Ghazni

For the Province of Ghazni see Ghazni Province

Ghazni غزنین or غزنی
—  City  —
Ghazni Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 33°33′N 68°25′E / 33.55°N 68.417°E / 33.55; 68.417
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Ghazni Province
District	Ghazni District
Elevation	2,219 m (7,280 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	141,000
	Central Statistics Office of Afghanistan
Time zone	Afghanistan Standard Time (UTC+4:30)

Ghazni City (Persian: غزنی - Ġaznī; historically known as غزنین / Ġaznīn and غزنه / Ġazna) 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.^[1]

Ethnography

The population of Ghazni City is multicultural and multi-ethnic, with approximately 50% Tajiks, 25% Pashtuns, 20% Hazaras, and a small number (approx. 5%) of Hindus.^[2]

History

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

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Ghazni was founded sometime in antiquity as a small market-town and is mentioned by Ptolemy.^[3] 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.^[4]. She also was managed by Khwarezmid Empire between 1215-1221.

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.

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

The Buddhist site at Ghazni is known as Tapar Sardar and consists of a stupa on a hilltop, surrounded by a row of smaller stupas.^[5] Nearby, an 18 metre long Parinirvana (reclining) Buddha was excavated in the late sixties and early seventies, it is believed to have been built in the 8th Century AD as part of a monastery complex.^[6] 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. In 2001, the Taliban blew the Buddha up, believing it to be idolatrous.^[7]

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.^[1] 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.^[8] Nearby rivers have a history of flooding and causing severe damage and death.^[9] Efforts have begun to remedy this.^[10]

Points of Interest

Tomb of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in 1848.

• 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 Ghazna

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

Sister cities

• Hayward, California ^[11]

See also

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

References and footnotes

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ghazni

• 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. http://www.zharov.com/dupree/index.html. 
• 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