Ghazni

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Ghazni
Ghazni
Province	Ghazni
Coordinates	33.550° N 68.417° E
Population (2006)^[1]	141,000
Area - Elevation	2,219 m (7,280 ft)
Time zone	GMT+04:30 Kabul (UTC)

Ghazni (Pashto, Persian: غزنی , Ğaznī) is a city in eastern Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 141,000 people.^[2] 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 are mostly Pashtuns, followed by Hazaras and Tajiks. The main spoken language is Pashto, followed by Dari.

1 History
2 Places to see
3 Notables from Ghazna
4 See also
5 References and footnotes
6 External links

[edit] History

Ghazni was a thriving Buddhist center before and during the 7th Century AD. In 683 AD, Arab armies brought Islam to the nearby regions and attempted to conquer the city but the local tribes fiercely resisted. Its resistance was so famed that Yaqub Saffari from Zaranj made an example of Ghazni when he ranged the vast region conquering in the name of Islam. The city was completely destroyed by the Saffarids in 869.^[3]

After the rebuilding of the city 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. The Ghaznavids took Islam to India and returned with fabulous riches taken from both prince and temple god. Contemporary visitors and residents at Ghazni write 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 razed in 1151 by the Ghorid Alauddin. It Again flourished but only to be permanently devastated, this time in 1221 by Genghis Khan and his Mongol armies.

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.

Ghazni is also 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.

Centuries old minaret, as pictured in July 2001

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.

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.

The most important mausoleum located in Ghazni 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 the Mahmud of Ghazni and his son.

The Afghan Civil War and the continued conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan Northern Alliance during the 1990s put the relics of Ghazni in jeopardy. The Taliban placed Fazl Uddin in charge of protecting the artifacts.