Kunduz(/kʊnduːz/;Pashto:قندوز;Persian:قندوزoriginal name:قندوز) is a city in northernAfghanistan,the capital ofKunduz Province.The city has an estimated population of about 268,893 as of 2015, making it about the7th-largest cityof Afghanistan, and the largest city in northeastern Afghanistan.[2]Kunduz is in the historicalTokharistanregion ofBactria,near the confluence of theKunduz Riverwith theKhanabad River.Kunduz is linked by highways withKabulto the south,Mazar-i-Sharifto the west, andBadakhshanto the east. Kunduz is also linked withDushanbeinTajikistanto the north, via the Afghandry portofSherkhan Bandar.This city is famous in Afghanistan for its watermelon production.
Kunduz
Persian:قندوز | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Kunduz Location in Afghanistan  Kunduz Kunduz (Bactria)  Kunduz Kunduz (West and Central Asia) | |
| Coordinates:36°43′43″N68°52′5″E/ 36.72861°N 68.86806°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Kunduz Province |
| District | Kunduz District |
| First mention | 329 BCE |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11,206 ha (27,691 acres) |
| • Land | 112 km2(43 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 351 m (1,152 ft) |
| Population (2014–2015)[2] | |
| • Total | 268,893 |
| • Density | 2,400/km2(6,200/sq mi) |
| Population total is estimated | |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30(Afghanistan Time) |
| Postal code | 35XX |
| Main language | |
| Climate | BSk |
As of 2015, the land use of the city (within the municipal boundary) is largely agricultural (65.8% of total area). Residential land comprises nearly half of the 'built-up' land area (48.3%) with 29,877 dwellings. Institutional land comprises 17.9% of built-up land use, given that the airport is within the municipal boundary.[1]
Etymology
Kunduz is also sometimes spelled (romanized) asKundûz,Qonduz,Qondûz,Konduz,Kondûz,Kondoz,orQhunduz.The name of the city is derived from thePersiancompound,kohan dež,"old/ancient fort".[3]
History
Kunduz is the site of the ancient city ofDrapsaka.It was a great centre ofBuddhistlearning and very prosperous during the 3rd century AD.
The city used to be calledAornos(Bactrian:οαρνο,romanized:warn)[4]and laterWalwalij[5]orVarvaliz,a compound of the old name Warn andBactrian:λιζο,romanized:liz,lit. 'fortress'.[6]The nameKuhandizbegan to be used from theTimuridtime.
In the 18th and 19th centuries it was the capital of anUzbekkhanatewhich reached its largest extent, fromBalkhto thePamir Mountains,during the reign ofMurad Beg(1815–1842). Murad Beg faced the decline of his stateafter being defeatedbyDost Mohammad Khan.[7]After Murad's death, the khanate declined and was eventuallysubjugated by Afghanistanin 1859.[8]
In the early 20th century, between 100 to 200,000 Tajiks and Uzbeks fled the conquest of their homeland by the Russian Red Army and settled in northern Afghanistan.[9]
In the early 20th century, under the governance ofSher Khan Nashir,Kunduz became one of the wealthiest Afghan provinces. This was mainly due to Nasher's founding of the Spinzar Cotton Company, which continues to exist in post-war Afghanistan. At its peak, the Spinzar Cotton Company employed 5,000 people full time. Kunduz is the most important agricultural province which produceswheat,rice,millet,and other products and obtained the nickname of "the hive of the country."[10]
21st century
Kunduz is the centre for the northeast provinces and was captured by theTalibanin 1997. It was the last major city held by the Taliban before its fall to US-backedAfghan Northern Allianceforces on 26 November 2001.
During the summer of 2015, the Taliban advanced and attacked the city, which resulted in abattle for control of the cityagainst Afghan forces. Tens of thousands of inhabitants were displaced internally by the fighting.[11][12][13]On 28 September 2015 the Taliban flag was again raised in the city center and the Taliban managed to capture the city prison and free many prisoners.[14][15]On 3 October 2015, aUnited States Air ForceAC-130UgunshipattackedtheKunduz Trauma Centreoperated byMédecins Sans Frontières(MSF, or Doctors Without Borders). TheAfghan Armed Forcescounter-attacked and managed to re-capture the city in 15 days. The Taliban announced that, after achieving their objectives, they have withdrawn from the city's center.Zabiullah Mujahid,a Taliban spokesperson, said that their main object in leaving the city is to avoid civilian casualties from air raids.[16]In April 2018 the Afghan Air Force conductedan airstrikethat killed and injured dozens of civilians at areligious schoolin Kunduz.[17]On 31 August 2019, the Taliban forces launched another attack on the city, setting off a major battle with local security forces.
On19 May 2020,the Taliban killed one policeman and one civilian and injured 18 others in a motorbike bomb blast in Kunduz. On the same day, the Taliban attempted again to capture Kunduz, attacking several government posts but were repelled by the Afghan security forces. The Taliban were forced to flee the city, leaving ten dead bodies behind.[18]Eight Afghan soldiers and three civilians were killed and 55 others were wounded during the Taliban attack.[19]
On 8 August 2021, the Taliban as part of theirnationwide military offensivecaptured Kunduz, along with Sar-e-Pul andTaloqanafter heavy clashes with ANA forces.[20][21]
On 8 October 2021, a militant ofISKPdetonated a suicide vest targeting shia worshippersat the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque, killing 50+ people and wounding over 100.
Geography
Kunduz is strategically situated on the main north–south highway linkingKabulto Tajikistan, and east–westMazar-i-ShariftoTaloqanandFayzabad.
Climate
Kunduz has acold semi-arid climate(Köppen climate classificationBSk) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is generally low except from January to April, with summers almost always rainless.
| Climate data for Kunduz | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
38.9 (102.0) |
42.2 (108.0) |
46.2 (115.2) |
45.3 (113.5) |
44.2 (111.6) |
39.2 (102.6) |
39.4 (102.9) |
28.4 (83.1) |
21.6 (70.9) |
46.2 (115.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
9.5 (49.1) |
15.8 (60.4) |
23.0 (73.4) |
29.8 (85.6) |
37.3 (99.1) |
39.0 (102.2) |
36.9 (98.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
16.0 (60.8) |
9.7 (49.5) |
23.3 (73.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
17.2 (63.0) |
22.9 (73.2) |
29.3 (84.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
23.9 (75.0) |
16.9 (62.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.4 (39.9) |
16.8 (62.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
5.7 (42.3) |
11.6 (52.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.3 (73.9) |
21.5 (70.7) |
16.3 (61.3) |
10.6 (51.1) |
4.1 (39.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −22.7 (−8.9) |
−23.1 (−9.6) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
4.2 (39.6) |
12.5 (54.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.6 (54.7) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−20 (−4) |
−23.1 (−9.6) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 44.0 (1.73) |
56.5 (2.22) |
76.7 (3.02) |
54.4 (2.14) |
29.8 (1.17) |
0.1 (0.00) |
1.3 (0.05) |
0.3 (0.01) |
0.1 (0.00) |
7.3 (0.29) |
23.7 (0.93) |
28.4 (1.12) |
322.6 (12.68) |
| Average rainy days | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 57 |
| Average snowy days | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 80 | 75 | 75 | 71 | 54 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 44 | 63 | 76 | 55 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 114.4 | 114.6 | 158.9 | 201.0 | 276.5 | 332.1 | 340.2 | 315.5 | 289.7 | 221.8 | 169.3 | 118.3 | 2,652.3 |
| Source: NOAA (1958–1983)[22] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
The city of Kunduz has an estimated population of about 268,893 as of 2015.[2]EthnicPashtunscomprise the largest segment, followed byUzbeks,Tajiks,Arabsand a few others.[9][23][24]Kunduz is the capital of a highly diverse province that includes significant populations of Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks,Hazaras,Arabs,BalochisandTurkmens.[25]
Historically, during the late 19th century the city was predominantly Tajik with a significant Uzbek minority.[26]However, as part of thePashtunization initiative in Northern Afghanistan,successive Afghan governments sent Pashtuns north into Kunduz, taking both land reclaimed from the wetlands of Kunduz and from other non-Pashtun groups.[26]
Kunduz Arabsspeak Persian and Pashto, Afghanistan's two official languages, rather thanArabic.However, they claim a strong Arab identity, based on their tribal origins inArabia.This may in fact point to the seventh-century and eighth-century migration to this and other Central Asian locales of many Arab tribes from Arabia in the wake of the Islamic conquests of the region.[27]
Administration
Kunduz city is divided into 8 Districts ('Nahias') with a total land area of 11,206 hectares.[1]
The most influential leader of Kunduz wasArif Khan,who was a governor of Kunduz Province and was shot dead in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan in the year 2000. Soon after the incident his brother Haji Omar Khan took his responsibility and was appointed as the Governor of Kunduz (2000–01).
Sports
- Professional sports teams from Kunduz
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pamir Zalmi | Shpageeza Cricket League | Cricket | Kunduz Cricket Ground | 2021 |
| Mawjhai Amu F.C. | Afghan Premier League | Football | Kunduz Ground | 2012 |
Stadiums
- Kunduz Cricket Ground
- Kunduz Ground
Notable people
- Sher Khan Nasher,chief clan of (Ghilji)KharotiNashertribe
- Gholam Nabi NasherKhan (1926–2010), parliamentarian
- Sayed Noorullah Murad(Afghan politician, member of federal cabinet, military commander and scholar) Imam Saheb district
- Gulbudin Hekmatyar,Afghan political leader,Afghanpolitician, formermujahideenand drug trafficker
- Hamidullah Yousafzai,Afghan football player who played forAfghanistan national football team
- Javed Ahmadi(1992–), player of theAfghanistan national cricket team
- Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi,former Afghan National Parliament Speaker
- Farhad Darya,Afghan singer
See also
References
- ^abcd"State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II)"(in English and Dari).UN-Habitat.2015.Archivedfrom the original on 26 October 2021.Retrieved26 October2021.
- ^abc"State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)".UN-Habitat.2015.Archivedfrom the original on 26 October 2021.Retrieved26 October2021.
- ^Branch, India Army General Staff (1972).Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan.Akadem. Druck- u. Verlagsanst.ISBN9783201012720.
- ^Sims-Williams.New Light on Ancient Afghanistan.pp. 16–17.
- ^"Asien-Afrika-Institut".uni-hamburg.de.Archived fromthe originalon 9 May 2012.
- ^Gholami, Saloumeh.Selected Features of Bactrian Grammar.p. 80.
- ^Noelle-Karimi, Christine (1997).State And Tribe In Nineteenth Century Afghanistan: The Reign Of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826-1863).p. 84.
- ^Noelle-Karimi, Christine (1997).State And Tribe In Nineteenth Century Afghanistan: The Reign Of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826-1863).p. 88.
- ^abWörmer, Nils (2012)."The Networks of Kunduz: A History of Conflict and Their Actors, from 1992 to 2001"(PDF).Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik.Afghanistan Analysts Network.p. 8.Retrieved12 January2014.
- ^"Afghanistan's Misguided Economy | Boston Review".8 February 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2014.Retrieved9 January2023.
- ^"Afghans counter Taliban offensive in northern Kunduz province".BBC News.
- ^"Taliban and Afghan Government Dispute Status of Kunduz".New York Times.21 June 2015.
- ^"Afghanistan: Taliban advance on key northern city".The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^"Taliban 'seize half' of Afghanistan's Kunduz city".www.bbc.com.BBC. 28 September 2015.Retrieved28 September2015.
- ^"Afghan Taliban seize northern city center in major attack".Reuters.28 September 2015.Retrieved28 September2015.
- ^"Taliban admit Kunduz withdrawal".13 October 2015.Retrieved8 April2018– via www.bbc.com.
- ^cbs/AFP (3 April 2018)."Carnage as airstrike hits boy's[sic] school in Taliban territory".CBS News.Retrieved13 April2018.
- ^"Motorbike bomb, fighting claim 12 lives in Afghanistan's Kunduz province".19 May 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2020 – viahttp://www.xinhuanet.com/.
{{cite web}}:External link in|via= - ^"Eight Afghan soldiers die fighting off Taliban attack on key city".19 May 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 12 April 2021.Retrieved28 May2020– via au.news.yahoo.com/.
- ^Gibbons-Neff, Thomas."The Taliban seize Kunduz, a major city in northern Afghanistan".The New York Times.Retrieved8 August2021.
- ^Latifi, Ali."Taliban captures Kunduz, third provincial capital in three days".Al Jazeera.Retrieved8 August2021.
- ^"Kunduz Climate Normals 1958-1983".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved25 December2012.
- ^"Kunduz Province"(PDF).Program for Culture & Conflict Studies.Naval Postgraduate School.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2 October 2012.Retrieved12 January2014.
- ^"2003 National Geographic Population Map"(PDF).Thomas Gouttierre, Center For Afghanistan Studies,University of Nebraskaat Omaha; Matthew S. Baker, Stratfor.National Geographic Society.2003. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 February 2008.Retrieved18 June2017.
- ^Bleuer, Christian (1 January 2012)."State-building, migration and economic development on the frontiers of northern Afghanistan and southern Tajikistan".Journal of Eurasian Studies.3(1): 69–79.doi:10.1016/j.euras.2011.10.008.
- ^abBleuer, Christian (1 January 2012)."State-building, migration and economic development on the frontiers of northern Afghanistan and southern Tajikistan".Journal of Eurasian Studies.3(1): 69–79.doi:10.1016/j.euras.2011.10.008.ISSN1879-3665.
- ^Barfield, T.J. (1981),The Central Asian Arabs of Afghanistan: Pastoral Nomadism in Transition,University of Texas Press,ISBN9780292710665[permanent dead link]
Further reading
- Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977):An Historical Guide to Afghanistan.1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization.
- Thomas J. Barfield, The Central Asian Arabs of Afghanistan: Pastoral Nomadism in Transition. 1982.
External links
