Laghman Province of Afghanistan

Laghman is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern portion of Afghanistan, its capital is Mehtar Lam.

History;

Buddhist;

During the invasions of Alexander the Great, the area was known as Lampaka.In the seventh century, Xuan Zang, visited the area and reported that "very few" of the inhabitants of Laghman followed Buddhism,while some followed Hinduism.

Laghman was a centre of Mahayanist Buddhism and Huen Tsang records.

In the country of Lampa (Laghman) there were about 10 Buddhist monasteries.

Islam;

After the introduction of Islam into the region, the Ghaznavids, led by Abu Mansur Sebük Tigin, won one of their greatest battles in Laghman against the Hindu Shahis whose ruler, Jayapala, had amassed an army for the battle that numbered 100,000.Later, during the Mughal era, Laghman was recognized as a dependent district of Kabul province.

Located currently at the Kabul Museum are Aramaic inscriptions that were found in Laghman which indicated an ancient trade route from India to Palmyra.Aramaic was the bureaucratic script language of the Achaemenids whose influence had extended toward Laghman.

During the Soviet-Afghan war and the battles that followed between the rivaling warlords, many homes and business establishments in the province were destroyed. In addition, the Soviets employed a "barbarism" strategy that targeted and destroyed the agricultural infrastructure of Laghman.

As of 2007, an International Security Assistance Force Provincial Reconstruction Team led by the United States is based at Mehtar Lam.

Demographics;

Pashtuns represent approximately 58% of the population of Laghman Province. Pashais and Nuristanis are also native here, and represent 33% of the population according to some estimates. There is also a Tajik minority of 9%.However, according to estimates published by Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Pashtuns are 51%, Pashais are 27%, and Tajiks are 22% of the province's population.The people of Laghman are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim.

District	Population
Alingar	89,716
Alishing	68,153
Dawlat Shah	40,887
Mihtarlam	112,856
Qarghayi	70,688

Capital;

Mehtar Lam

Area;

3,843 km2 (1,483.8 sq mi)

Population;

382,280 (2008)

Main Language;

Pashto