Afghanistan

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Afghanistan in Middle East Countries
Map of area around the Aral Sea. Aral Sea boundaries are circa 1960. Countries at least partially in the Aral Sea watershed are in yellow.
Map showing the 34 provinces of Afghanistan

Afghanistan (officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Dari: جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان), is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Asia. Generally considered a part of Central Asia, it is sometimes ascribed to a regional bloc in either South Asia or the Middle East, as it has cultural, ethno-linguistic, and geographic links with most of its neighbors.

Legend about how Afghan word came into existence

According to Niamtulla's Makhzan-i-Afghani and Hamdulla Mustaufi's Tarikh-i-Guzida, in the eighteenth generation from Adam was born Ibrahim one of whose decendants was Talut or Saul. Talut had two sons, one of whom was named Irmia or Jermia. Irmia had a son named Afghan, who is supposed to have given his name to the Afghan people. Qais, a descendant of Afghan, with many of his kins men or Bani Israel settled down in Ghor, joined the Prophert's standard, and was converted to Islam.The Prophet was so pleased with Qais that he gave him the name of Abdur Rashid, called him Malik [king] and Pethan [keel or rudder of a ship] for showing his people the path of Islam. This explains how the Afghan and Pathan came into being and how they all love the title of Malik. [1]

Provinces of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is administratively divided into thirty-four (34) provinces (welayats), and for each province there is a capital. Each province is then divided into many provincial districts, and each district normally covers a city or several townships.

Province wise list of Districts

North Eastern Afghanistan

Badakhshan Province

Baghlan Province

Kunduz Province

Takhar Province

North Western Afghanistan

Balkh Province

Faryab Province

Jowzjan Province

Samangan Province

Sare Pol Province

Central Mainland Afghanistan

Central Afghanistan

Kapisa Province

Logar Province

Panjshir Province

  • Anaba - created within the former Panjsher District
  • Bazarak - created within the former Panjsher District
  • Darah - created within the former Hisa Duwum Panjsher District
  • Khenj - created within the former Hisa Awal Panjsher District
  • Paryan - created within the former Hisa Awal Panjsher District
  • Rokha - created within parts of the former Hisa Duwum Panjsher and Panjsher Districts
  • Shotul - created within the former Panjsher District

Parwan Province

Wardak Province

Eastern Afghanistan

Kunar Province

Laghman Province

Nangarhar Province

Nuristan Province

Western Afghanistan

Badghis Province

Bamyan Province

Farah Province

Ghor Province

Herat Province

South Eastern Afghanistan

Ghazni Province

Khost Province

Paktia Province

Paktika Province

South Western Afghanistan

Daykundi Province

  • Gizab - shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Ishtarlay - created within the former Daykundi District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Kajran - shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Khadir - created within the former Daykundi District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Kiti - formerly part of Kajran District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Miramor - formerly part of Sharistan District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Nili - created within the former Daykundi District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Sangtakht - created within the former Daykundi District; shifted from Oruzgan Province
  • Shahristan - shifted from Oruzgan Province

Helmand Province

Kandahar Province

[Nimruz|Nimruz Province]]

Orūzgān Province

Zabul Province

The Kingdom of Zabul in 700 AD

Jats in Afghanistan

Afghanistan was part of Bharat Varsh during Mahabharata period. The wife of Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, was from this area. Sometimes there were Indian rulers and sometimes there were Iranian rulers in Afghanistan. During Chandra Gupta’s period Saubhagsen was king in Afghanistan. Jat rulers till the invasion by Mughals ruled Kandahar. After the Mughal invasion some Jats moved to India and others were converted to Muslims. Jats from Afghanistan moved to India during the rule of Shalivahan. According to Henry Eliot, author of the book “Distribution of the races of north western provinces of India”, The Jats settled on the banks of Chenab River in Punjab, call there area as Herat because they believe that they had come from Herat of Iran. According to Thakur Deshraj the present Sistan was ruled by Jats and that area was known as Shivistan (place of Shivi gotra Jats). Cunningham states that Jats mixed with Rajputs and Afghans. Later these people were called Bloch.

According to Jat historian Ram Swarup Joon, "Afghanistan was called Upguanstan, Baluchijostan both of that are Sanskrit words. Both these countries were part of India till, as late as the Mogul period. King Seth of the Ardas branch of Yayati dynasty had a son called Arh, whose son Gandhara founded the town of Gandhar, now known as Kandhar. Gandhari, mother of Duryodhana was from this town. Jats have gotras of this dynasty named Gaindhar, Gaindhala and Gaindhu. King Gaj founded Ghazni.

Todd, quoting Strabo writes that a large number of people East of Caspian Sea are called Scythians and further East live the Dahiyas the Maha Jati, who used to provide three hundred horsemen and seven hundred foot soldiers in times of need.

Gedown and Niel write that the forefathers, of Laumiri Baluchis were Jats.

According to Todd, in ancient times the boundaries of Jat kingdom of Sindhu, included parts of Baluchistan, Makran, Balorari and the Salt Ranges.

People of Gill gotra came to known as Gilzai Pathans; Gill Jats at one time ruled the area of Hindukush Mountains. The last ruler of Ghazni was Subhag Sen. At the time of Alexander's invasion king Chitra Verma ruled Baluchistan.

According to Todd, in 1023, Umer Bin Moosaiw wrested Hirat and Kaikan from the Jats and made 3000 Jat soldiers prisoners. The Tawarikh Tibri by Sulaiman Nadvi also mentions this event. It states that a Jat Commander of Umer Bin Moosa refused to join the attack. But inspite of this, Umer was victorious despite heavy losses.

Sialkot and Quetta of Baluchistan were capitals of Madrak Kings. Makran province of Baluchistan belonged to the Jats. When King Sapur the second of Sasanian dynasty became friendly with Samudra Gupta, Sindhu and Makran provinces were given to the Jats.

In the history of the ruling dynasty of Jaisalmer there is reference to an event in Yudhisthra Samvat 3008, that when their ancestors were driven out of Gazni and were advancing towards India, they had to battle with Tak-is (Takshaks) on the banks of River Indus."

Jat Places in Afghanistan

Main article: Jat Places in Afghanistan

Here are mentioned some of Jat places having connection with Jat History and Jat Clans.

Wardak وردګ (Pashtoپښتو‎/ wardak vardag vardak, Hindi:वरडक)) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital is Meydan Shahr. It is associated with the history of Burdak Jat clan.

The records of Kushan ruler Havishka have been unearthed at Wardak, to the west of Kabul.[2] Bhim Singh Dahiya has mentioned about an inscription of Wardak near Kabul of the year 51 of Saka era (129 AD), which relates the establishment of the relic of Lord Buddha in a stupa by Vagramarega who is shown as a scion of Kama Gulya. Here it is related with clan name Gulya of the Jats. [3] Wardak is associated with the history of Burdak Jat clan. Jats in Afghanistan were of followers of Buddhism. About two thousand years back Kushan gotra Jat king Kanishka was ruler of Afghanistan also and his capital was Peshawar or Purushpur. His descendants ruled in Afghanistan till nineth vikram century.

Maharaja Gaj founded the Ghazni city of Afghanistan. Maharaja Gaj was killed in war with Mughals. Maharaja Gaj had sent his son Shalivahan to India before war with Mughals. The present Maharawal of Jaisalmer is descecdant of Maharaja Gaj. Mahraja Jaisalmer later on got converted to Rajput. The Gajrania gotra in jats is after Maharaja Gaj.

According to official gazette of Afghanistan there was Jat population of about 60000 in the year 1857 in Afghanistan. These used to be called Jats of Hind.

Some study about Afghanistan reveals that there are four provinces in Afghanistan in which I found similarity with Jat Gotras. These are: -

Places in Afghanistan - Study of places in Afghanistan shows that there are many places in Afghanistan, which are after Jat gotra or names of Jat people. These names have no equivalent Sanskrit or Hindi names. This explains the movement of Jat people from Afghanistan to India. Almas, Bagram, Barazi, Baraz loghan, Barla, Bazar, Chahar, Chahar-borjak, Chahar-burjak, Kasawa, Ladu, Mahalla Sakhii, Mahalla Sakhri, Malla, Mano, Matu, Ma’dudi, Naik, Rohi, Rud, Saran, Sibji, Soran, Tabar, Takhra, Umara, Walian

References

  1. ↑ Studies in Asian History, 1969 pp.17-18
  2. ↑ RC Majumdar: An Advanced History of India, Page 116, ISBN 0333 90298 X
  3. ↑ Bhim Singh Dahiya :Jats: The Ancient Rulers, p.41

Further reading

  • Thakur Deshraj: Jat Itihas (Hindi), Maharaja Suraj Mal Smarak Shiksha Sansthan, Delhi, 1934, 2nd edition 1992.
  • Dr Natthan Singh: Jat - Itihas (Hindi), Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad Gwalior, 2004
  • James Legge: A RECORD OF BUDDHISTIC KINGDOMS :Being an Account by the Chinese Monk Fa-Hien of his Travels in India and Ceylon (A.D. 399-414) in Search of the Buddhist Books of Discipline, Translated and annotated with a Corean recension of the Chinese text
  • Ram Swarup Joon: History of the Jats, Rohtak, India (1938, 1967)

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