Hashtnagar

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Hashtnagar (Hindko: ھشتنگر, Pashto: ھشتنګر, Urdu: ہشتنگر) is one of the two parts of Charsadda District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The Original name of Hashtnagar was "Ashtanagaram" (अष्टनगरम्), "Ashta" means Eight in Sanskrit and "Nagaram" meaning "Town". This area of Charsadda was for a long time known as Hashtnagar, the reformed name for the Persian word hasht (ھشت) meaning eight, and the Sanskrit root word "nagara" (नगर) meaning town, thus meaning "Eight Towns", referring to the eight towns situated in this region.[1] These are:

Contents

[edit] Class struggle

Hashtnagar is known for its militant socialist struggle of peasants led by the Mazdoor Kisan Party which has resulted in various positive developments of the area.

[edit] History

[edit] Buddhist period

Hashtnagar is known for an early Buddhist statue. The Original name of Hashtnagar was "Ashtanagaram", "Ashta" means Eight in Sanskrit and "Nagaram" meaning "Town".[2]

[edit] Modern era

In 1812 the Asiatick Society (Calcutta, India) described the Gujars of Afghanistan as brave, mainly pastoral, and numerous in Hashtnagar district. The Mahmudzai were also mentioned as a powerful tribe in the area.[3]

[edit] Media

A documentary, exploring the political and cultural life of Hashtnagar, has been made by Ammar Aziz [4] which is the first ever film on the subject .[5] It features the local artists and political activists and romanticizes the communist movement of the area.

[edit] Notable people

Afzal Shah Khamoosh

[edit] References

  1. ^ Asiatick Society (Calcutta; India) (1812). Asiatick researches, or, Transactions of the society instituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences, and literature of Asia. John Murray. pp. 383–. Retrieved 1 April 2011. 
  2. ^ Hendrik Willem Obbink. Orientalia Rheno-traiectina. Brill Archive. pp. 115–. GGKEY:S6C77GP5KP7. Retrieved 1 April 2011. 
  3. ^ Asiatick Society (Calcutta, India) (1812). Asiatick researches, or, Transactions of the society instituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the history and antiquities. John Murray. 
  4. ^ "Leading News Resource of Pakistan". Daily Times. 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2013-01-15. 
  5. ^ "A man with a movie camera in Hashtnagar!". Viewpointonline.net. 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2013-01-15. 

[edit] External links


Coordinates: 34°12′59.24″N 71°42′53.26″E / 34.2164556°N 71.7147944°E / 34.2164556; 71.7147944