Zabul
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Zabul (ज़ाबुल ) Pashto/Dari: زابل) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the south of the country. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963. Historically, it was part of the Zabulistan region. Qalat serves as the capital of the province. The major ethnic group are Pashtuns. Primary occupations within Zabul are agriculture and animal husbandry.
Variants of name
Etymology
Location
Zabul borders Oruzgan in the north, Kandahar in the west and in the south, Ghazni and Paktika in the east. It borders Pakistan in the east.
Geography
The province covers an area of 17293 km2. Two-fifths of the province is mountainous or semi mountainous terrain (41%) while more than one quarter of the area is made up of flat land (28%).
The primary ecoregion of the province is the central Afghan mountains xeric woodlands. Common vegetation is listed as dry shrub-land and pistachio. The high mountains of the northern portion of the province are in the Ghor-Hazarajat alpine meadow ecoregion, which is characterized by meadows, willows, and sea buckthorn.
Districts
- Arghandab,
- Atghar,
- Daychopan,
- Kakar,
- Mezana,
- Naw Bahar,
- Qalat,
- Shah Joy,
- Shamulzayi,
- Shinkay,
- Tarnak Aw Jaldak,
Jat clans
History
Turki-Shahi kings of the Kabul and Huna Kings of Zabul
Buddha Prakash[2] mentions .... [p.132]: The Turki-Shahi kings of the Kabul Valley and the Huna Kings of Zabul, called Zambil by Muslim writers, often fought
[p. 133]: among themselves. This is clear from the fact that sometimes these writers refer to Zambil as the king of Kabul which implies the conquest by him of the Turki Sahi realm. Naturally the resistance from their side must have also been quite stubborn. But the story of their heroic struggle with the Muslims eclipses the episodes of conflict and tension among them, On some occasions we also hear of some collaboration among them.
Few events in history are more stirring than the grim resistance offered by the people of Zabul and Kabul to Muslim invaders over a long period of time. In 650, when the Arab general Abdullah-ibn-Amir set out for Khurasan, he despatched Al-Rabi- ibn-Ziyad to Sijistan or Seistan, the lowlands lying round and to the east, of the Zarah Lake. Al-Rabi reached the Helmund and appeared before Zaranj, the capital of the country. The people of the city opposed him fiercely and wounded a number of Muslims, but had to retire into the city. Baladhuri states that the satrap of the city was so terrified as to allow the Arab general to enter the city. But, from the fact that two and a half years later Abdur-Rahman-ibn- Samurah compelled the satrap to pay 2,000.000 dirhams, it appears that that region was not annexed to the Muslim kingdom. On receiving the tribute from him, Abdur-Rahman marched on Az-zur where he plundered the temple cutting off the hand and taking out the two rubies from the eyes of the golden idol to shake the faith of the people. Then he is said to have obtained control of Bust and Zabul. But there is something fishy about the account for it is said that he made no prisoners. In view of some agreement entered into by the Caliph Uthman. However the people expelled his successor Umar-ibn-Ahmar from Seistan and closed the town Zaranj. During the reign of Muawiyah, Abur-Rahman was sent again as governor of that region, but he was faced with a formidable task, for it is said that the people of Seistan had apostatized and those of Zabul broken their treaties. Yet he controlled the situation defeating the people of Zabul and reducing those of Kabul taking with him slaves captured there. Before his death in 670 A.D. Al-Rabi-ibn-Ziyad was appointed governor. During his term Kabul and Zabul again revolted. The king of Kabul assembled a force to oppose the Muslims and drove out those, who were in Kabul, while the king of Zabul recovered his kingdom up to Bust. Al-Rabi had to lead an expedition against the king of Zabul and throw him back even from Al-Dawar. The next governor Ubaidul iah-ibn-
[p.134]: abi-Bakrah continued, the war and reached Razan. However, negotiations were opened, Ubaidullah demanded 12,00,000 dirhams, for letting Zabul and Kabul live in peace, but they offered less, at last the bargain was struck at 10,00,000 and the treaty was confirmed by the governor of Basrah. But, in 680, the people of Kabul again rose and imprisoned Abu-Ubaidah-ibn-Ziyad. The governor of Seistan proceeded against the insurgents, but he and many of his followers were killed and the rest put to flight. Even leaders like Zayd-ibn-Abdullah and Silah-ibn-Ashtam-Abussabha perished. The Arabs had to ransom Abu-Ubaidah for 5,00,000 dirhams. Asa result the cities of Seistan became free from the Caliph’s control.
In 683 Abdul-Aziz-ibn-Abdullah-ibn-Amir arrived as the governor of Seistan, but had to stop at Zaranj owing to the war with the king of Zabul. But soon Abu-Afra-Umar-al-Mazim killed the king of Zabul. Yet the war did not end with the death of that prince.
In 692 the new governor Abdullah had to continue the war. Talks for peace were opened. The king of Zabul was ready to pay 10,00,000 dirhams. But Abdullah wanted that his tent be filled with gold. Hence hostilities were resumed. The Arab army penetrated deep into the country. The Zabulites retreated and entrapped the invaders. At last Abdullah was compelled to be content with the payment of 3,00,000 dirhams only. On this he was dismissed by the Caliph Abdul Malik. During the viceroyalty of Al-Hajjaj (694-713) Ubaidullah-ibn- Abi-Bakrah was appointed the governor of Seistan. Immediately on joining he advanced on Kabul. The king of Kabul blocked a mountain path. The king of Zabul also joined him. The Arab army was in a crisis. Ubaidullah had to make peace and agreed not to disturb them against a payment of 5,00,000 dirhams. In token of the treaty, he sent his three sons, Nahar, Al-Hajjaj and Abu Bakrah, as hostages to Kabul. This humiliating peace sent ashudder in the Arab camp. Some generals did not reconcile themselves to it. One Shuraih rejected the treaty and led a charge against Kabul. But he was killed and his army perished. Ubaidullah died of grief. Al-Hajjaj sent another army to avenge the defeat. It defeated the king of Zabul, but its movements were slowed by his retreat. Al-Hajjaj recalled its general Abdur-Rahman. But he rebelled and joined the king of Zabul. On this Al-Hajjaj had to make peace with the king of Zabul agreeing not to make war on him for seven years and remained friendly with him till his death in 714. In 710 the governor of Khurasan, Qutyba, undertook a cam-
[p.135]: paign against Zabul, but it proved abortive. In the reign of the Caliph Sulairaan (715-17) the king of Zabul ceased to pay the contribution. For well over forty years Zabul enjoyed a spell of peace. In the reign of the Caliph, Al-Mansur (754-75), steps were again taken against it. Man-ibn-Zaidah took over as governor of Seistan and demanded tribute from Zabul. Its king replied by sending some camels, Turkish tents and slaves reckoning each at double its value. This enraged the Arab governor to resume war. When he marched on ar-Rukhaj, the king withdrew to Zabul. Ar-Rukhaj fell to the invader and 30,000 slaves came to his lot, but his success was pyrrhic. During the Caliphate of Al-Mahdi (775-85) and Al-Rashid (786-808) also Seistan was not completely subjugated, as Baladhuri states, and their officers continued to collect tribute as well as they could. In 792-3 an army under Ibrahim-ibn Jibul crossed the Hindukush and stormed Kapishi forcing its king to retire to Kabul When the next caliph, Al-Mamun (808-818), was in Khurasan, the king of Kabul is said to have professed Islam and offered allegiance. But the gains were not lasting. The Zambil (king of Zabul) was in Kabul giving shelter to Nasr and Salih, the sons of Darhim, in 867 on the conquest of Seistan by Yaqub-bin Layth. Yaqub turned against Zabul and conquered Kabul in 870 but his dynasty was replaced by that of the Samanids who did not make any serious effort to extend their authority in the Kabul Valley.
With the conquest of Kapishi by the Arabs in 792-3, its Turki Shahi ruler moved to Kabul. This event seems to underly the tradition of the entering of Barhatikin in a cave at Kabul recorded by Al Biruni (E.C. Sachau, Al-Beruni's India, Vol II p. 10). However, on account of the confused account, transmitted to him, Al-Biruni observed that sixty generations of rulers had intervened between Barhatikin and his own time.
ज़ाबुल
ज़ाबुल अफ़्ग़ानिस्तान का एक प्रांत है जो उस देश के दक्षिण में स्थित है। इस प्रान्त का क्षेत्रफल १७,३४३ वर्ग किमी है और इसकी आबादी सन् २००९ में लगभग २.८ लाख अनुमानित की गई थी। इस प्रान्त की राजधानी क़लात (قلات) नामक शहर है। यहाँ के अधिकतर लोग पश्तून हैं। ज़ाबुल प्रान्त सन् १९६३ में पड़ोसी कंदहार प्रान्त को बांटकर बनाया गया था। इसकी दक्षिणी सरहद पाकिस्तान से लगती है।
See also
References
Back to Jat Places in Afghanistan