.
Pakistan and Badakhshan Province in Country  Afghanistan
[citation needed]
Afghanistan. The north and west sides of the According to the World Wildlife Fund, Capital Fayzabad
mountain are in Afghanistan, and the Badakhshan contains temperate grasslands, savannas, Government
southern and eastern sides are in Pakistan.
and shrublands, as well as Gissaro-Alai open woodlands  • Governor Maulvi Abdul Ghani Faiq[1]
Noshaq is Afghanistan's highest mountain
and is in the northeastern corner of the along the Pamir River. Common plants found in these  • Deputy Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi[2]
Governor
country along the Durand line (which marks areas include pistachio, almond, walnut, apple, juniper,
the border with Pakistan). It is the Area[3]
and sagebrush.
westernmost 7000m peak in the world.  • Total 44,059 km2 (17,011 sq mi)
Montane grasslands and shrublands are existent in the
Population (2021)[4]
province, with the Hindu Kush alpine meadow in the  • Total 1,072,785
high mountains in the northern and southwestern  • Density 24/km2 (63/sq mi)
regions. Time zone UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)

The Wakhan corridor contains two montane grassland ISO 3166 AF-BDS
code
and shrubland regions: the Karakoram-West Tibetan
Main Dari, Khowar, Kyrgyz, Shughni, Munji,
Plateau alpine steppe and in the Pamir Mountains and languages Ishkashimi, Wakhi, Persian
Kuh-e Safed Khers in Darwaz region.

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

Further information: History of Afghanistan

Part of a series on the
Badakhshan etymologically derives from the Middle Persian word badaxš, an official title. The suffix of the History of Afghanistan
[9]
name, -ān, means the region belonged to someone with the title badaxš.

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.
Timeline
During the 1990s, much of the area was controlled by forces loyal to Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah
Ancient [show]
Massoud,[10] who were de facto the national government until 1996. Badakhshan was the only province that
Medieval [show]
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 Modern [show]

Revolutionary State of Afghanistan in neighboring Nuristan. Rabbani, a Badakhshan native, and Massoud Related historical regions [show]

were the last remnants of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance during the peak of Taliban control in 2001. Related topics [show]

Badakhshan was thus one of the few provinces of the country that witnessed little insurgency in the Afghan Category
wars – however, during the 2010s Taliban insurgents managed to attack and take control of several districts  Afghanistan portal

in the province.[11] V·T·E

On 26 October 2015, the 7.5 Mw Hindu Kush earthquake shook northern Afghanistan with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). This earthquake destroyed almost 30,000 homes, left several hundred dead, and more than 1,700 injured.[12]

Transportation [ edit ]

Further information: Transport in Afghanistan

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

Healthcare [ edit ]

Further information: Health in Afghanistan

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

Education [ edit ]

Further information: Education in Afghanistan

Badakhshan University is located in Fayzabad, a city which also has a number of public schools including an all-girls school.

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

Economy [ edit ]

Further information: Economy of Afghanistan

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.

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.[14][15] 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.[16] Recent geological surveys have indicated the location of other gemstone deposits, in
particular rubies and emeralds.[17] It is estimated that the mines at Kuran wa Munjan District hold up to 1,290 tonnes of azure
(lapis lazuli).[18] Exploitation of this mineral wealth could be key to the region's prosperity.[17]
Classic lazurite
On 5 October 2018 in Washington, D.C., Afghan officials signed a 30-year contract involving a $22 million investment by specimen from Sar-e-Sang
district.
investment group Centar and its operating company, Afghan Gold and Minerals Co., to explore and develop an area of
Badakhshan for gold mining.[19]

Sport [ edit ]

Further information: Sport in Afghanistan

The province is represented in Afghan domestic cricket competitions by the Badakhshan Province cricket team BORNA Cricket Club which belongs 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.

Demographics [ edit ]

Further information: Demographics of Afghanistan

As of 2020, the population of the province is about 1,054,087, constituting a multi-ethnic rural society.[5] Dari-
speaking Tajiks make up the majority followed by a few Uzbeks, Hazaras, Pashtuns, Kyrgyz, Qizilbash, and
others.[20] 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.

60.1% of the population lived below the national poverty line, one of the higher figures in the country.[21]

Districts [ edit ]

Districts of Badakhshan before 2005

Districts of Badakhshan Province
Villages
District Capital Population[4] Area
Ethnic groups

Arghanj Khwa 18,520 Tajik.[22]

Argo 90,165 1,032 km2 145 villages.Tajik.[22]

Baharak Baharak 33,119 328 km2 51 villages. Tajik.[22]

Darayim 70,834 570 km2 101 villages. Tajik.[22]

Fayzabad Fayzabad 78,757 514 km2 175 villages. Tajik.[22]

Ishkashim Ishkashim 15,951 1,123 km2 43 villages.[23] Children in Badakhshan

Jurm Jorm 43,445 1286 km2 75 villages. Tajik[22]

Khash 43,798 264 km2 21 villages. Tajik[22]

Khwahan Khwahan 19,060 80 km2 46 villages. Tajik.[24]

Kishim Mashhad 93,004 264 km2 100 villages. Tajik[22]

Kohistan 19,061 13 villages. Tajik[22]

Kuf Ab Qal`eh-ye Kuf 25,684 Tajik

Keran wa Keran wa
10,949 1,588 km2 42 villages. 100% Tajik.[25]
Menjan Menjan

Maimay Jamarj-e Bala 30,416

Nusay Nusay 26,631 4,589 km2 16 villages. Tajik.[26]

Raghistan Ziraki 45,556 25 villages. Tajik.[22]

Shahri Buzurg Shahri Buzurg 60,155 956 km2 74 villages.[27]

28 villages. Khowar, Tajik and Qizilbash.

Sheghnan Shughnan 27,750 3528 km2 [28]

Shekay Jarf 30,280 1,700 km2 38 villages. Tajik, etc.[29]

Shuhada 39,742 1,521 km2 62 villages. 99% Tajik and 1% others.[30]

Tagab 32,307

Tishkan 34,336 812 km2 57 villages. Tajik.[22]

Wakhan Khandud 17,167 10,953 km2 110 villages. Tajik.[31][dubious – discuss]

Warduj 25,144 929 km2 45 villages. Tajik.[22]

Yaftali Sufla 60,695 605 km2 93 villages. Tajik.[22]

Yamgan 29,604 1,779 km2 39 villages. 100% Tajik[32]

Yawan 37,310

Zebak Zebak 9,057 1,521 km2 62 villages. 99% Tajik and 1% others.[33]

Notable people from Badakhshan [ edit ]

Makhfi Badakhshi, Persian poet, lived and died in Badakhshan

Nūr al-Dīn Jaʿfar Badakhshī, 14th-century disciple of the eminent Central Asian Ṣūfī shaykh Sayyid ʿAlī Hamadānī[34]
Mullah Shah Badakhshi, 17th-century Muslim Sufi of the Qadiri order, from Araska in Rustaq area in Badakhshan[35]
Tahir Badakhshi, political activist
Nāsir Khusraw Qubādiyānī Balkhi, 11th-century Persian poet, philosopher and Isma'ili scholar, died in Yamgan, Badakhshan
Bairam Khan, 16th-century important military commander, and later commander-in-chief of the Mughal army, a powerful statesman and regent at the
court of the Mughal Emperors, Humayun and Akbar
Fawzia Koofi, noted Afghan women's rights activist, member of Parliament and 2014 presidential candidate
Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, Chief architect of the Taj Mahal
Miri Maftun, Afghan musician from Badakhshan.
Zulmai Mujadidi, Member of Parliament representing Badakhshan
Latif Pedram, political activist and candidate for Afghanistan's presidency
Burhanuddin Rabbani, leader of the Jamiat-e Islami political party and former president of Afghanistan
Qari Fasihuddin, Army Chief, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

See also [ edit ]

Dorah Pass
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

References [ edit ]

1. ^ "7 ."‫د نږدې شلو والیاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول‬ November 16. ^ Entekhabi-Fard, Camelia (15 October 2002). "Northern Alliance Veteran
2021. Hopes Emeralds Are Key Part of Afghanistan's Economic Recovery" .
2. ^ Ahmadi, Esmatullah (22 August 2021). "Drug addicts' collection Eurasia Insight. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved
campaign starts in Badakhshan" . 20 August 2007.
3. ^ "Afghanistan Provinces" . www.statoids.com. 17. ^ a b "Afghanistan's gemstones" (PDF). Planet Earth. Winter 2006.
4. ^ a b "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2008. Retrieved
Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived from the 20 August 2008.
original (PDF) on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021. 18. ^ Hamdard, Hidayatullah (20 January 2014). "Karzai assigns team to probe
5. ^ a b "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2020-21" (PDF). Islamic azure mine issue" . Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
Republic of Afghanistan, National Statistics and Information Authority. 19. ^ Mackenzie, James; Qadir Sediqi, Abdul (7 October 2018). "Afghanistan
Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2021. signs major mining deals in development push" . Reuters. Retrieved
6. ^ "Afghanistan's National Resistance Front formally announces guerrilla 30 June 2020.
war against the Taliban from Badakhshan" . India Narrative. 27 October 20. ^ "1 Badakhshan" . Rkabuli.20m.com. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021. 21. ^ Giustozzi, Antonio (August 2012). Decoding the New Taliban: Insights
7. ^ Kohzad, Nilly (15 December 2021). "What Does the National Resistance from the Afghan Field . ISBN 9781849042260.
Front of Afghanistan Have to Offer?" . The Diplomat. Retrieved 22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 15) ‫ العربية‬,‫ نت‬January 2019). "‫تاجیکهای افغانستان را‬
19 December 2021. ‫ العربية نت‬."‫بشناسید‬ (in Persian). Retrieved 28 July 2020.
8. ^ "BADAKŠĀN" . www.iranica.com (‫آنالین‬ ed.). Archived from the 23. ^ "Ishkashim District" (PDF).
original on 2 January 2009. 24. ^ "Khowahan District" (PDF).
9. ^ Eilers, W. "BADAKŠĀN" . Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.). United 25. ^ "Keran Wa Menjan District" (PDF).
States: Columbia University. Archived from the original on 2 January 26. ^ "Nusay District" (PDF).
2009. Retrieved 21 August 2018. 27. ^ "Shahr-e-Bozorg District" (PDF).
10. ^ Hansen, Cole; Dennys, Christian; Zaman, Idrees (1 February 2009). 28. ^ "Sheghnan District" (PDF).
"Conflict analysis: Baharak district, Badakhshan province" (PDF). Chr.
29. ^ Shekay District
Michelsen Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2014.
30. ^ "Shuhada District" (PDF).
Retrieved 4 December 2022.
31. ^ "Wakhan District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1
11. ^ "The 2015 Insurgency in the North (2): Badakhshan's Jurm district under
February 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
siege" . 14 September 2015.
32. ^ "Yamgan District" (PDF).
12. ^ USGS. "M7.5 – 45 km E of Farkhar, Afghanistan" . United States
33. ^ "Zibak District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1
Geological Survey.
February 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
13. ^ a b c d Archive, Civil Military Fusion Centre Archived 30 May 2014 at
34. ^ DeWeese, Devin A. (4 May 2016). "Badakhshī, Nūr al-Dīn Jaʿfar" .
archive.today
Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE.
14. ^ Deer, William A.; Howie, Robert A, and Zussman, Joseph (1963) "Lapis
35. ^ "BADAḴŠĪ, MOLLĀ SHAH" . Encyclopedia Iranica.
lazuli" Rock-Forming Minerals Longman, London, OCLC 61975619
15. ^ Lapis lazuli was also found in the Urals Mountains in Russia. Deer et al.
above

Further reading [ edit ]

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 [ edit ]

Media related to Badakhshan Province at Wikimedia Commons

Badkhshan Province – Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development

Places adjacent to Badakhshan Province [show]

V·T·E Provinces of Afghanistan [show]

V·T·E Badakhshan Province [show]

Authority control [show]

Categories: Badakhshan Province Provinces of Afghanistan Provinces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

This page was last edited on 2 May 2023, at 21:06 (UTC).

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