Ghazni

Template:Infobox City in Afghanistan Ghaznī (Template:PerB - Ğaznī) is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people. It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet (2,219 m) above sea level. It is linked by highways with Qalat to the south-west, Kabul to the northeast and Gardez to the east. The population of Ghazni City is multicultural and multi-ethnic, with approximately 50% Tajiks, 25% Pashtuns, 20% Hazaras, and a small number (5%) of Hindus.

Ghazna and Ghaznīn are the old names for Ghazni.

History

The minaret of Ghazni, built by Bahram Shah during the Ghaznavids

Ghazni was founded sometime in antiquity as a small market-town and is mentioned by Ptolemy. Ghazni City was a thriving Buddhist center before and during the 7th Century AD. In 683 AD, Arab armies brought Islam to the nearby regions.Yaqub Saffari from Zaranj reigned over the vast region. After the city was rebuilt by Yaqub’s brother, it became the dazzling capital of the Ghaznavid Empire from 994 to 1160, encompassing much of northern India, Persia and Central Asia. Many iconoclastic campaigns were launched from Ghazni into India, resulting in large scale destruction of ancient temples, libraries and palaces. The Ghaznavids took Islam to India and returned with fabulous riches taken from both Indian princes and temples. Contemporary visitors and residents at Ghazni wrote with wonder of the ornateness of the buildings, the great libraries, the sumptuousness of the court ceremonies and of the wealth of precious objects owned by Ghazni’s citizens.

The city was sacked in 1151 by the Ghorid Ala'uddin but then made into their secondary capital from 1173. It again flourished but only to be permanently devastated, this time in 1221 by the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan led by his son Ögedei Khan.

Ghazni City is famous for its minarets built on a stellar plan. They date from the middle of the twelfth century and are the surviving element of the mosque of Bahramshah. Their sides are decorated with geometric patterns. Upper sections of the minarets have been damaged or destroyed. The most important mausoleum located in Ghazni City is that of Sultan Mahmud's. Others include the Tombs of poets and scientists, for example the Tomb of Al Biruni. The only ruins in Old Ghazni retaining a semblance of architectural form are two towers, about 43 m (140 ft) high and some 365 m (1,200 ft) apart. According to inscriptions, the towers were constructed by Mahmud of Ghazni and his son.

File:The City of Ghuznee.jpg

Ghazni City in 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War.

In the 1960s a 15-meter female Buddha was discovered lying on its back and surrounded by empty pillars that once held rows of smaller male Buddhas. Parts of the female Buddha have been stolen. In the 1980s a mud brick shelter was created to protect the sculpture, but the wood supports were stolen for firewood and the shelter partially collapsed.

During the First Anglo-Afghan War, the city was stormed and taken over by the British forces on July 23, 1839 in the Battle of Ghazni. The Civil war in Afghanistan and the continued conflict between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance during the 1990s put the relics of Ghazni in jeopardy.

Ghazni’s strategic position, both economically and militarily, assured its revival, albeit without its dazzling former grandeur. Through the centuries the city figures prominently as the all important key to the possession of Kabul.

Water

Ghazni City is located in an area of extreme drought. Recently, one of the gates on a fifty-year-old dam on the Jikhai River broke, bringing up concerns among the inhabitants of Ghazni city about the water supply. The dam serves as a good source of irrigation water to Ghazni City and the surrounding agricultural areas. Nearby dams have a history of flooding and causing severe damage and death. Efforts have begun to remedy this situation.

Places to see

• Citadel

• Minarets of Ghazni

• Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III

• Tomb of Sebuktigin

• Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud

• Mausoleum of Sanai

• Museum of Islamic Art

• Tapa Sardar Excavations

Notables from Ghazni

• Hajweri Ghaznawi
• Mahmud of Ghazni
• Sanayee Ghaznawi
• Hassan Ghaznavi
• Mullah Faiz Mohammad Katib
• Farrukhi Sistani, Manuchehri Damaghani, Abul-fazl Bayhaqi (royal poets and writers lived during the Ghaznavids period)

Sister cities

• Hayward, California

See also

• Ghazni Province
• Ghaznavid Empire
• Mahmud of Ghazni
• Ghurids

References and footnotes

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

• Map of Ghazni district
• Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977) [1st Edition: 1970]. An Historical Guide to Afghanistan (2nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged ed.). Afghan Tourist Organization. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |origmonth= (help)
• Ghazni.org
• 1911 encyclopedia entry
• The City Of Ghazni
• Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition) - Mahmud of Ghazna
• Encylopaedia Britannica (Online Edition) - Mahmud
• Encyclopaedia Britannica (Online Edition) - Ghaznavid Dynasty
• Encyclopaedia Britannica (Online Edition) - Ghaznavids and Ghurids
• Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition) - Muhammad of Ghor
• Mahmud Ghaznavi's 17 invasions of India
• Mahmud Ghazni
• History of Iran: Ghaznevid Dynasty
• Rewriting history and Mahmud of Ghazni