Takhar Province

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the province in Afghanistan. For other uses, see Takhar (disambiguation).

Takhar
تخار
Province
View from atop a hill in Khawajah Bahawuddin, Takhar Province, Afghanistan.
View from atop a hill in Khawajah Bahawuddin, Takhar Province, Afghanistan.
Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
Map of Afghanistan with Takhar highlighted
Coordinates (Capital): 36°42′N 69°48′E / 36.7°N 69.8°E / 36.7; 69.8Coordinates: 36°42′N 69°48′E / 36.7°N 69.8°E / 36.7; 69.8
CountryAfghanistan
CapitalTaloqan
Government
 • GovernorAbdul Haq Shafaq
Area
 • Total12,333 km2 (4,762 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total1,113,173
 • Density90/km2 (230/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Main languagesUzbek language and Dari
Websitehttp://takhar.gov.af/en/

Takhar (Dari/Pashto: تخار) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeast of the country next to Tajikistan. It is surrounded by Badakhshan in the east, Panjshir in the south, and Baghlan and Kunduz in the west. The city of Taloqan serves as its capital.

The province contains 17 districts, over 1,000 villages, and approximately 1,113,173 people,[1] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society.[2]

In 2021, the Taliban gained control of the province during the 2021 Taliban offensive.

History[]

Part of a series on the
History of Afghanistan
"Interior of the palace of Shauh Shujah Ool Moolk, Late King of Cabul"
Timeline
Ancient
Medieval
Modern
Related historical names of the region
Related topics
  • Category Category
  • Flag of Afghanistan.svg Afghanistan portal
  • v
  • t
Further information: History of Afghanistan

Early history[]

Main article: Kushan Empire

7th to 16th centuries[]

Main article: Muslim conquests of Afghanistan

16th to 20th centuries[]

Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the territory was ruled by the Khanate of Bukhara.

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 early 20th centuries.

1964–2001[]

It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War, the area fell under the influence of Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud. It was controlled by the Northern Alliance in the 1990s. It experienced some fighting between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban forces. Takhar holds notoriety as the location where Mujahideen Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on 9 September 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents.

2001–2015[]

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over security responsibility of the area in the early 2000s, which was led by Germany. The province also began to see some developments and the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In a small incident in July 2008, the Afghan National Police killed Mullah Usman when several armed Taliban militants under his command raided a police checkpoint in the Kalafgan district. This was the first time since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban insurgents engaged police in this province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.[3]

In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province.[4] A bomb attack on 28 May 2011 killed Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed.[5]

In April 2012, the water supply at the Rostaq district's school for girls was poisoned by unknown insurgents, sickening at least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and teachers ranging in age from 14 to 30, causing them to be hospitalized and some to partially lose consciousness, though there have been no deaths so far.[6]

2015 earthquake[]

On 26 October, 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.[7]

Demographics[]

Further information: Demography of Afghanistan
Ethnolinguistic groups in Afghanistan
Districts of Takhar

As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 1,113,173[1] which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are Uzbeks, Tajiks and Pashtuns.

District information[]

Districts of Takhar Province
District Capital Population[1] Area Number of villages and ethnic groups
Baharak 35,552 231 km2 74 villages 80% Tajik 20% Uzbek.[8]
Bangi 40,419 566 km2 59 villages 90% Tajik.[9]
Chah Ab 91,767 764 km2 63 villages 85% Tajik.[10]
Chal 32,443 330.8 km2 58 villages. Uzbek, Tajik.[11]
Darqad 30,956 393 km2 34 villages 85% Uzbeks.[12]
Dashti Qala 36,769 280 km2 49 villages 85% uzbek[13]
Farkhar 53,998 1,214 km2 75 villages 99% Tajik.[14]
Hazar Sumuch 15,816 309 km2 28 villages Uzbeks.[15]
Ishkamish 67,860 806 km2 103 villages majority Uzbeks[16]
Kalafgan 40,554 479 km2 42 villages 95% Uzbeks.[17]
Khwaja Bahauddin 26,765 178.2 km2 25 villages Uzbek, Tajik, Pashtun.[18]
Khwaja Ghar 77,516 402 km2 62 villages 80% Tajik.[19]
Namak Ab 14,058 584 km2 28 villages 50% Tajik 50% Uzbek.[20]
Rustaq 189,495 1,939 km2 179 villages Majority Uzbek.[21]
Taluqan Taluqan 263,800 Majority Uzbek.
Warsaj 43,663 2705.3 km2 94 villages Majority Tajik.[22]
Yangi Qala 51,742 247 km2 64 villages 85% Uzbeks.[23]

Economy[]

Further information: Economy of Afghanistan

Agriculture and mining are the main industries of the province. Takhar has coal reserves of fairly good quality which are being exploited by hand in some villages and sold in the region. The local population considers gold the most relevant resource for the Province. Gold is being washed in , and about 2 kg are being transported to the specific weekly markets in the city of Taloqan. Also the city is a main source of construction materials like: loam, sand, and different types of stones. Takhar province is known for its salt mountains and you can find large deposits of fine salt in the region. The Takcha Khanna salt mine is one of the growing number of salt supplier, for the population of Takhar and northern Afghanistan. While the mines offer economic opportunities in the region, the availability of iodized salt considerably reduces the prevalence of health problems related to iodine deficiency.

See also[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Takhar provincial profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Takhar police kill Taliban commander"
  4. ^ "Taliban attack district in NE Afghanistan". Military-world.net. 24 May 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Three German soldiers die in Afghan attack". Thepeninsulaqatar.com. 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  6. ^ Masoud Popalzai, CNN (17 April 2012). "Extremists poison schoolgirls' water, Afghan officials say". CNN. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. ^ USGS. "M7.5 - 45 km E of Farkhar, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey.
  8. ^ Baharak District
  9. ^ Bangi District
  10. ^ Chah Ab District
  11. ^ Chal District
  12. ^ Darqad District
  13. ^ Dasht e Qala Agha
  14. ^ Farkhar District
  15. ^ Hazar Smoch District
  16. ^ ww1.mrrd-nabdp.org http://ww1.mrrd-nabdp.org/. Retrieved 14 August 2020. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ^ Baharak District
  18. ^ Khwaja Bahawodin District
  19. ^ Khwaja Ghar
  20. ^ Namak Ab District
  21. ^ Rostaq Agha
  22. ^ Warsaj District
  23. ^ Yangi Qala

External links[]

Retrieved from ""