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Takhar Province
Province of Afghanistan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Takhar (Pashto[a], Dari[b]: تخار), is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeast of the country next to Tajikistan. It is surrounded by Badakhshan in the east, Panjshir in the south, and Baghlan and Kunduz in the west. The city of Taloqan serves as its capital. The province contains 17 districts, over 1,000 villages, and approximately 1,113,173 people,[4] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society.[5]
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History
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Early history
The region of Takhar, located in today’s northeastern Afghanistan, was historically a key part of ancient Bactria, which many scholars consider a cultural and geographical heartland of the early Iranian peoples, including the ancestors of the modern Tajiks. During the Kushan Empire (1st–4th century CE), Takhar was not a fringe territory, but rather an active contributor to the great cultural, economic, and religious developments that shaped the history of Central Asia and the wider Silk Road world.
The Kushans inherited Bactria (including Takhar) from the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Scythian realms. Under their rule, the region flourished as a multicultural and prosperous province.
Bactria, known as “Bokhtar” in Persian and Tajik sources, was already a land of ancient cities, skilled artisans, and rich spiritual traditions.
Takhar’s cities likely served as administrative or commercial centers under Kushan authority, strategically located near the Oxus River (Amu Darya) — a lifeline of ancient commerce and cultural exchange.
As F.R. Allchin noted, the Kushan heartland included northeastern Afghanistan, where Indo-Iranian and Buddhist traditions mixed with Greek and Central Asian elements to create something uniquely powerful.
“The Kushan period in Bactria laid the foundation for the Central Asian synthesis of Hellenistic and Iranian cultures — a legacy visible across modern Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan.” — Allchin, The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan
Takhar was part of the Silk Road corridor, facilitating trade between India, China, and the Iranian Plateau.
Goods like silk, lapis lazuli (from Badakhshan), spices, and Buddhist texts moved through this region.
The Greco-Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum, located near the Takhar–Kunduz border, reflects the sophistication of Kushan-era urban life, architecture, and administration.
According to archaeologist Paul Bernard, Ai-Khanoum and its surroundings were melting pots of Iranian, Greek, and Central Asian thought — cities where philosophy, coin minting, and art flourished under Kushan oversight.
During the Kushan Empire, Buddhism flourished in Bactria, and Takhar was within the sphere of this transformation.
The Kushan emperor Kanishka I is remembered for his massive patronage of Buddhist institutions, many of which reached deep into Bactria.
Buddhist art influenced by Greek aesthetics but rooted in Indo-Iranian spirituality, spread through Takhar and nearby regions.
Zoroastrianism and local Iranian traditions continued to be practiced as well, showing a rich religious diversity.
As historian A.H. Dani wrote, the Buddhist wave that moved north of the Hindu Kush into Bactria is proof that these lands — now part of modern Tajik historical memory — were once deeply spiritual and open to philosophical growth.
While direct excavations in Takhar are limited due to recent instability, nearby finds tell us a great deal:
Tillya Tepe (west of Takhar) yielded treasures from Kushan noble tombs — showing a fusion of Greek, Scythian, and Iranian symbolism.
Buddhist monasteries and stupas have been identified in surrounding provinces, pointing to an extensive religious infrastructure that likely extended into Takhar.
The art, language (Bactrian, an Eastern Iranian language), and burial customs all reflect a proto-Tajik cultural base under Kushan influence.
“The Bactrian language used in Kushan-era inscriptions and coinage is a direct ancestor of modern Eastern Iranian languages like Tajiki.” — Nicholas Sims-Williams, Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan
7th to 16th centuries
Muslim Conquest of Bactria (Early 8th Century)
After the fall of the Kushans and the rise of the Sassanid Empire, Bactria (including Takhar) became a contested frontier between Persian, Turkic, and later Arab-Muslim powers.
During the early Umayyad Caliphate, Arab generals such as Qutayba ibn Muslim al-Bahili led the Muslim conquest of Transoxiana and Tokharistan (the name for Takhar/Bactria at the time).
Takhar came under Muslim rule around 705–715 CE, though Islamization was gradual and met with resistance from local Iranian-speaking elites and Buddhist communities.
Many Tajik historians consider this period the beginning of the region’s Islamic identity, with Bactrian-speaking Iranians (early Tajiks) converting to Islam and adopting Arabic-script Persian. - Frye, R. N. The Golden Age of Persia
Samanid Influence (9th–10th Centuries)
By the 9th century, Islamic Iranian dynasties such as the Samanids (819–999) rose in nearby Bukhara and Samarkand. Their rule had a massive cultural impact on Takhar and the rest of eastern Khorasan.
The Samanids were Tajik in language and culture, promoting Persian literature, Islamic scholarship, and Sunni orthodoxy.
Takhar likely fell under their cultural influence, even if ruled locally by minor vassals or governors.
The spread of Tajiki (New Persian) language and Islamic madrasas reached Takhar in this period, replacing Bactrian and Sanskrit-based systems.-Bosworth, C. E. The Ghaznavids
Ghaznavid and Ghurid Periods (10th–12th Centuries)
The Ghaznavid dynasty (977–1186), originally Turkic but deeply Persianized, controlled much of Khorasan, including Takhar.
Ghaznavid rulers such as Mahmud of Ghazni conducted campaigns into India and encouraged Persian literary and Islamic religious life throughout their empire.
After the Ghaznavids, the Ghurids (based in central Afghanistan) gained influence in Takhar.
Under Ghaznavid and Ghurid rule, Persian was the language of administration and poetry, and Islam was firmly established — reinforcing Tajik cultural dominance over the region. - Bosworth, C. E. The Ghaznavids: Their Empire in Afghanistan and Eastern Iran. Juvayni, Ata-Malik. The History of the World Conqueror
Mongol Invasions and the Ilkhanate (13th Century)
Genghis Khan invaded Central Asia in 1219–1221, destroying cities, irrigation systems, and traditional power structures across Bactria, including Takhar.
Takhar likely suffered major devastation, as did other cities of Khorasan.
After the initial conquest, the region came under the rule of the Chagatai Khanate, a division of the Mongol Empire that controlled much of Central Asia.
Despite destruction, Persian remained the dominant language, and Mongol rulers eventually converted to Islam — Tajik culture endured beneath the conquerors. - Juvayni, The History of the World Conqueror. Morgan, D. The Mongols
Timurid Era (14th–15th Centuries)
Tamerlane (Timur), who claimed descent from Genghis Khan, established the Timurid Empire, with a strong Persian-Tajik cultural base.
Though Timur’s capital was in Samarkand and Herat, his control extended to Takhar.
The Timurids were great patrons of Persian architecture, literature, astronomy, and Islamic scholarship. Their courts included poets like Jami, Navai, and scientists like Ulugh Beg.
The Tajik language and Islamic high culture flourished in this period — and Takhar, like other regions of northern Afghanistan, was part of this Iranianate cultural orbit. - Subtelny, M. E. Timurids in Transition. Woods, John E. The Timurid Dynasty
Shaybanid and Post-Timurid Period (16th Century)
In the early 16th century, the Shaybanids, Uzbek-speaking descendants of the Mongols, took over Transoxiana and parts of Khorasan, including Takhar.
Though of Turkic descent, the Shaybanids ruled in Persian and used the Islamic Persian bureaucratic system.
By this time, Takhar was fully integrated into the Tajik-Islamic world, though nomadic influences increased.
Despite changes in rulers, the people of Takhar — mostly Persian-speaking Muslims — retained their cultural identity, connected to Herat, Bukhara, and Balkh. - Barthold, V. V. Turkestan Down to the Mongol Invasion. Bregel, Yuri. An Historical Atlas of Central Asia
16th to 20th centuries
Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the territory was ruled by the Khanate of Bukhara.
It was given to Ahmad Shah Durrani by Murad Beg of Bukhara after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750, and became part of the Durrani Empire. It was ruled by the Durranis followed by the Barakzai dynasty and was untouched by the British during the three Anglo-Afghan wars that were fought in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
1964–2001
It was established in 1964 when Qataghan Province was divided into three provinces: Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War, the area fell under the influence of Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud. It was controlled by the Northern Alliance in the 1990s. It experienced some fighting between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban forces. Takhar holds notoriety as the location where Mujahideen Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated on 9 September 2001 by suspected al-Qaeda agents.
2001–2021
Following the September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, and amidst the United States' intervention, General Mohamad Daud and General Shajahan Noori, both widely recognized figures, played instrumental roles in leading the Afghanistan government forces to reclaim control of the northeastern province from the Taliban.
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took over security responsibility of the area in the early 2000s, which was led by Germany. The province also began to see some developments and the establishment of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). In a small incident in July 2008, the Afghan National Police killed Mullah Usman when several armed Taliban militants under his command raided a police checkpoint in the Kalafgan district. This was the first time since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001 that the Taliban insurgents engaged police in this province. Mullah Usman was the most senior Taliban commander in the northeast region of Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.[6]
In May 2009, Taliban insurgents fighting Afghan government attacked the Baharak district in Takhar province.[7] A bomb attack on 28 May 2011 killed General Shahjahan Noori, Mohammed Daud Daud and injured Governor Taqwa. Several German soldiers and Afghans were also killed.[8][9]
In April 2012, the water supply at the Rostaq district's school for girls was poisoned by unknown insurgents, sickening at least 140 Afghan schoolgirls and teachers ranging in age from 14 to 30, causing them to be hospitalized and some to partially lose consciousness, though there were no deaths as a result of the incident.[10]
During the 2021 Taliban offensive, Takhar Province experienced attacks as the withdrawal of US troops took place. In response, Mohibullah Noori emerged as a prominent figure, leading the second resistance to support security forces and prevent the Taliban from taking control of Taluqan city. Despite the Taliban eventually gaining control of the province on August 8, 2021, the Resistance Forces have remained present in the area.
2015 earthquake
On 26 October, the 7.5 Mw Hindu Kush earthquake shook northern Afghanistan with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). This earthquake destroyed almost 30,000 homes, left several hundred dead, and more than 1,700 injured.[11]
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Demographics
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As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 1,113,173[4] which is mostly tribal and a rural society. The main inhabitants of Takhar province are majority Tajiks and Uzbeks with a very small Pashtun minority (Naqileen). Other smaller ethnic groups include Hazaras, Gujars and Balochi.
District information
- Note: "Predominantely" or "dominated" is interpreted as 99%, "majority" as 70%, "mixed" as 1/(number of ethnicities), "minority" as 30% and "few" or "some" as 1%.
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Economy
Agriculture and mining are the main industries of the province. Takhar has coal reserves which are being exploited by hand in some villages and sold in the region. The local population considers gold the most relevant resource for the Province. Gold is being washed in Takhar River, and about 2 kg are being transported to the specific weekly markets in the city of Taloqan. Also the city is a main source of construction materials like: loam, sand, and different types of stones. Takhar province is known for its salt mountains and you can find large deposits of fine salt in the region. The Takcha Khanna salt mine is one of the growing number of salt supplier, for the population of Takhar and northern Afghanistan. While the mines offer economic opportunities in the region, the availability of iodized salt considerably reduces the prevalence of health problems related to iodine deficiency.
See also
Notes
- Pashto pronunciation: [t̪a.xɑr]
- Dari pronunciation: [t̪ʰä.xɑːɾ]
References
External links
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