Ghazni Province of Afghanistan

Ghazni is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. Babur records in his Babur-Nama that Ghazni is also known as Zabulistan.It is in the east of the country. Its capital is Ghazni City. The province lies on the important Kabul to Kandahar road, and has historically functioned as an important trade center between those two major cities.

History;

Ghazni was a thriving Buddhist center before and during the 7th century AD. Excavations have revealed religious artifacts of both Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

• The two other great Buddhist centers, Fondukistan and Tepe-e-sardar (Ghazni) in its later phase are a very different matter and display another phase of influences coming from India from the seventh to eighth century. The representations show themes from Mahayana iconography and even in the case of the latter site assume Tantric aspects which had already established themselves in the large Indian monasteries like Nalanda.
• Another important site is that of Tepe Sardar (better known as Tepe-yi Nagara, Tepe of the kettledrum) near Ghazni, which was occupied until perhaps the eighth century AD. From this period dates a huge statue of the Parinirvana Buddha (Buddha lying down at the end of his cycle of rebirths) of unbaked clay. A very similar statue has been found just north of Afghanistan, at the site of Adzhina tepe in Tajikistan. Yet what is most interesting was the find at the same site of a statue of the Hindu deity Durga Mahishasura-mardini.

In 644 AD, the Chinese pilgrim Hsüan-tsang visited Jaguda, Ghazni, while travelling from the country of Varnu, crossing the land of O-po-kien (Afghans i.e. Pashtuns).

Demographics;

The major ethnic groups in the province are Pashtuns (51%), and Persian speaking Hazaras and Tajiks (47%). There are also some Burki, and Uzbeks. Ghazni is made up of 19 districts (district capitals are given in parentheses).

Districts;

Ab Band                               

Ajristan                              

Andar                                 

Dih Yak                                

Gelan                                

Ghazni                                

Giro                                   

Jaghatu                               

Jaghori                              

Khugiani                              

Khwaja Umari                          

Malistan                            

Muqur                                

Nawur                                

Qarabagh                              

Rashidan                              

Waghaz                                

Zana Khan                          

Area;

 22,915 km² (8,848 sq mi)

Population;

 931,000 (2002)

Main languages;

 Pashto

Dari Persian