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{{short description|Province of Afghanistan}}
{{for|places in Iran|Samangan, Iran (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement {{Infobox settlement
| name = Samangan Province | name = Samangan
| native_name = سمنگان | native_name = {{nq|سمنگان}}
| native_name_lang = | native_name_lang =
| settlement_type = ] | settlement_type = ]
| image_skyline =Samangan Province.jpg | image_skyline =File:Samangan Province panorama (cropped).jpg
| image_alt = | image_alt =
| image_caption = Samangan Province | image_caption = Samangan Province
Line 10: Line 12:
| map_alt = Map of Afghanistan with Samangan highlighted | map_alt = Map of Afghanistan with Samangan highlighted
| map_caption = Location of Samangan within Afghanistan | map_caption = Location of Samangan within Afghanistan
| coordinates =
| coordinates_region = AF
| subdivision_type = ] | subdivision_type = ]
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Afghanistan}} | subdivision_name = {{flag|Afghanistan}}
| parts_type = ] | parts_type =
| established_title = | established_title =
| established_date = | established_date =
| founder = | founder =
| seat_type = ] | seat_type = ]
| seat = ] | seat = ]
| government_footnotes = | government_footnotes =
| leader_party = | leader_party =
| leader_title = | leader_title = Governor
| leader_name = Abdul Rahman Muslim Kunduzi<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alemarah1.org/?p=236636|title = د سمنګان والي د ایبک اباد د مرکزي ساحې له مخورو سره وکتل – الاماره پښتو}}</ref>
| leader_name =
| leader_title1 = Deputy Governor
| leader_name1 = Abdul Manan<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://azamnews.com/?p=108148|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107145754/http://azamnews.com/?p=108148|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 7, 2021|title = د نږدې شلو ولایاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول|date = 7 November 2021}}</ref>
| unit_pref = | unit_pref =
| area_footnotes = | area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 11262 | area_total_km2 = 13438
| area_note = | area_note =
| elevation_footnotes = | elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = | elevation_m =
| population_footnotes = <ref name=nsia/>
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|author= Central Statistics Office of Afghanistan|publisher= |title= Settled Population of country by Provinces and sex for 2006-2009 years |accessdate=2009-11-30 |url=http://www.cso.gov.af/demography/population.html}}</ref>
| population_total = 350400 | population_total = 438,235
| population_as_of = 2009 | population_as_of = 2021
| population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = | population_demonym =
| population_note = | population_note =
| blank_name_sec1 = ] | blank_name_sec1 = ]
| blank_info_sec1 = ], ] | blank_info_sec1 = ], ] and ]
| timezone1 = ] | timezone1 = Afghanistan Time
| utc_offset1 = +04:30 | utc_offset1 = +04:30
| postal_code_type = | postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = | postal_code = 20xx
| area_code_type = | area_code_type =
| area_code = | area_code =
| iso_code = | iso_code = AF-SAM
| website = | website =
| footnotes = | footnotes =
}} }}
'''Samangan''' ({{lang-fa|سمنگان}}) is one of the thirty-four ]. The province covers {{convert|11218 |km2|mi2}} and has a population of approximately 313,211, as of 2006.<ref name=profile>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mrrd.gov.af/nabdp/Provincial%20Profiles/Samangan%20PDP%20Provincial%20profile.pdf|format=pdf|title=Samangan|accessdate=2010-10-19|publisher=Government of Afghanistan}}</ref> '''Samangan''' (]: {{nq|سمنگان}}; ]: {{nq|سمنګان}}) is one of the thirty-four ], located north of the ] mountains in the central part of the country. The ] covers {{convert|11218|km2|mi2}} and is surrounded by ] in the west, ] in the north, ] in the east, and ] in the south.


Samangan province is divided into 7 ] and contains 674 villages.<ref name=mrrd>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133&Itemid=122 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414220927/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=133&Itemid=122 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 14, 2013 |title=Samangan Province |publisher=] |work=Government of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)|access-date=2012-10-24}}</ref> It has a population of about 325,000 <ref name=nsia/> which is ] and mostly a rural society. The city of ] serves as the provincial capital.
Its capital, ], is known for its ancient ruins including, notably, the Takht e ]. ]s are desperate to work in this province as wars and the ] have destroyed many of these artifacts.<ref name=profile/>

In 2021, the ] gained control of the province during the ].


==History== ==History==
{{Further|History of Afghanistan}}
The earliest known history of the province is linked to the identification of the Samangan by Aoros Ptolemy as the place of the Varni or Uarni and the fortified city of Samangan on the banks of the ] identical to the Bhaktria regi on the Dargydus river south east of Zariaspa. The ruins found here establishe the city’s founding by Eukratides, the King of Bactria. It was then known as Edrisi the size of the Khulm city.<ref name=Royal>{{Cite book|author=Royal Numismatic Society (Great Britain)|title= The Numismatic chronicle, Volume 8 |pages=107–108|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=CsqUGHWk9KAC&pg=PA108|publisher= Royal Numismatic Society.|year=1846}}</ref><ref name= Clammer>{{Cite book|last= Clammer|first=Paul|title= Afghanistan|page=158|accessdate=2010-10-15|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PjhP76JaVgkC&pg=PA158&dq=Samangan#v=onepage&q=Samangan&f=false|publisher= Lonely Planet|year=2007|isbn= 1-74059-642-0}}</ref> Historicity of the Samangan town is dated to the Kushan dynasty reign during the 4th and 5th centuries when it was a famous Buddhist centre. Witness to this period is seen now in the form of ruins at a place called the Takht-e-Rostam, which is located 3&nbsp;km from the town on a hilltop. Arabs and Mongols came to this place when it was already famous as a Buddhist religious centre. Aibak was the name given to this place when, during the medieval period, caravans used to stop here.<ref name= Clammer/>
The earliest known ] of the province is linked to the identification of the Samangan by Aoros ] as the place of the Varni or Uarni and the fortified city of Samangan on the banks of the ] identical to the Bhaktria regi on the Dargydus river south east of Zariaspa. The ruins found here established the city's founding by Eukratides, the King of Bactria. It was then known as Edrisi the size of the Khulm city.<ref name=Royal>{{Cite book|author=Royal Numismatic Society (Great Britain)|title= The Numismatic chronicle, Volume 8 |pages=107–108|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsqUGHWk9KAC&pg=PA108|publisher= Royal Numismatic Society.|year=1846}}</ref><ref name= Clammer>{{Cite book|last= Clammer|first=Paul|title= Afghanistan|page=158|access-date=2010-10-15|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PjhP76JaVgkC&q=Samangan&pg=PA158|publisher= Lonely Planet|year=2007|isbn= 978-1-74059-642-8}}</ref>
] ] is a series of five caves, former monks' cells for meditation.]]
{{History of Afghanistan}}
Historicity of the Samangan town dates to the time of the ] during the 4th and 5th centuries when it was a famous Buddhist centre. Witness to this period is seen now in the form of ruins at a place called the ], which is located 3&nbsp;km from the town on a hilltop. Arabs and ] came to this place when it was already famous as a Buddhist religious centre. Aibak was the name given to this place when, during the medieval period, caravans used to stop here.<ref name= Clammer/>


Afghanistan has various archaeological sites where caves were hewn out of rocks and inhabited by ]s. "One of the most spectacular sites is that of Takth i Raustam, near Samangan (Haybak), north of Hindu Kush passes. It includes a complex of stupa with monastery, hewn out of the rock. Other caves have been found near ] and at the site of Humay Qal'a southwest of ].<ref>The Afghans By Willem Vogelsang Edition: illustrated Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 2002 Page 157 {{ISBN|0-631-19841-5}}</ref>
===Buddhist period===
Afghanistan has various archaeological sites where caves were hewn out of rocks and inhabited by ]s. "One of the most spectacular sites is that of Takth i Raustam, near Samangan (Haybak), north of Hindu Kush passes. It includes a complex of stupa with monastery, hewn out of the rock. Other caves have been found near ] and at the site of Humay Qal'a southwest of ].<ref>The Afghans By Willem Vogelsang Edition: illustrated Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 2002 Page 157 ISBN 0-631-19841-5, ISBN 978-0-631-19841-3</ref>


The Buddhist in Takth i Raustam here in the form of a mound, located on the hilltop, represents the earliest link to the evolution of Buddhist architecture in Afghanistan<ref name= Clammer/> The ] in Takth i Raustam here in the form of a mound, located on the hilltop, represents the earliest link to the evolution of Buddhist architecture in Afghanistan<ref name= Clammer/>


The area was conquered by the ] followed by the ] who brought ]. The ] took it and controlled it until the ] rose to power in the 10th century, they were replaced by the ]. After the ] invasion the ] took possession.
===Taliban===
The town of ] in Samangan Province was occupied by ] and the ] in late 1999. The Taliban gained control of the area from January 2000 to March 2000 including nearby ] and ] where they were reported to have massacred many civilians.<ref name="Gutman">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=A9eqvc-Ru3cC&pg=PA216&dq=Samangan+Province#v=onepage&q=Samangan%20Province&f=false|title=How we missed the story: Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the hijacking of Afghanistan|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|year=2008|author=Gutman, Roy|page=216|isbn=1-60127-024-0}}</ref>
On May 8, 2000, several men from Baghlan Province were driven up to the ] in Samangan province, approximately 20 miles north of the city of Samangan (100 miles south of ]) and were executed, later found by local farmers in shallow graves which the Taliban had dug for them.<ref name="Gutman"/>


Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the Province was ruled by the ].{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} It was given to ] by ] of ] after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750, and became part of the ].{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} It was ruled by the ] followed by the ], and was untouched by the ] during the three ] that were fought in the 19th and 20th centuries.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} It remained peaceful for about one hundred years until the 1980s ].
===Earthquakes===
Samangan Province has a long history of earthquakes which has led to the loss of thousands of people and their homes. In 1998, two earthquakes struck measuring 5.9 and 6.6 on the Richter scale, claiming some 6,000 lives along the border with ].<ref name="2010 earthquake">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8628901.stm|title='Seven dead' as earthquake rocks Afghanistan|publisher=]|date=2010-04-19|accessdate=2010-10-28}}</ref> A series of earthquakes struck nearby Baghlan province on March 3, 2002, killing roughly 1,000 people.


===Recent history===
In April 2010 at least 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured when a 5.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 10&nbsp;km struck the province. It damaged some 300 houses and killed hundreds of cattle, causing landslides which blocks some of the main roads.<ref name="2010 earthquake"/>
After the ], the town of Darra Souf in Samangan Province was occupied by Ustad Mohammad Mohaqiq and the ] in late 1999. The Taliban forces gained control of the area from January to March 2000 including nearby Sar-e-Pol and Baghlan provinces, where they were reported to have massacred an unknown number of civilians.<ref name="Gutman">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A9eqvc-Ru3cC&q=Samangan+Province&pg=PA216|title=How we missed the story: Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the hijacking of Afghanistan|publisher=US Institute of Peace Press|year=2008|author=Gutman, Roy|page=216|isbn=978-1-60127-024-5}}</ref>

On May 8, 2000, several men from Baghlan were driven up to the ] in Samangan province, approximately 20 miles north of the city of Samangan (100 miles south of ]) and were executed, later found by local farmers in shallow graves which the Taliban had dug for them.<ref name="Gutman"/>

After the removal of the Taliban government in late 2001, the ] took over control of Afghanistan. In the meantime, the ] (ISAF) established a ] (PRT) in the province. After getting ], the ] (ANSF) are providing security for the population of the province.

The province has a fairly good security situation, with the ] reporting a calm and stable condition. However, on 15 February 2011 an ISAF peacekeeper from ] was killed in a roadside bombing near Samangan City, and on 14 July 2012, Ahmed Khan Samangani, a member of the ], was killed when a suicide bomber infiltrated his daughter's wedding party in the city of Samangan. The bomb also killed the provincial head of the ] (NDS), and 13 other guests, and 60 were injured, including senior police and army commanders. The deputy provincial governor, Ghulam Sarkhi, claimed that the death toll was likely to rise.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graham-Harrison|first=Emma|title=Afghan MP Killed by Suicide Bomber at Daughter's Wedding|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/14/afghan-mp-suicide-bomber-wedding|access-date=14 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 July 2012|author2=Amiri, Mokhtar|location=London}}</ref>

==Healthcare==
{{Further|Health in Afghanistan|Education in Afghanistan}}
Health services provided by the ] are fairly basic with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with 60 beds. They are reasonably well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses. To cater to the pharmaceutical needs of the patients, there are 24 pharmacies, two are run by the government and the rest are privately owned. In 2006, two dozen women completed a ] course.<ref name="Pajhwok">{{cite news|url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2006/08/23/20-women-complete-midwifery-course-samangan |title=Samangan |date=August 23, 2006 |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |access-date=29 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313033818/http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2006/08/23/20-women-complete-midwifery-course-samangan |archive-date=13 March 2012 }}</ref>
The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 7% in 2005 to 18% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org">Archive, Civil Military Fusion Centre, {{cite web |url=https://www.cimicweb.org/AfghanistanProvincialMap/Pages/Samangan.aspx |title=Pages - Samangan |access-date=2014-05-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531105154/https://www.cimicweb.org/AfghanistanProvincialMap/Pages/Samangan.aspx |archive-date=2014-05-31 }}</ref>
The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant fell from 29% in 2005 to 20% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/>

==Education==
]
The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 19% in 2005 to 27% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/>
The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 37% in 2005 to 47% in 2011.<ref name="cimicweb.org"/>

Owing to its relative isolation, Samangan province is underdeveloped with no energy infrastructure and has a high rate of illiteracy,<ref name="USAID">{{cite web|url=http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/programs/education|title=Samangan|publisher=]|access-date=2010-10-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902130309/http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/programs/education|archive-date=2011-09-02}}</ref> although some students have access to education in neighbouring ]. Educational facilities in the province is at a low level with literacy rate recorded at only 19% for the province as a whole, with 28% literacy rate among men and a low of 10% among women. The ] are the least literate, recording a literacy rate of only 3%, that too among men only. The province has 159 primary and secondary schools with attendance of 59,915 students; 83% of schools are boys' schools with 68% students. While the village schools are within easy reach, the high schools are generally about 10&nbsp;km away from the villages.

==Economy==
{{Further|Economy of Afghanistan}}
]
]
] and some small scale ] are the main industries of the province. Economic condition of the people is very hard with nearly 12% households finding it difficult to meet the food requirements to sustain. This has resulted in allocations of food aid to the province.

In October 2010, the first dish-making factory run by women began operations. The women were trained for several months and now work in two shifts. During the last few years, thousands of other women have worked on a variety of different projects such as tailoring and carpet knitting.<ref name="Bakhtarnews">{{cite news|url=http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/en/index.php?news=3360 |title=Women Creates Dish Making Factory in Samangan |date=October 23, 2010 |work=Bakhtarnews |publisher=Bakhtar News Agency |access-date=29 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904223836/http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/en/index.php?news=3360 |archive-date=4 September 2011 }}</ref>

===Status of infrastructure===
As of 2005, safe drinking water access is available to 7% of households (falls to a low of 4% in rural areas). However, some drinking water facility is available in some form to about 71% of households. Still many households have to travel for long hours to the nearest source of water.

Electricity supply is minimal, limited to only about 5% of the population with 80% supplied from government sources. The transport sector is still underdeveloped. Only 28% of roads are good for use by motorized traffic throughout the year with this percentage rising to 41% in some seasons. However roads are non-existent in 28% of the province.

Education is still in a nascent state of development with only 19% being literate, as of 2005, with literacy among men limited to 28% and literacy among women limited to a mere 10%; literacy among the Kuchis population is the least at about 3% of men only. There are 59 primary and secondary schools in the province with enrolment of 59,915 students. However, travelling distance to the schools varies, with primary schools being most accessible while High Schools involve about 10&nbsp;km of travel.

As of 2005, basic health services maintained by the Ministry of Health were fairly developed with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with a total of 60 beds. The health centres were well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses.

Food security is a major issue since nearly 12% of the population receive less than the minimum daily caloric intake to sustain good health. Food consumption is poor in both rural and urban areas and as a result food aid has become essential.

From the security angle, the ] (UNDSS) has reported security situation in the province calm and stable.

;Mineral resource
] export sustains Afghan economy. The marble is extracted and processed in 21 factories in the country, including the famous brown marble from Samangan province. This adds to the economy of the province.<ref name=Marbles>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/afghanminerals/docs/Marble_A4.pdf|title=Marbles of Afghanistan|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=Afghan Minserals}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
] farmers]]
The economy revolves around agriculture, with farmers in Samangan province cultivating grains, fruits, and nuts on the region's fertile river plains.<ref name="USAID"/> The province of Samangan is second only to the northwestern Afghan province of ] in terms of ] production. As of 2005, 10 Agricultural cooperatives were functioning in the province with 665 enrolled members controlling an area of 5532 ha which brought prosperity to its members. The staple food crops grown in the province are wheat, barley and potato and flax. The horticultural or garden crops grown are ]s, pomegranates and other fruit and nut trees. Cash crops grown in a few villages were sesame, cotton and tobacco; and they are mostly in Dara-i-Soofi-Payin and Aybek districts; cotton was major crop in Hazrat-i-Sultan district while tobacco was produced on a large scale in the Roi-Do-Ab district. Use of fertilizers is also common among 60% of the on both field and garden crops Industries are almost non existent in the province, except for minor leather industry producing the ] and a few small scale handicrafts producing rugs, shawls, jewellery and carpets.

Horse breeding also sustains the economy of the province as it caters particularly for the popular sport of ] in Afghanistan.<ref name=Ten>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Units/pdf/122.pdf|title=Samangan Provincial Government|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian team sport played on horseback in Afghanistan, ], ], ], northern ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae10.html|title=The traditional Oglak Tartis among the Kirghiz of the Pamirs|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland|year= 1985}}</ref>

;Irrigation
The agricultural economy of the province is further enhanced with irrigation facility provided to 21,242 ha. The irrigated areas deciphered from the land-cover maps, under a collaborative project of FAO, the ] and the ], ] are in Aybak, Samangan - 5 426ha, Dara-I-Suf, Samangan - 4 149ha, Hazrati Sult, Samangan -6 884 ha, Khuram Wa Sa, Samangan - 1 733 ha and Ruyi Du Ab, Samangan -3,049 ha.<ref name=Irrigation>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/irrigationmap/af/index.stm |title=Global Map of Irrigation Areas |access-date=2010-10-28 |publisher=FAO |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727114947/http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/irrigationmap/af/index.stm |archive-date=2010-07-27 }}</ref>

==Cultural heritage==
{{Further|Buddhism in Afghanistan}}
]
The historical cultural heritage in the province which is mainly at Samangan City, the provincial headquarters of Samangan are the Takt-e Rostam and the adjacent Buddhist caves and stupas on a top of hill.

;Takht-i Rustam
Takht-i Rustam (Haibak), literal meaning the throne of Rustam, named after ], a king in ], is a hilltop settlement. It is dated to the 4th and 5th centuries of the Kushano-Sassanian period, which is corroborated by archaeological, architectural and numismatic evidence. It is located 3&nbsp;km to the southwest of Samangan town. It is the location of a stupa-monastery complex which is fully carved into the mountain rock. The monastery of major Buddhist tradition of ], has five chambers, two are sanctuaries and one is a domed ceiling with an intricate lotus leaf beautification. In the adjacent hill is the stupa, which has a harmika, with several caves at its base. Above one of the caves, there is square building in which there are two conference halls; one is 22 metres square and the other is circular. In one of these caves, Archaeological excavations have revealed a cache of ] coins.<ref name=Velayat>{{Cite web|url=http://monastic-asia.wikidot.com/takht-i-rustam|title= Takht-i Rustam monastery, (near) Samangan, Velayat-e Samangan, AF|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=Mapping of Buddhist Monasteries}}</ref><ref name=Takht>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.net/afghanistan/Units/303.html|title= Takht e Rustam|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=Afghanistan Cultural Profile}}</ref> The Buddhist temples near the Takht are 10 numbers known locally as Kie Tehe.<ref name=Ten/>

'''Malek Cave'''

Yar Mohammad Malek cave in Roy Doaab district is a small canyon that consists of a big historical cave, believed to be endless. Many bones, silk clothes, and Islamic symbols were found in this district, but due to the erosion and landslide, the entrance of these places has disappeared. During the civil war, many of the artifacts were found by people who were displaced and lived in those caves. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419072814/https://authenticafghanistan.com/samangan/ |date=2021-04-19 }}

;Hazar Sum
Hazar Sum is another ancient Buddhist centre in north central Afghanistan where several caves have been found and in one of these caves a Buddhist ] has been carved.<ref name=Hazar>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Units/pdf/299.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050510030925/http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Units/pdf/299.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-05-10|title=Hazar Sum|access-date=2010-10-28|publisher=Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture}}</ref>


==Geography== ==Geography==
{{Further|Geography of Afghanistan}}
]
] basin]] ] basin]]
Samangan Province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan located in northern central Afghanistan, delimited by the ] in the east, ] in the south, ] in the south-west and ] in the west and north. The province encompasses an area of 11218 km2 consisting 59% of mountainous terrain, 21% of semi mountainous terrain, 12% of flat land, 4.8% of semi-flat land and the balance 2.2 % is unclassified land. Some parts of the province are characterised by distinctive rolling hills and mountains and rich green valleys. The provincial jurisdiction is spread over seven administrative districts, with ] as its capital.<ref name=profile/> This town is located on the banks of the ], in the valley formed below the junction of ] and the ]; the valley has very fertile agricultural land. The highest mountain ranges of the province thus lie to the southwest of the province, southwest of the city of ]. Only 12% of the provincial area consists of flat land.<ref name=profile/><ref name= Clammer/> The city of Samangan lies in the ] valley, with mountains to the west and east. It is located to the northwest of the city of ] and about is {{convert|190|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-west of the capital ] and the same distance south-east of ] city.<ref name="2010 earthquake"/> Samangan is located in northern central Afghanistan, delimited by Baghlan province in the east, Bamyan in the south, Sar-e-Pul in the south-west and Balkh province in the northwest. Samangan encompasses an area of 11218 km2 consisting 59% of mountainous terrain, 21% of semi mountainous terrain, 12% of flat land, 4.8% of semi-flat land and the balance 2.2% is unclassified land.
Some parts of the province are characterised by distinctive rolling hills and mountains and rich green valleys. The provincial jurisdiction is spread over seven administrative districts, with Samangan City as its capital. This town is located on the banks of the ], in the valley formed below the junction of ] mountains and the Central Asian Steppe; the valley has very fertile agricultural land. The highest mountain ranges of the province thus lie to the southwest of the province, southwest of Samangan City. Only 12% of the provincial area consists of flat land.<ref name= Clammer/> The city of Samangan lies in the ] valley, with mountains to the west and east. It is located to the northwest of the city of ] and about is {{convert|190|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-west of the capital ] and the same distance south-east of ] city.<ref name="2010 earthquake"/>

Samangan Province has a long history of earthquakes which has led to the loss of thousands of people and their homes. In 1998, two earthquakes struck measuring 5.9 and 6.6 on the Richter scale, claiming some 6,000 lives along the border with ].<ref name="2010 earthquake">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8628901.stm|title='Seven dead' as earthquake rocks Afghanistan|work=]|date=2010-04-19|access-date=2010-10-28}}</ref> A series of earthquakes struck nearby Baghlan province on March 3, 2002, killing roughly 1,000 people. In April 2010 at least 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured when a 5.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 10&nbsp;km struck the province. It damaged some 300 houses and killed hundreds of cattle, causing landslides which blocks some of the main roads.<ref name="2010 earthquake"/>

==Demography==
{{Further|Demography of Afghanistan}}
As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 438,000,<ref name=nsia>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf |title=Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 2021 |website= |publisher=National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA)|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204559/https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf|url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2021 |quote=}}</ref> which is predominately rural with only 7% living in urban centres.

"Samangan like most of Afghanistan is ethnically diverse with ], ], ], ] and even a minority of ] living throughout the province."<ref name="nps">{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.edu/Programs/CCS/Samangan/Samangan.html |title=Balkh Province |work=Program for Culture & Conflict Studies|publisher=] |access-date=2013-06-16}}</ref> Roughly 72.5% people of the province speak ] and 22.1% people speak ] as their native language.



===Districts=== ===Districts===
]
{| class="wikitable sortable" width=90% style="font-size:90%;" align=center
(as linked to on the ] page)
|+ align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"| '''Districts of Samangan Province'''

|- bgcolor="#efefef"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%;"
!style="width:125px" align="left"|District
|+ Districts of Samangan Province
!style="width:125px" align="left"|Capital
!style="width:100px" align="right"|Population <ref name=profile/>
!style="width:100px" align="right"|Area<ref></ref>
!align="right"|Notes
|- |-
!District
|] || ] || 85,427 ||909.91676 ||
!Capital
!Population<ref name=nsia/>
!Area<br/>in km<sup>2</sup>
!Pop.<br />density
!Number of villages and ethnic groups
|- |-
|] || Samangan || 118,537 || 2,145 || 55 || 96 villages. 55% Uzbek, 35% ], 5% Pashtun, 5% other.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Aibak_DDP%20Summary-translated-finalized.pdf |title=Aibak District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101192520/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Aibak_DDP%20Summary-translated-finalized.pdf |archive-date=2013-11-01 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
|] ||] ||52,473 || || Created in 2005 within ]
|- |-
|] || Dari Suf Bala || 73,072 || 2,283 || 32 || 146 villages. 100% ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Dari%20Suf%20Bala_DDP%20Summary-tanslated_finalized.pdf |title=Dari Suf Bala District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090159/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Dari%20Suf%20Bala_DDP%20Summary-tanslated_finalized.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Used to be part of ].
|] || Darah Sof Payan || 55,858
|| 4539.27567 || Created in 2005 within ]
|- |-
|] || Dari Suf Payan || 80,778 || 1,699 || 48 || 209 villages. Tajik 70%, Uzbek 30%.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Dara-e%20Sufi%20Payan_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |title=Dari Suf Payan District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090152/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Dara-e%20Sufi%20Payan_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Used to be part of ].
|] || Feroz Nakhchir || 11,701 || || Created within ] and shifted from ] in 2005
|- |-
|] || Feroz Nakhchir || 14,747 || 930 || 16 || 22 villages. Mixed Pashtun and Tajik.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Feroz%20Nakhchir_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |title=Aibak District Feroz Nakhchir District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090154/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Feroz%20Nakhchir_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Used to be part of ].
|] ||Hazrati Sultan || 36,690|| 1223.92574 ||
|- |-
|] || Hazrat Sultan || 46,766 || 2,102 || 22 || 66 villages. MIxed ], Pashtun, Arab, Uzbek.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Hazrat_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |title=Hazrat Sultan District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407085727/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Hazrat_DDP%20Summary-translated_finalized.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
|] || Khuram Wa Sarbagh || 30,704
|| ||
|- |-
|] || Khuram Wa Sarbagh || 45,039 || 1,815 || 25 || 52 villages. Majority ], minority Pashtun and Hazara.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Khuram%20Sarbagh%20full%20DDP.pdf |title=Khoram & Sarbagh District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407090157/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Khuram%20Sarbagh%20full%20DDP.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-07 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
|] || ] || 40,358 || ||
|-
|] || Ruyi || 51,550 || 2,477 || 21 || 83 villages. Predominatly Hazaras (]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Ruye%20Du%20Aab_DDP%20Summary_%20translated-%20finalized.pdf |title=Ruye Du Aab District |access-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106032922/http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/133/Samangan_Ruye%20Du%20Aab_DDP%20Summary_%20translated-%20finalized.pdf |archive-date=2014-01-06 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
|- bgcolor="#d3d3d3"
|''']'''
|
|'''430,489'''
|'''13,438'''
|'''32'''
|Majority Tajik and Uzbek, Minority Hazara and Pashtun
|} |}
{{reflist|group=note}}


===Towns and villages=== ===Towns and villages===
According to Afghanistan's ], the province has 674 villages.<ref name=mrrd/>
{{div col|5}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
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* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * Chahar Cheshmeh
* ] * ]
* ] * Chahar Owlia
* ] * Changiz
* ] * ]
* ] * Dahaneh-ye Shams od Din
* ] * ]
* ] * Dehi
* ] * Deh Mirdad
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * Ghazni Gak
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * Hazar Som
* ] * ]
* ] * Heyratan
* ] * Hezarmani
* ] * Jan Bulaq
* ] * Jeyretan
* ] * Juy-ye Jadid
* ] * Kaldar
* ] * Katah Qeshlaq
* Khvajeh Hayat
* ]
* ] * Khvajeh Zahed
* Kolowr va Dah Sil
* ]
* Kowkeh Bulaq
* ]
* Larghan
* ]
* Maschetak
* ]
* Na'ebabad
* ]
* Orlamesh
* ]
* Pir Nakhchir
* ]
* Qalacheh
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * Qashaqeh
* ] * Qaynar-e Bala
* ] * Qaynar-e Pa'in
* Ru'i
* ]
* Sad Mardeh
* ]
* ] * ]
* Sar-e Asia
* ]
* ] * Sar-e Bum
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * Seyghanchi
* ] * Shabashak
* ] * ]
* ] * Sharik Yar
* ] * Sorkh Abi
* ] * Taghan Gozar
* ] * Taqchi
* ] * Towz Bulaq
* ] * Werdaqamal
* ] * Yangi Aregh
}}
{{div col end}}


==Demographics== ==Notable people==
*], princess of Samangan
]
*], son of ]
The total population of the province in its seven districts as of 2006 is 313,211; it is predominately rural with only 7% living in urban centres. The male population is 51.2% while the female population constitutes 48.8%.<ref name=profile/> The major ethnic group in the province are ] followed by ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name=profile/> 72.5% people speak ] and 22.1% people speak ]. According to NPS Tajiks constitute 65% of the population.<ref>http://www.nps.edu/programs/ccs/Samangan/Samangan_Executive_Summary1.pdf</ref>

Since November 2007, the governor is ].

==Administrative setup==
The Provincial Development Committee (PDC), under the directive of the Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan, was formed for the Samangan Province, in January 2006. It has the responsibility to implement the Provincial Development Plan, through the government departments. Stakeholder groups in the province are also involved in this process. Further, at the community and village level there are 424 Community Development Councils (CDC) in the province to implement the development plans at the district and village level. The PDC and CDC have the basic tasks of creating infrastructure facilities of water supply and sanitation, energy, transport and communications to further economic growth with involvement of the private sector.<ref name=profile/>

==Economy==
] farmers]]
Owing to its relative isolation, Samangan Province is underdeveloped with no energy infrastructure and has a high rate of illiteracy,<ref name="USAID">{{cite web|url=http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Province.30.aspx|title=Samangan |publisher=]|accessdate=2010-10-28}}</ref> although some students have access to education in neighbouring ]. Economic condition of the people is very hard with nearly 12% households finding it difficult to meet the food requirements to sustain. This has resulted in allocations of food aid to the province.<ref name=profile/>

In October 2010, the first dish-making factory run by women began operations. The women were trained for several months and now work in two shifts. During the last few years, thousands of other women have worked on a variety of different projects such as tailoring and carpet knitting.<ref name="Bakhtarnews">{{cite news|url=http://www.bakhtarnews.com.af/en/index.php?news=3360|title=Women Creates Dish Making Factory in Samangan|date=October 23, 2010|work=Bakhtarnews|publisher=Bakhtar News Agency|accessdate=29 October 2010}}</ref>

===Status of infrastructure===
As of 2005, safe drinking water access is available to 7% of households ( falls to a low of 4% in rural areas). However, some drinking water facility is available in some form to about 71% of households. Still many households have to travel for long hours to the nearest source of water.<ref name=profile/>

Electricity supply is minimal, limited to only about 5% of the population with 80% supplied from government sources. The transport sector is still underdeveloped. Only 28% of roads are good for use by motorized traffic throughout the year with this percentage rising to 41% in some seasons. However roads are non-existent in 28% of the province.<ref name=profile/>

Education is still in a nascent state of development with only 19% being literate, as of 2005, with literacy among men limited to 28% and literacy among women limited to a mere 10%; literacy among the Kuchis population is the least at about 3% of men only. There are 59 primary and secondary schools in the province with enrolment of 59,915 students. However, travelling distance to the schools varies, with primary schools being most accessible while High Schools involve about 10&nbsp;km of travel.<ref name=profile/>

As of 2005, basic health services maintained by the Ministry of Health were fairly developed with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with a total of 60 beds. The health centres were well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses.<ref name=profile/>

Food security is a major issue since nearly 12% of the population receive less than the minimum daily caloric intake to sustain good health. Food consumption is poor in both rural and urban areas and as a result food aid has become essential.<ref name=profile/>

From the security angle, the ] (UNDSS) has reported security situation in the province calm and stable.<ref name=profile/>

;Mineral resource
] export sustains Afghan economy. The marble is extracted and processed in 21 factories in the country, including the famous brown marble from Samangan province. This adds to the economy of the province.<ref name=Marbles>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bgs.ac.uk/afghanminerals/docs/Marble_A4.pdf|format=pdf|title=Marbles of Afghanistan|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=Afghan Minserals}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
]
The economy revolves around agriculture, with farmers in Samangan province cultivating grains, fruits, and nuts on the region’s fertile river plains.<ref name="USAID"/> The province of Samangan is second only to the northwestern Afghan province of ] in terms of ] production. As of 2005, 10 Agricultural cooperatives were functioning in the province with 665 enrolled members controlling an area of 5532 ha which brought prosperity to its members. The staple food crops grown in the province are wheat, barley and potato and flax. The horticultural or garden crops grown are grapes, pomegranates and other fruit and nut trees. Cash crops grown in a few villages were sesame, cotton and tobacco; and they are mostly in Dara-i-Soofi-Payin and Aybek districts; cotton was major crop in Hazrat-i-Sultan district while tobacco was produced on a large scale in the Roi-Do-Ab district. Use of fertilizers is also common among 60 % of the on both field and garden crops Industries are almost non existent in the province, except for minor leather industry producing the ] and a few small scale handicrafts producing rugs, shawls, jewellery and carpets.<ref name=profile/>
]
Horse breeding also sustains the economy of the province as it caters particularly for the popular sport of ] in Afghanistan.<ref name=Ten>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Units/pdf/122.pdf|format=pdf|title=Samangan Provincial Government|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher= Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture}}</ref> Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian team sport played on horseback in Afghanistan, ], ], ], northern ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-6/cae10.html|title=The traditional Oglak Tartis among the Kirghiz of the Pamirs|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland|year= 1985}}</ref>

;Irrigation
The agricultural economy of the province is further enhanced with irrigation facility provided to 21,242 ha. The irrigated areas deciphered from the land-cover maps, under a collaborative project of FAO, the ] and the Afghan Geodesy and Cartography Office, ] are in Aybak, Samangan - 5 426ha, Dara-I-Suf, Samangan - 4 149ha, Hazrati Sult, Samangan -6 884 ha, Khuram Wa Sa, Samangan - 1 733 ha and Ruyi Du Ab, Samangan -3,049 ha.<ref name=Irrigation>{{Cite web|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YQUfQlfOwx0J:www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/irrigationmap/af/index.stm+Samangan+http://www.fao.org/afghanistan/+|&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a|title=Global Map of Irrigation Areas|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=FAO}}</ref>

==Education==
]
Educational facilities in the province is at a low level with literacy rate recorded at only 19% for the province as a whole, with 28 % literacy rate among men and a low of 10 % among women. The ] are the least literate, recording a literacy rate of only 3%, that too among men only. The province has 159 primary and secondary schools with attendance of 59,915 students; 83% of schools are boys’ schools with 68% students. While the village schools are within easy reach, the high schools are generally about 10&nbsp;km away from the villages.<ref name=profile/>

==Health==
Health services provided by the Ministry of Health are fairly basic with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with 60 beds. They are reasonably well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses. To cater to the pharmaceutical needs of the patients, there are 24 pharmacies, two are run by the government and the rest are privately owned.<ref name=profile/> In 2006, two dozen women completed a ] course.<ref name="Pajhwok">{{cite news|url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2006/08/23/20-women-complete-midwifery-course-samangan|title=Samangan|date=August 23, 2006|work=Pajhwok Afghan News|accessdate=29 October 2010}}</ref>

==Security==
The province has a fairly good security situation, with the ] reporting a calm and stable condition. However, on 15 February 2011 an ] peacekeeper from ] was killed in a roadside bombing near ],<ref name=profile/> and on 14 July 2012, Ahmed Khan Samangani, an ethnic ] member of the ], was killed when a suicide bomber infiltrated his daughter's wedding party in Aybak. The bomb also killed the provincial head of the ], and 13 other guests, and 60 were injured, including senior police and army commanders. The deputy provincial governor, Ghulam Sarkhi, claimed that the death toll was likely to rise.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graham-Harrison|first=Emma|title=Afghan MP Killed by Suicide Bomber at Daughter's Wedding|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/14/afghan-mp-suicide-bomber-wedding|accessdate=14 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 July 2012|author2=Amiri, Mokhtar|location=London}}</ref>

==Cultural heritage==
The historical cultural heritage in the province which is mainly at the ] city, the provincial headquarters of Samangan are the Takt-e Rostam and the adjacent Buddhist caves and stupas on a top of hill.

;Takht-i Rustam
Takht-i Rustam (Haibak), literal meaning the throne of Rustam, named after ], a king in ], is a hilltop settlement. It is dated to the 4th and 5th centuries of the Kushano-Sassanian period, which is corroborated by archaeological, architectural and numismatic evidence. It is located 3&nbsp;km to the southwest of Samangan town. It is the location of a stupa-monastery complex which is fully carved into the mountain rock. The monastery of major Buddhist tradition of ], has five chambers, two are sanctuaries and one is a domed ceiling with an intricate lotus leaf beautification. In the adjacent hill is the stupa, which has a ], with several caves at its base. Above one of the caves, there is square building in which there are two conference halls; one is 22 metres square and the other is circular. In one of these caves, Archaeological excavations have revealed a cache of ] coins.<ref name=Velayat>{{Cite web|url=http://monastic-asia.wikidot.com/takht-i-rustam|title= Takht-i Rustam monastery, (near) Samangan, Velayat-e Samangan, AF|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=Mapping of Buddhist Monasteries}}</ref><ref name=Takht>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.net/afghanistan/Units/303.html|title= Takht e Rustam|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=Afghanistan Cultural Profile}}</ref> The Buddhist temples near the Takht are 10 numbers known locally as ''Kie Tehe''.<ref name=Ten/>

;Hazar Sum
Hazar Sum is another ancient Buddhist centre in north central Afghanistan where several caves have been found and in one of these caves a Buddhist ] has been carved.<ref name=Hazar>{{Cite web|url=http://www.culturalprofiles.org.uk/Afghanistan/Units/pdf/299.pdf|format=pdf|title= Hazar Sum|accessdate=2010-10-28|publisher=Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
{{commons category}} {{commons category}}
* Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): ''An Historical Guide to Afghanistan''. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization. * Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): ''An Historical Guide to Afghanistan''. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization.


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Latest revision as of 06:05, 21 December 2024

Province of Afghanistan For places in Iran, see Samangan, Iran (disambiguation). Province in Afghanistan
Samangan سمنگان
Province
Samangan ProvinceSamangan Province
Map of Afghanistan with Samangan highlightedLocation of Samangan within Afghanistan
Country Afghanistan
CapitalAybak
Government
 • GovernorAbdul Rahman Muslim Kunduzi
 • Deputy GovernorAbdul Manan
Area
 • Total13,438 km (5,188 sq mi)
Population
 • Total438,235
 • Density33/km (84/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time)
Postal code20xx
ISO 3166 codeAF-SAM
Main language(s)Persian, Uzbeki and Turkmeni

Samangan (Dari: سمنگان; Pashto: سمنګان) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located north of the Hindu Kush mountains in the central part of the country. The province covers 11,218 square kilometres (4,331 sq mi) and is surrounded by Sar-e Pol Province in the west, Balkh in the north, Baghlan in the east, and Bamyan in the south.

Samangan province is divided into 7 districts and contains 674 villages. It has a population of about 325,000 which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. The city of Aybak serves as the provincial capital.

In 2021, the Taliban gained control of the province during the 2021 Taliban offensive.

History

Further information: History of Afghanistan

The earliest known history of the province is linked to the identification of the Samangan by Aoros Ptolemy as the place of the Varni or Uarni and the fortified city of Samangan on the banks of the Khulm River identical to the Bhaktria regi on the Dargydus river south east of Zariaspa. The ruins found here established the city's founding by Eukratides, the King of Bactria. It was then known as Edrisi the size of the Khulm city.

Below Buddhist stupa is a series of five caves, former monks' cells for meditation.
Part of a series on the
History of Afghanistan

The palace of the emir in 1839
Timeline
Ancient
Indus Valley civilisation 2200–1800 BC
Oxus civilization 2100–1800 BC
Gandhara kingdom 1500–535 BC
Median Empire 728–550 BC
Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BC
Macedonian Empire 330–312 BC
Seleucid Empire 312–150 BC
Maurya Empire 305–180 BC
Greco-Bactrian kingdom 256–125 BC
Parthian Empire 247 BC–224 AD
Indo-Greek kingdom 180–90 BC
Indo-Scythian kingdom 155–80? BC
Kushan Empire 135 BC – 248 AD
Indo-Parthian kingdom 20 BC – 50? AD
Sasanian Empire 230–651
Kidarite kingdom 320–465
Rob
Alchon Huns 380–560
Hephthalite Empire 410–557
Nezak Huns 484–711
Medieval
Kabul Shahi 565–879
Principality of Chaghaniyan 7th–8th centuries
Rashidun Caliphate 652–661
Tang China 660–669
Tibetan Empire 660–842
Umayyads 661–750
Zunbils 680–870
Lawik750-977
Abbasids 750–821
Tahirids 821–873
Saffarids 863–900
Samanids 875–999
Ghaznavids 963–1187
Ghurids before 879–1215
Seljuks 1037–1194
Khwarezmids 1215–1231
Mongol Invasion 1219–1226
Chagatai Khanate 1226–1245
Qarlughids 1224–1266
Ilkhanate 1256–1335
Kartids 1245–1381
Timurids 1370–1507
Arghuns 1520–1591
Modern
Mughals 1501–1738
Safavids 1510–1709
Kunduz Khanate ?–1859
Hotak dynasty 1709–1738
Sadozai Sultanate 1716–1732
Afsharid Iran 1738–1747
Durrani Empire 1747–1823
Maimana Khanate 1747–1892
Herat 1793–1863
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Historicity of the Samangan town dates to the time of the Kushan Empire during the 4th and 5th centuries when it was a famous Buddhist centre. Witness to this period is seen now in the form of ruins at a place called the Takht-e Rostam, which is located 3 km from the town on a hilltop. Arabs and Mongols came to this place when it was already famous as a Buddhist religious centre. Aibak was the name given to this place when, during the medieval period, caravans used to stop here.

Afghanistan has various archaeological sites where caves were hewn out of rocks and inhabited by Buddhists. "One of the most spectacular sites is that of Takth i Raustam, near Samangan (Haybak), north of Hindu Kush passes. It includes a complex of stupa with monastery, hewn out of the rock. Other caves have been found near Jalalabad and at the site of Humay Qal'a southwest of Ghazni.

The Buddhist in Takth i Raustam here in the form of a mound, located on the hilltop, represents the earliest link to the evolution of Buddhist architecture in Afghanistan

The area was conquered by the Hephthalites followed by the Saffarids who brought Islam. The Samanids took it and controlled it until the Ghaznavids rose to power in the 10th century, they were replaced by the Ghorids. After the Mongol invasion the Timurids took possession.

Between the early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the Province 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 20th centuries. It remained peaceful for about one hundred years until the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War.

Recent history

After the Afghan Civil War, the town of Darra Souf in Samangan Province was occupied by Ustad Mohammad Mohaqiq and the Taliban in late 1999. The Taliban forces gained control of the area from January to March 2000 including nearby Sar-e-Pol and Baghlan provinces, where they were reported to have massacred an unknown number of civilians.

On May 8, 2000, several men from Baghlan were driven up to the Robotak Pass in Samangan province, approximately 20 miles north of the city of Samangan (100 miles south of Mazar-i-Sharif) and were executed, later found by local farmers in shallow graves which the Taliban had dug for them.

After the removal of the Taliban government in late 2001, the Karzai administration took over control of Afghanistan. In the meantime, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the province. After getting training by ISAF, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are providing security for the population of the province.

The province has a fairly good security situation, with the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) reporting a calm and stable condition. However, on 15 February 2011 an ISAF peacekeeper from Finland was killed in a roadside bombing near Samangan City, and on 14 July 2012, Ahmed Khan Samangani, a member of the National Assembly of Afghanistan, was killed when a suicide bomber infiltrated his daughter's wedding party in the city of Samangan. The bomb also killed the provincial head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and 13 other guests, and 60 were injured, including senior police and army commanders. The deputy provincial governor, Ghulam Sarkhi, claimed that the death toll was likely to rise.

Healthcare

Further information: Health in Afghanistan and Education in Afghanistan

Health services provided by the Ministry of Health are fairly basic with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with 60 beds. They are reasonably well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses. To cater to the pharmaceutical needs of the patients, there are 24 pharmacies, two are run by the government and the rest are privately owned. In 2006, two dozen women completed a midwifery course. The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 7% in 2005 to 18% in 2011. The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant fell from 29% in 2005 to 20% in 2011.

Education

Samangan School

The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 19% in 2005 to 27% in 2011. The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 37% in 2005 to 47% in 2011.

Owing to its relative isolation, Samangan province is underdeveloped with no energy infrastructure and has a high rate of illiteracy, although some students have access to education in neighbouring Mazari Sharif. Educational facilities in the province is at a low level with literacy rate recorded at only 19% for the province as a whole, with 28% literacy rate among men and a low of 10% among women. The Kuchi people are the least literate, recording a literacy rate of only 3%, that too among men only. The province has 159 primary and secondary schools with attendance of 59,915 students; 83% of schools are boys' schools with 68% students. While the village schools are within easy reach, the high schools are generally about 10 km away from the villages.

Economy

Further information: Economy of Afghanistan
Villagers in Samangan province receiving food parcels
Flat agricultural fields with mountains in the background

Agriculture and some small scale mining are the main industries of the province. Economic condition of the people is very hard with nearly 12% households finding it difficult to meet the food requirements to sustain. This has resulted in allocations of food aid to the province.

In October 2010, the first dish-making factory run by women began operations. The women were trained for several months and now work in two shifts. During the last few years, thousands of other women have worked on a variety of different projects such as tailoring and carpet knitting.

Status of infrastructure

As of 2005, safe drinking water access is available to 7% of households (falls to a low of 4% in rural areas). However, some drinking water facility is available in some form to about 71% of households. Still many households have to travel for long hours to the nearest source of water.

Electricity supply is minimal, limited to only about 5% of the population with 80% supplied from government sources. The transport sector is still underdeveloped. Only 28% of roads are good for use by motorized traffic throughout the year with this percentage rising to 41% in some seasons. However roads are non-existent in 28% of the province.

Education is still in a nascent state of development with only 19% being literate, as of 2005, with literacy among men limited to 28% and literacy among women limited to a mere 10%; literacy among the Kuchis population is the least at about 3% of men only. There are 59 primary and secondary schools in the province with enrolment of 59,915 students. However, travelling distance to the schools varies, with primary schools being most accessible while High Schools involve about 10 km of travel.

As of 2005, basic health services maintained by the Ministry of Health were fairly developed with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with a total of 60 beds. The health centres were well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses.

Food security is a major issue since nearly 12% of the population receive less than the minimum daily caloric intake to sustain good health. Food consumption is poor in both rural and urban areas and as a result food aid has become essential.

From the security angle, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) has reported security situation in the province calm and stable.

Mineral resource

Marble export sustains Afghan economy. The marble is extracted and processed in 21 factories in the country, including the famous brown marble from Samangan province. This adds to the economy of the province.

Agriculture

Pistachio farmers

The economy revolves around agriculture, with farmers in Samangan province cultivating grains, fruits, and nuts on the region's fertile river plains. The province of Samangan is second only to the northwestern Afghan province of Badghis in terms of pistachio production. As of 2005, 10 Agricultural cooperatives were functioning in the province with 665 enrolled members controlling an area of 5532 ha which brought prosperity to its members. The staple food crops grown in the province are wheat, barley and potato and flax. The horticultural or garden crops grown are grapes, pomegranates and other fruit and nut trees. Cash crops grown in a few villages were sesame, cotton and tobacco; and they are mostly in Dara-i-Soofi-Payin and Aybek districts; cotton was major crop in Hazrat-i-Sultan district while tobacco was produced on a large scale in the Roi-Do-Ab district. Use of fertilizers is also common among 60% of the on both field and garden crops Industries are almost non existent in the province, except for minor leather industry producing the karakul skin and a few small scale handicrafts producing rugs, shawls, jewellery and carpets.

Horse breeding also sustains the economy of the province as it caters particularly for the popular sport of buzkashi in Afghanistan. Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian team sport played on horseback in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, northern Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Irrigation

The agricultural economy of the province is further enhanced with irrigation facility provided to 21,242 ha. The irrigated areas deciphered from the land-cover maps, under a collaborative project of FAO, the United Nations Development Programme and the Afghan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office, Kabul are in Aybak, Samangan - 5 426ha, Dara-I-Suf, Samangan - 4 149ha, Hazrati Sult, Samangan -6 884 ha, Khuram Wa Sa, Samangan - 1 733 ha and Ruyi Du Ab, Samangan -3,049 ha.

Cultural heritage

Further information: Buddhism in Afghanistan
Remains of the Buddhist stupa and monastery on a hill above Samangan. Instead of being built up, it has been carved out of the rock so is completely below ground level

The historical cultural heritage in the province which is mainly at Samangan City, the provincial headquarters of Samangan are the Takt-e Rostam and the adjacent Buddhist caves and stupas on a top of hill.

Takht-i Rustam

Takht-i Rustam (Haibak), literal meaning the throne of Rustam, named after Rustam, a king in Persian mythology, is a hilltop settlement. It is dated to the 4th and 5th centuries of the Kushano-Sassanian period, which is corroborated by archaeological, architectural and numismatic evidence. It is located 3 km to the southwest of Samangan town. It is the location of a stupa-monastery complex which is fully carved into the mountain rock. The monastery of major Buddhist tradition of Theravada Buddhism, has five chambers, two are sanctuaries and one is a domed ceiling with an intricate lotus leaf beautification. In the adjacent hill is the stupa, which has a harmika, with several caves at its base. Above one of the caves, there is square building in which there are two conference halls; one is 22 metres square and the other is circular. In one of these caves, Archaeological excavations have revealed a cache of Ghaznavid coins. The Buddhist temples near the Takht are 10 numbers known locally as Kie Tehe.

Malek Cave

Yar Mohammad Malek cave in Roy Doaab district is a small canyon that consists of a big historical cave, believed to be endless. Many bones, silk clothes, and Islamic symbols were found in this district, but due to the erosion and landslide, the entrance of these places has disappeared. During the civil war, many of the artifacts were found by people who were displaced and lived in those caves. Archived 2021-04-19 at the Wayback Machine

Hazar Sum

Hazar Sum is another ancient Buddhist centre in north central Afghanistan where several caves have been found and in one of these caves a Buddhist stupa has been carved.

Geography

Further information: Geography of Afghanistan
Map of the Khulm River basin

Samangan is located in northern central Afghanistan, delimited by Baghlan province in the east, Bamyan in the south, Sar-e-Pul in the south-west and Balkh province in the northwest. Samangan encompasses an area of 11218 km2 consisting 59% of mountainous terrain, 21% of semi mountainous terrain, 12% of flat land, 4.8% of semi-flat land and the balance 2.2% is unclassified land.

Some parts of the province are characterised by distinctive rolling hills and mountains and rich green valleys. The provincial jurisdiction is spread over seven administrative districts, with Samangan City as its capital. This town is located on the banks of the Khulm River, in the valley formed below the junction of Hindu Kush mountains and the Central Asian Steppe; the valley has very fertile agricultural land. The highest mountain ranges of the province thus lie to the southwest of the province, southwest of Samangan City. Only 12% of the provincial area consists of flat land. The city of Samangan lies in the Khulm River valley, with mountains to the west and east. It is located to the northwest of the city of Baghlan and about is 190 km (120 mi) north-west of the capital Kabul and the same distance south-east of Mazar-i-Sharif city.

Samangan Province has a long history of earthquakes which has led to the loss of thousands of people and their homes. In 1998, two earthquakes struck measuring 5.9 and 6.6 on the Richter scale, claiming some 6,000 lives along the border with Tajikistan. A series of earthquakes struck nearby Baghlan province on March 3, 2002, killing roughly 1,000 people. In April 2010 at least 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured when a 5.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 10 km struck the province. It damaged some 300 houses and killed hundreds of cattle, causing landslides which blocks some of the main roads.

Demography

Further information: Demography of Afghanistan

As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 438,000, which is predominately rural with only 7% living in urban centres.

"Samangan like most of Afghanistan is ethnically diverse with Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazara, Turkomen and even a minority of Pashtuns living throughout the province." Roughly 72.5% people of the province speak Persian and 22.1% people speak Uzbek as their native language.


Districts

Districts of Samangan

Current Map of the Districts of Samangan (as linked to on the Districts of Afghanistan page)

Districts of Samangan Province
District Capital Population Area
in km
Pop.
density
Number of villages and ethnic groups
Aybak Samangan 118,537 2,145 55 96 villages. 55% Uzbek, 35% Tajik, 5% Pashtun, 5% other.
Darah Sof Balla Dari Suf Bala 73,072 2,283 32 146 villages. 100% Hazaras. Used to be part of Darah Sof District.
Darah Sof Payan Dari Suf Payan 80,778 1,699 48 209 villages. Tajik 70%, Uzbek 30%. Used to be part of Darah Sof District.
Feroz Nakhchir Feroz Nakhchir 14,747 930 16 22 villages. Mixed Pashtun and Tajik. Used to be part of Aybak District.
Hazrat Sultan Hazrat Sultan 46,766 2,102 22 66 villages. MIxed Tajik, Pashtun, Arab, Uzbek.
Khuram Wa Sarbagh Khuram Wa Sarbagh 45,039 1,815 25 52 villages. Majority Tajik, minority Pashtun and Hazara.
Ruyi Du Ab Ruyi 51,550 2,477 21 83 villages. Predominatly Hazaras (Tatar tribe).
Samangan 430,489 13,438 32 Majority Tajik and Uzbek, Minority Hazara and Pashtun

Towns and villages

According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, the province has 674 villages.

Notable people

References

  1. "د سمنګان والي د ایبک اباد د مرکزي ساحې له مخورو سره وکتل – الاماره پښتو".
  2. "د نږدې شلو ولایاتو لپاره نوي والیان او امنیې قوماندانان وټاکل شول". 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021.
  3. ^ "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22" (PDF). National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA). April 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "Samangan Province". Government of Afghanistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  5. Royal Numismatic Society (Great Britain) (1846). The Numismatic chronicle, Volume 8. Royal Numismatic Society. pp. 107–108.
  6. ^ Clammer, Paul (2007). Afghanistan. Lonely Planet. p. 158. ISBN 978-1-74059-642-8. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
  7. The Afghans By Willem Vogelsang Edition: illustrated Published by Wiley-Blackwell, 2002 Page 157 ISBN 0-631-19841-5
  8. ^ Gutman, Roy (2008). How we missed the story: Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and the hijacking of Afghanistan. US Institute of Peace Press. p. 216. ISBN 978-1-60127-024-5.
  9. Graham-Harrison, Emma; Amiri, Mokhtar (14 July 2012). "Afghan MP Killed by Suicide Bomber at Daughter's Wedding". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  10. "Samangan". Pajhwok Afghan News. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  11. ^ Archive, Civil Military Fusion Centre, "Pages - Samangan". Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
  12. ^ "Samangan". USAID. Archived from the original on 2011-09-02. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  13. "Women Creates Dish Making Factory in Samangan". Bakhtarnews. Bakhtar News Agency. October 23, 2010. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  14. "Marbles of Afghanistan" (PDF). Afghan Minserals. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  15. ^ "Samangan Provincial Government" (PDF). Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  16. "The traditional Oglak Tartis among the Kirghiz of the Pamirs". The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. 1985. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  17. "Global Map of Irrigation Areas". FAO. Archived from the original on 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2010-10-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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  19. "Takht e Rustam". Afghanistan Cultural Profile. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  20. "Hazar Sum" (PDF). Visiting Arts: Samangan Provincial Department of Information and Culture. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2005-05-10. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  21. ^ "'Seven dead' as earthquake rocks Afghanistan". BBC News. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2010-10-28.
  22. "Balkh Province". Program for Culture & Conflict Studies. Naval Postgraduate School. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  23. "Aibak District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2013-11-01. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  24. "Dari Suf Bala District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  25. "Dari Suf Payan District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  26. "Aibak District Feroz Nakhchir District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  27. "Hazrat Sultan District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  28. "Khoram & Sarbagh District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
  29. "Ruye Du Aab District" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2012-10-25.

External links

  • Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977): An Historical Guide to Afghanistan. 1st Edition: 1970. 2nd Edition. Revised and Enlarged. Afghan Tourist Organization.
Places adjacent to Samangan Province
Balkh Province Kunduz Province
Sar-e Pol Province Samangan Province Baghlan Province
Bamyan Province
Provinces of Afghanistan
Samangan Province
Capital: Aybak
Districts
Populated places
Other
Shahnameh of Ferdowsi
Characters
Pishdadian
Kayanian
Male characters
Female characters
Tazian
Turanian
Clans and
families
Creatures
and animals
Places
Structures
  • Gonbadan Castle (Dez-i Gonbadan)
  • Roein Castle (Dez-i Roein)
  • Sepid Castle (Dezh-i Sepid
  • Bahman Castle (Dezh-i Bahman)
  • Alanan Castle (Dezh-i Alanan
  • Gang Castle (Gang-Dez)
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