Coordinates: 33°36′00″N 69°13′01″E / 33.6, 69.217 Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Gardez
The Bala Hesar fortress in the center of Gardez City
Gardez Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ...
Province	Paktia
Coordinates	33°36′00″N 69°13′01″E / 33.6, 69.217
Population  (2008)[1]	111,747
Area  - Elevation	2,300 m (7,546 ft)
Time zone	UTC+4:30 Kabul

Gardēz is the capital of the Paktiā province of Afghanistan. It is in the southeast of the country. The population of Gardez is 111,747^[2] and are mainly ethnic Pashtun people, specifically of the Ghilzai Suleimankhel tribe^[3][4][5] There is also a tiny population of Tajiks whose leader, Abdullah Mujahid, was sent to Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba by the Americans.^[6] The Encyclopedia Iranica describes Gardēz as a city "belonging to a network of old isolated Tājīk settlements in southern Afghanistan that are remnants of a time when Pashto had not yet reached the area."^[7] The Provinces of Afghanistan (locally recognized as wilayats - ولايت) are the primary administrative divisions of Afghanistan. ... Paktia (Pashto: پکتيا) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Paktia (Pashto: پکتيا) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. ... Language(s) Pashto Religion(s) Islam (predominantly Sunni) Pashtuns (Pashto: پشتون or پختون , also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns), also called Pathans (Urdu: پٹھان, Hindi: पठान ), ethnic Afghans,[10] or synonymously Afghans[11] (Persian: افغان ), are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan and in the North-West... The Ghilzais (also known as Khiljis or Ghaljis) are one of two largest groups of Pashtuns, along with the Durrani tribe, found in Afghanistan with a large group also found in neighboring Pakistan. ... The Pashtun tribes are divided into four larger tribal confederacies: Sarbani Yusafzai Tarkalani Mohmand Mohammadzai Batani Niazi Ghilzai Lodhi Suri Marwat Lohani Nuhrani Ghourghushti Kakar Mando Jadoon Safi Karlani or Karlanri Mahsud Waziri khattak Afridi Orakzai Dawar Bangash // The Tanolies (also spelt Tanauli, Tanawali) are a prominent and famous Muslim... Languages Persian Religions Islam (predominantly Sunni (Hanafi), with Shia (Twelver and Ismaili) minorities) Tājik (Persian: ; UniPers: Tâjik; Tajik: ) is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking peoples of Iranian origin living east and northeast of present-day Iran. ... Abdullah Mujahid is held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism Wikisource has original text related to this article: Statement of Alberto J Mora on interrogation abuse, July 7, 2004 Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a joint military prison and... Encyclopædia Iranica is a project of Columbia Universitys Center for Iranian Studies to create a comprehensive and authoritiative English language encyclopedia about the history and culture of Iran and Persia. ... Pashto (پښتو; also known as Afghan, Pushto, Pashto, Pashtoe, Pashtu, and Pukhto) is the language spoken by the ethnic Afghan otherwise known as the Pashtun people who inhabit Afghanistan and the Western provinces of Pakistan. ...

Location and infrastructure

Gardēz is located at 2,300m above sea-level and is not far from the Tora Bora region of caves and tunnels. The city is watered by the upper course of the Rūd-e Gardēz (Gardēz-River), which ends in the Āb-e Istāda lake. Gardēz is located at a junction between two important roads, one linking Pakistan with Ghazni, the other connecting Kabul and Khost. The city is west of Khost and 60 miles south of Kabul. Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Afghan Northern Alliance Taliban, al-Qaeda Commanders Bismillah Khan Tommy Franks Dan McNeill Osama bin Laden Strength n/a Unknown Casualties No Coalition deaths reported; Northern Alliance N/A At least 200 killed The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place... Ghazni (Persian: غزنی , ÄžaznÄ«) is a city in eastern Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 149,998 people. ... For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ... Khost, sometimes spelt Khowst, is a town in Afghanistan, located at 33. ... Khost, sometimes spelt Khowst, is a town in Afghanistan, located at 33. ... For other places with the same name, see Kabul (disambiguation). ...

The "old town", located at the foot of the Bālā Hesār fortress, is divided into four disctricts: Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ...

• Bāzār-e Kohna (old Bazar)
• Qaraye Āhangarān (district of the blacksmiths)
• Qaraye Arjākhēl (Arjākhēl district)
• Nawābād (new town)

... with Nawābād extending into the new residential quarters, new bazar, and administrative center. The Grand Timcheh of Qoms Bazaar. ... For other uses, see Blacksmith (disambiguation). ...

History

Fifth century marble Ganesha found at Gardez, Afghanistan, now at Dargah Pir Rattan Nath, Kabul. The inscription says that this "great and beautiful image of Mahāvināyaka" was consecrated by the Shahi King Khingala.^[8]

Gardēz is an ancient settlement, located between the South Asia and the Iranian plateau. Unfortunately, its history is only very poorly documented. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Ganesha (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Hindu dynasty. ... Map of South Asia (see note on Kashmir). ... After Islamic Conquest  Modern SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Iran  Iraq  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan  This box:      Greater Iran (in Persian: Irān-e Bozorg, or Irān-zamÄ«n; the Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term Iranian Cultural Continent[1]) is a term for the Iranian plateau in addition to...

Archaeological discoveries, including Indo-Greek, Sassanid, Hephthalite, and Turki-Shāhī coins, as well as several Hindu statues from the 7th century give a small insight into the rich history of Gardēz. Maximum extent of Indo-Greek territory circa 175 BCE. The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 BCE. They are the continuation of the Greco-Bactrian dynasty of Greek... Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). ... The Hephthalites, also known as White Huns, were a nomadic people who lived across northern China, Central Asia, and northern India in the fourth through sixth centuries. ... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

According to the medieval Tārīkh-e Sīstān, the city was founded by the Kharijite warlord Hamza bin Abdullāh Shārī, although scholars agree that this is probably only a reference to the Islamic conquest of the city^[7]. In any case, Gardēz became a center of Kharijite belief for more than a century under the local dynasty of the Aflahids in the distant eastern parts of the Abbasid caliphate.. In 870, the city was conquered by the Saffarid ruler Yaqub bin Layt. In 975, the Ghaznavids took over the city, while the converted Aflahids entered the Ghaznavid nobility.^[9] In 1162, the city fell to the Sultāns of Ghōr. Kharijites (Arabic خوارج, literally Those who Go Out[1]) is a general term embracing various Muslims who, while initially supporting the caliphate of the fourth and final Rashidun Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, later rejected him. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Muslim empire. ... Events February 28 - End of the Fourth Council of Constantinople. ... The Saffarid dynasty of Persia ruled a short-lived empire centred on Seistan, a border district between modern-day Afghanistan and Iran, between AD 861-1003. ... Events Coronation of King Edward the Martyr Births Deaths July 8 Edgar of England Categories: 975 ... The Ghaznavid Empire was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 977 to 1186. ... Events June 3 - Thomas Becket consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. ... After Islamic Conquest  Modern SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Iran  Iraq  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan  This box:      The Ghurids (or Ghorids; self-designation: ShansabānÄ«) (Persian: ) were a Sunni Muslim dynasty in Khorasan, most likely of Eastern Persians (Tajiks)[1][2] origin. ...

Renowned for its multi-storied houses - as mentioned by the Central Asian conqueror Babur^[10][11] - the city was part of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. However, nothing is known of the town during the subsequent centuries and no building remains. Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east, and from southern Russia in the north to... Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad, commonly known as Bābur (February 14, 1483 – December 26, 1530) (Chaghatay/Persian: ; also spelled ), was a Muslim Emperor from Central Asia who founded the Mughal dynasty of India. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ...

During the Anglo-Afghan wars, Gardēz was handed over to the newly created country Afghanistan and was part of the "buffer-state" between British India and Tsarist Russia. A series of three wars between Britain and the Afghans in the 19th century and early 20th century was formerly called the Afghan Wars but is now referred to as the Anglo-Afghan wars perhaps to distinguish them from the civil strife in the 1980s. ... Anthem God Save The Queen/King British India, circa 1860 Capital Calcutta (1858-1912), New Delhi (1912-1947) Language(s) Hindi, Urdu, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1877-1901 Victoria  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - January-December 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George...

Today, Gardēz is the administrative center of a district of the Paktiā province, which covers 650 km² and had a total population of 44,000 inhabitants in 1979, but was almost totally depopulated during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Paktia (Pashto: پکتيا) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Belligerents DRA USSR Mujahideen of Afghanistan Commanders Soviet 40th Army: Sergei Sokolov Valentin Varennikov Boris Gromov DRA: Babrak Karmal Mohammad Najibullah Abdul Rashid Dostum Abdul Haq Jalaluddin Haqqani Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Ismail Khan Ahmad Shah Massoud Strength Soviet forces: 80,000-104,000 Afghan forces: 329,000 (in 1989)[1] 45...

In 1960 the German government had their biggest rural development project with a budget of 2.5 million Deutsch Marks for the development of Paktiā ("Paktiā Development Authority", see above). The project was unsuccessful as the communist regime came to power in the 1979. The commuists lost control of most of Paktiā during the 80s as the country plunged in to war with only Gardēz remaining in government control. The Deutsche Mark (DM, DEM) was the official currency of West and, from 1990, unified Germany. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 30s - 40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s - 100s - 110s - 120s - 130s 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 Note: Sometimes 80s is used as shorthand for the 1980s, the 1880s, or other such decades in different centuries. ...

Today Paktiā remains one of the most stable provinces in the southeast compared to Khost and Paktikā.

Economy and administration

Gardez has the first Provincial reconstruction team (PRT)

The city of Gardēz is also a major fuel wood market for Kabul. Many of its natural forests are being cut down to provide fuel wood especially during winter. Gardēz is also the regional center for the southeastern Afghanistan that includes Paktikā, Khost and Ghaznī provinces. A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is an administrative unit of international aid to Afghanistan, consisting of a small operating base from which a group of sixty to more than one hundred civilians and military specialists work to perform small reconstruction projects or provide security for others involved in aid work. ... Paktika is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... Khost, sometimes spelt Khowst, is a town in Afghanistan, located at 33. ... Ghazni (Persian: غزنی , ÄžaznÄ«) is a city in eastern Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 149,998 people. ...

Gardēz is a region embedded in tribal traditions and customary law.

During the 1970s, Gardēz experienced an economic boom as a result of the German-funded "Paktiā Development Authority", established in 1965, and of the asphalting of the road to Kabul. Social services included three schools for boys, one school for girls, a hospital, one teacher training institute, the Madrasaye Roshānī, two hotels, forty mosques and two Hindu temples.^[12] Most of these buildings were destroyed during the civil war in the 1980s. Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Madrassa in the Gambia The word madrassa in the Arabic language (and other languages of the Islamic nations such as Persian, Turkish, Indonesian etc. ... The Masjid al-Haram in Mecca as it exists today A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... Hinduism is a religious tradition[1] that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ...

After the fall of the Taliban, the first PRT (provincial reconstruction team) in Afghanistan was established in Paktiā near Gardēz in early March of 2003, headed by the US Army along with a US Agency for International Development (USAID) representative. The PRT's now number over 30 in Afghanistan. The continuing challenge to bring electricity, medical clincs, schools and water to the more remote villages in Paktia are a result of ongoing security issues. The Taliban (Pashto: - , also anglicised as Taleban) are a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement[2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance and NATO countries. ... A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is an administrative unit of international aid to Afghanistan, consisting of a small operating base from which a group of sixty to more than one hundred civilians and military specialists work to perform small reconstruction projects or provide security for others involved in aid work. ...

Famous people from Gardēz

• Mohammad Najibullah, the last president of the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. After his overthrow, he was murdered by the Taliban on September 27, 1996. He is buried in Gardēz.
• Shah Gardez, an eleventh century Syed saint from Gardez, established himself in Multan, Pakistan.

Dr. Mohammad Najibullah (Pashto/Persian: ‎ ; born 1947, died September 27, 1996) was the fourth and last President of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... CCCP redirects here. ... The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was the communist governance in Afghanistan between 1978 and 1992. ... The Taliban (Pashto: - , also anglicised as Taleban) are a Sunni Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement[2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance and NATO countries. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Multan shown on a 1669 world map   (Urdu: ملتان) is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. ...

References And Notes

Encyclopædia Iranica is a project in Columbia Universitys Center for Iranian studies, to create an English language encyclopedia about Iran and Persia. ... Bāburnāma (Chagatai/Persian: ; literally: Book of Babur or Letters of Babur) are the memoirs of Zāhir ud-DÄ«n Mohammad Bābur (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire and a great-great-great-grandson of Timur. ...

Literature

• S. Radojicic, "Report on Hydrogeological Survey of Paktya Province", Kabul, UNICEF, 1977
• C.E. Bosworth, "Notes on the Pre-Ghaznavid History of Eastern Afghanistan", in The Islamic Quarterly IX, 1965