Jalalabad
Jalalabad
جلالآباد | |
|---|---|
City | |
      From top counter-clockwise: An aerial view of a section of Jalalabad, Irrigation fields in Jalalabad, Jalalabad Cricket Stadium, Jalalabad in January 2011, Jalalabad Bridge, Governor's House in Jalalabad | |
  Jalalabad Location in Afghanistan  Jalalabad Jalalabad (Hindu-Kush) | |
| Coordinates:34°26′03″N70°26′52″E/ 34.43417°N 70.44778°E | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Nangarhar Province |
| Founded | 1570 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Qari Ehsanullah Sajid[1] |
| Area | |
| • Land | 122 km2(47 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 575 m (1,886 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
| • Total | 280,685 |
| [2] | |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30(Afghanistan Standard Time) |
| Climate | BWh |
Jalalabad(/dʒəˈlæləˌbæd/;جلال آباد[d͡ʒä.lɑː.lɑː.bɑːd̪]) is thefifth-largest cityofAfghanistan.It has a population of about 356,274,[3]and serves as the capital ofNangarhar Provincein the eastern part of the country, about 130 kilometres (80 mi) from the capitalKabul.Jalalabad is located at the junction of theKabul Riverand theKunar Riverin aplateauto the south of theHindu Kushmountains.[4]It is linked by theKabul-Jalalabad Roadto the west andPeshawarinKhyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan,to the east throughTorkhamand theKhyber Pass.
Jalalabad is a leading center of social and trade activity because of its proximity with the Torkhamborder checkpointandborder crossing,65 km (40 mi) away.[5]Major industries include papermaking, as well as agricultural products including oranges, lemon, rice, and sugarcane, helped by its warm climate.[6]It hosts Afghanistan's second largest educational institute,Nangarhar University.For centuries the city was favored by Afghan kings[7]and it has a cultural significance inAfghan poetry.[4]DuringTimur Shah's reign of theDurrani Empire,Jalalabad served as the Afghanwinter capital.[8]
History[edit]
| History ofAfghanistan |
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| Timeline |
Ancient and medieval[edit]
Known at the time by names such as Nagarhara and Adinapur, Jalalabad was a major center ofGreco-Buddhistculture during the late1st millennium BCE,focused on sites such asAhin Posh.
The first surviving references to the city are in early 1st millennium CE accounts by visitingChineseBuddhist monks. In or about 400 CE,Faxianvisited "Nagarhara" and worshiped at sacred Buddhist sites, such as the "Cave of the Buddha's Shadow” ( Phật ảnh quật ).[9]In 630 CE,Xuan Zang,visited "Adinapur" and other locations nearby.
The Buddhist era began to end after the region wasconquered by Muslim forcesduring the late 1st Millennium. However, conversions to Islam evidently did not occur quickly. InHudud-al-Alam,written in 982 CE, there is reference to a village near Jalalabad where the local king had Muslim, Buddhist andHinduwives.[10]
The region became part of theGhaznavid Empirein the 10th century.Sabuktiginannexed the land all the way west of theNeelum Riverin Kashmir. "The Afghans and Khiljies who resided among the mountains having taken the oath of allegiance to Sabuktigin, many of them were enlisted in his army, after which he returned in triumph toGhazni."[11]TheGhuridssucceeded the Ghaznavids and expanded the Islamic empire further into Hindustan. The region around Jalalabad later became part of theKhaljiterritory, followed by that of theTimurids.[12]
Modern[edit]
It is said that the original name of Jalalabad wasAdinapur.[13]Jalalabad was named in honour of Mughal ruler Jalal-uddin in the last decade of the sixteenth century, the grandson ofBabur.The modern city gained prominence during the reign ofBabur,founder of theMughal Empire.Babur had chosen the site for this city which was built by his grandsonJalal-uddin Mohammad Akbarin 1560.[14]
It remained part of the Mughal Empire until around 1738 whenNader Shahand hisAfsharid forcesdefeated the Mughals. Nader Shah's forces were accompanied by the youngAhmad Shah Durraniand his 4,000-strong Afghan army from southern Afghanistan. In 1747, he founded theDurrani Empire(Afghan Empire) after re-conquering the area. The Afghan army has long used the city while going back and forth during their military campaigns into theIndian-subcontinent.
In 1834,Dost Mohammad Khansubjugated Jalalabad in hiscampaign to Jalalabad.[15]
The British-Indian forces invaded Jalalabad in 1838, during theFirst Anglo-Afghan War.In the 1842Battle of Jellalabad,Akbar Khanbesieged theBritish troopson their way to Jalalabad. In 1878, during theSecond Anglo-Afghan War,the British again invaded and set up camps in Jalalabad but withdrew two years later.[16]
Jalalabad is considered one of the most important cities of thePashtun culture.Seraj-ul-Emarat, the residence of AmirHabibullahand KingAmanullahwas destroyed in 1929 whenHabibullah Kalakanirose to power; the other sanctuaries however, retain vestiges of the past. Themausoleumof both rulers is enclosed by a garden facing Seraj-ul-Emart. TheSulemankhils,a Pashtun family famous for theirscientific research,is from Jalalabad. Other celebrated Pashtun families originate from the villages near Jalalabad too.
In the 1960s and 1970s, construction started on a newplanned citycalled Reg-e Shamshad Khan.[17]
From 1978 to early 1990s, the city served as a strategic location for theSoviet-backedDemocratic Republic of Afghanistan.In March 1989, twoMujahideenrebel factions backed by Pakistan and the U.S. assaulted the city during theBattle of Jalalabad.Howevergovernment forcesmanaged to drive them out within two months, which was a major setback to the resistance fighters and the ISI.[18]The city was heavily bombarded and hundreds ofcivilianswere killed. Many buildings, such as schools, hospitals and public buildings were destroyed during the 2-month battle.[19]
After the resignation ofPresidentNajibullah,Jalalabad quickly fell to mujahideen rebels ofYunus Khalison April 19, 1992.[20]On September 12, 1996, theTalibantook control of the city until they were toppled by the US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.Al-Qaedahad been buildingterroristtraining camps in Jalalabad. The city returned to Afghan government control underHamid Karzai.
Theeconomyof Jalalabad gradually increased in the last decade. Many of the city's population began joining theAfghan National Security Forces.Construction has also increased. TheJalalabad Airporthas long served as amilitary basefor theNATO forces.In 2011, theU.S. Embassy in Kabulannounced that it plans to establish aconsulatein Jalalabad.[21]In March 2007, US marines murdered 19 unarmed civilians and wounded 50 near Jalalabad, in an incident compared by theNew York Timesto theHaditha massacre.None of those responsible received any serious punishment.[22]Manysuicide attacksbyjihadistinsurgentshave taken place, including inAugust 2013,April 2015,January 2018,July 2018,September 2018,October 2019andAugust 2020.The groups responsible for the attacks include the Taliban,Haqqani Network,al-Qaeda, andISIS(Daesh).
On August 15, 2021, theTalibanagain took control of the city.[23][24]Its capture cut off the last highway fromKabulto the outside world, and thecity felllater the same day. Three days later on August 18, protestors took down the Afghan Taliban flag and replaced it with a tricolor flag of the previousAfghan government.
Demographics[edit]
The city population is estimated to be 280,685 in year 2021.[2]It has six districts and a total land area of 12,796 hectares (31,620 acres). The total number of dwellings in this city is 39,586.[25]
Nearly all residents of Jalalabad areMuslim,followers ofSunni Islam.Jalalabad is also a center of the country'sSikhs,although the community has dwindled in the city (and nationwide) since the wars began.[26][27]Similarly it is also has aHinduminority.[28]
Land use[edit]
Jalalabad is the regional hub in eastern Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan. Agriculture is the predominant land use at 44%, higher density of dwellings is found in Districts 1–5 and vacant plots are largely clustered in District 6. Districts 1–6 all have a grid network of roads.[25]
Climate[edit]
Jalalabad's climate ishot desert(Köppen:BWh), and it is one of the hottest localities in Afghanistan.[29]The city's climate has close resemblance to that ofArizonain theUnited States.[30]It receives six to eight inches (152 to 203 mm) of rainfall per annum which are limited to winter and the months of spring. Frosts are not common, and during the summer, the temperature can reach a maximum of 120 °F (49 °C).[31]
The north and southwestern parts of the city which has lower elevation are welcoming places to winds from the north and west cooling the parts in summer months. Jalalabad has the highest relative humidity in summer compared to other Afghan cities. However the moderate temperatures of winter has led to various people down the history establishing their settlements in the city.[31]Because of its warm temperature relative to most of Afghanistan, Jalalabad (alongsidePeshawar) was often the "winter capital"of various Afghan rulers of the past centuries,[8][32]while rich people would relocate to villas in Jalalabad to avoid the freezing temperatures inKabul.[33]
| Climate data for Jalalabad | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) |
28.8 (83.8) |
34.5 (94.1) |
40.5 (104.9) |
45.4 (113.7) |
47.5 (117.5) |
44.7 (112.5) |
42.4 (108.3) |
41.2 (106.2) |
38.2 (100.8) |
32.4 (90.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
47.5 (117.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
17.9 (64.2) |
22.5 (72.5) |
28.3 (82.9) |
34.7 (94.5) |
40.4 (104.7) |
39.3 (102.7) |
38.0 (100.4) |
35.2 (95.4) |
30.5 (86.9) |
23.3 (73.9) |
17.5 (63.5) |
28.6 (83.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) |
10.9 (51.6) |
16.3 (61.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
27.7 (81.9) |
32.7 (90.9) |
32.8 (91.0) |
31.9 (89.4) |
28.1 (82.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
9.5 (49.1) |
21.5 (70.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.9 (37.2) |
5.6 (42.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
19.8 (67.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.2 (79.2) |
21.4 (70.5) |
14.4 (57.9) |
6.9 (44.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
14.8 (58.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14.1 (6.6) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
13.5 (56.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
11.0 (51.8) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−14.1 (6.6) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 18.1 (0.71) |
24.3 (0.96) |
39.2 (1.54) |
36.4 (1.43) |
16.0 (0.63) |
1.4 (0.06) |
6.9 (0.27) |
7.7 (0.30) |
8.3 (0.33) |
3.2 (0.13) |
8.3 (0.33) |
12.1 (0.48) |
181.9 (7.17) |
| Average rainy days | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 39 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 61 | 60 | 62 | 59 | 47 | 40 | 52 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 58 | 63 | 56 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 180.9 | 182.7 | 207.1 | 227.8 | 304.8 | 339.6 | 325.9 | 299.7 | 293.6 | 277.6 | 231.0 | 185.6 | 3,056.3 |
| Source: NOAA (1964–1983)[34] | |||||||||||||
Flora and fauna[edit]
Jalalabad is home to a large number of fruits. Various types of citrus fruits likeorange,tangerine,grapefruit,lemon,limegrow in gardens as well as in orchards.[31]The orange trees yield a crop only once in three years. Thenarindjvariety of orange is the most common one which has yellow skin and its taste is a combination of orange and grapefruit. The grapefruits grown here have a diameter of eight or nine inches. Per year 1800 tonnes of pomegranates, 334 tonnes of grapes, and 7750 tonnes of mulberries are produced in Jalalabad.[35]The fruits are either sold in local markets or transported toKabulmarkets from where they are exported. The second most common crop is localvatanivariety of sugarcane. It contains 15% sugar by weight.[36]Jalalabad also has the largestdate farmin Afghanistan.[37]
Transportation[edit]
TheJalalabad Airport(also known as Nangarhar Airport) is located roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast from the city's center. It is adomestic airportfor civilian use.[38]It serves the population of Nangarhar and neighboring provinces.
There are proposals for the establishment ofAfghanistan's rail networklinking Jalalabad withPakistan Railways,allowing for increased trade of goods, people and commerce between the two countries.[39]
Jalalabad is connected by main roads with the Afghan capital of Kabul, the city of Peshawar inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan, and several nearby Afghan cities and towns. All trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan passes through this city. The highway between Jalalabad and Kabul was resurfaced in 2006, reducing the transit time between these two important cities. This highway is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world because of the large number of accidents.[40]An improvement in the road networks between Jalalabad and Peshawar has also been proposed,[by whom?]with the intention of widening the existing road and improving security to attract more tourists and allow for safer passage of goods between to the two countries.
General places of interest[edit]
TheGhazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadiumis next to theGhazi Amanullah Khan Town,which is about 15 miles (24 km) of driving distance southeast of Jalalabad. The people of Jalalabad go there not only for sports purposes but also for enjoyment and relaxation. This is especially during holidays or when they receive visiting family or friends from another place. It is also a popular hangout for those with cars.
- Hotels
- Spinghar Hotel
- Sultan Hotel and Restaurant
- White House Hotel
- Mosques
- Akhunzada Mosque
- Spin Mosque
- Parks
- Abdul Haq Park (located next to the city's main stadiums)
- Amir Habibullah Khan Park (across the street from Siraj-ul-Emarat Park)
- Aryan Park (located in the southwestern section of the city)
- Farm Hada Park (located in southern part of the city)
- Siraj-ul-Emarat Park (located next to House of Governor)
- Mausoleums
- Mausoleum of KingAmanullah Khan(Siraj-ul-Emarat Park)
- Mausoleum ofKhan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
- Mausoleum ofMohammad Gul Khan Momand
- Hospitals
- Al Shifa Modern Hospital
- Bakhtar Hospital
- Baidara Hospital
- Hassanzai Curative Hospital
- Jalalabad Regional Hospital
- Jalalabad Medical Complex
- Khair-un-Nisa Medical Complex
- Spingha Momand Hospital
- Malalai Curative Hospital
- Nangarhar Teaching Hospital
- Naseri Hospital
- Rokhan Hospital
- Universities
- Shopping centers
- Hejaz Super Market
- Jada Super Store
- Nakamura Super Store
Sports[edit]
The province is represented in domestic cricket competitions by the Nangarhar province cricket team. National team member Hamid Hasan was born in the province and he currently represents Afghanistan in international cricket. TheGhazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadiumis the first international standard cricket stadium in Afghanistan. It is located in theGhazi Amanullah Town,a modern suburb on the southeastern fringe of Jalalabad in Nangarhar Province. Construction on the stadium began in March 2010 when the foundation stone was laid by Minister of Finance and president of theAfghanistan Cricket Board,Omar Zakhilwal. The project, which was developed on 30 acres of land donated by the developer constructing the Ghazi Amanullah Town, cost up the first phase of construction $1.8 million. The first phase, which took one year to complete, included the completion of the stadium itself. The remainder of the phases will see the construction of a pavilion, accommodation for players and administrative buildings. The stadium, which has a capacity of 14,000, was completed before the national team and under-19 team left for Canada and the Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Ireland respectively. The two sides inaugurated the stadium in aTwenty20match. It is hoped that the stadium will be able to attract international teams to play Afghanistan, who currently have One Day International status until at least 2013.
- Professional sports teams from Jalalabad
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nangarhar Leopards | Afghanistan Premier League | Cricket | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 2018 |
| Speenghar Tigers | Shpageeza Cricket League | Cricket | Ghazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadium | 2013 |
| De Spin Ghar Bazan F.C. | Afghan Premier League | Football | Nangarhar Football Stadium | 2012 |
- Stadiums
- Ghazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadium(around 15 miles (24 km) southeast from Jalalabad, next to Ghazi Amanullah Town)
- Nangarhar Football Stadium (next to Abdul Haq Park and House of Governor)
- Behsud Cricket Stadium (next to Abdul Haq Park and House of Governor)
International sister cities[edit]
Notable people[edit]
- Rashid Khan,cricketer
- Amanullah Khan,Emir and King of Afghanistan (1919–1929), buried in the city
- Abdul Ghaffar Khan,buried in the city
- Mohammad Gul Khan Momand,buried in the city
- Tetsu Nakamura,lived and died in the city
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Zarifi, Yousaf (18 August 2021)."Control food prices, Nangarharis urge Taliban".Archivedfrom the original on 11 November 2021.Retrieved11 November2021.
- ^abc"Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021–22"(PDF).National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 June 2021.Retrieved21 June2021.
- ^"The State of Afghan Cities report2015".Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2015.
- ^ab"Afghan poets dream of peace in Pashtun Jalalabad | Arts & Ent, Culture | THE DAILY STAR".The Daily Star.Archived fromthe originalon 22 January 2021.Retrieved3 December2020.
- ^"Jalālābād".Britannica.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2011.Retrieved15 August2011.
- ^"CLIMATE OF AFGHANISTAN – Afghanistan photos".Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2019.Retrieved28 October2019.
- ^Burns, John F. (11 May 1989)."Inside Jalalabad: A Sad, Crumbling Shel".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved3 December2020.
- ^abWright, Colin."Jellalabad, the bastion where General Elphinstone and others were buried during the seige [sic] 1841–42".bl.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 11 October 2009.Retrieved3 December2020.
- ^Kuwayama, Shoshin (2012). "The Hephthalites in Tokharistan and Northwest India". In Liu, Xinru (ed.).India and Central Asia.Permanent Black. p. 240.ISBN978-8178243474.
- ^Vogelsang, Willem (2002).The Afghans.Wiley-Blackwell. p. 18.ISBN978-0-631-19841-3.
- ^"AMEER NASIR-OOD-DEEN SUBOOKTUGEEN".Ferishta,History of the Rise of Mohammedan Power in India, Volume 1: Section 15.Packard Humanities Institute. Archived fromthe originalon 14 May 2013.Retrieved31 December2012.
- ^Hewitt, Cooper."Afghanistan | Countries | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum".collection.cooperhewitt.org.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved26 January2021.
- ^Gazetteer of the Peshawar District 1897–98 Page 55
- ^Adamec, Ludwig W. (2011).Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East: Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan.Scarecrow Press. p. 264.ISBN9780810878150.
- ^Noelle, Christine (1997).State and Tribe in Nineteenth Century Afghanistan The Reign of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan (1826-1863).Psychology Press. p. 15.ISBN9781138982871.
- ^"Jalālābād | Afghanistan".Encyclopedia Britannica.Archivedfrom the original on 23 March 2019.Retrieved18 February2019.
- ^"Afghanistan, through a lifetime with Hashmat Ghani: Part 2".6 July 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 2 September 2021.Retrieved2 September2021.
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- ^"3Afghan".Archivedfrom the original on 17 August 2021.Retrieved4 June2020.
- ^"Afghan rebels capture Jalalabad".UPI.Archivedfrom the original on 28 January 2018.Retrieved28 January2018.
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- ^Fintan O'Toole,'Our Hypocrisy on War Crimes,'Archived2022-08-21 at theWayback MachineNew York Review of Books26 May 2022 pp. 10–13, p. 12.
- ^"Taliban sweep into Afghan capital after government collapses".ABC News.
- ^"Taliban capture Afghanistan's Jalalabad, cut off Kabul from east".Al Jazeera.15 August 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 16 August 2021.Retrieved15 August2021.
- ^ab"The State of Afghan Cities report 2015".Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2015.Retrieved21 October2015.
- ^Najibullah, Farangis."'When Are You Going Back?' Afghanistan's Sikhs, Strangers In Their Own Land ".RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2020.Retrieved3 December2020.
- ^Kumar, Ruchi."The decline of Afghanistan's Hindu and Sikh communities".aljazeera.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2021.Retrieved3 December2020.
- ^Bearak, Barry (23 May 2001)."Taliban Propose an Identity Label for the 'Protection' of Hindus (Published 2001)".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archivedfrom the original on 22 November 2020.Retrieved3 December2020.
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- ^Michel, p. 29
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- ^http:// island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=144825[dead link]
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- ^Michel, p.32
- ^Michel, p.33
- ^"Nangarhar to produce 15 tonnes of dates this year".Pajhwok Afghan News.9 September 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 10 September 2021.Retrieved26 August2022.
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- ^"San Diego Jalalabad Sister Cities".San Diego Jalalabad Sister Cities.Archivedfrom the original on 22 January 2018.Retrieved28 January2018.
Further reading[edit]
Published in the 19th century[edit]
- Edward Balfour(1885),"Jalalabad",Cyclopaedia of India(3rd ed.), London: B. Quaritch
Published in the 20th century[edit]
- .Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 15 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 130.
External links[edit]
| Districts |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Populated places | ||
| Buildings and structures |
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| Other | ||
