Ishkashmi

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Ishkashim (Persian: اشکاشم‎‎) is a town and district in Badakhshan Province in north-eastern Afghanistan.

Variants of name

Location

It lies on the Panj River, at a point where its direction turns sharply north. Ishkashim lies opposite a town of the same name in Tajikistan, although the Tajik town is normally transliterated Ishkoshim following Tajik practice. A bridge opened in 2006 links the two towns. The town of Ishkashim lies in a fertile valley at an elevation of 3037 meters.[1]

History

V. S. Agrawala[2] mentions the names of Ayudhjivi Sanghas in the Panini's Sutras which include Vṛika (V.3.115). ...The Country of Vrikas seems to have being the same as Hyrcania lying to the north of Parthia and on the eastern corner of the Caspian (mod. Persian Gurgan, from Vrika=Gurg, in the valley of River of that name in the fertile district of Astarabad. The Persians distinguished the Varkas and infact all the northern war like equestrian people as Sacas (Persepolis Tomb Inscription, Sakā para-daria).

The name Vrika was known throughout the north-west as shown by its derivatives found in the several languages near Panini’s homeland, e.g. Ishkashmi werk, Yidgha wurk, wurg etc.


There are roughly 20 settlements in the valley, but, considering the cultivation in the valley is continuous, it could also be considered one single, larger settlement. The total population of the valley is 12,120.

The valley has only one harvest per year. Wheat and barley are cultivated. Poplar and chinar trees goew as well, but there is little firewood.

The climate is generally cold, but much warmer than that of neighboring areas, such as Wakhan.

The people of the town are predominantly Nizārī Ismā'īlī, and are called Ishkashimi. Most of them speak the Ishkashimi language.[3]

The valley lies in an important strategic area, as it commands the only route between Badakhshan, Shighnan, and Wakhan accessible during the winter. There had been a mud fort located in the central village.[4]

Ishkashim was earlier a state of the Emir of Badakhshan on the Upper Oxus River. The lands of the state stretched some 16 miles north of the town of Ishkashim, on both sides of the river, to the border of Gharan. Together with Zebak, Eshkashem was under the direct rule of the naib of Zebak, thus also placing them indirectly under the governor of Badakhshan.[5]

References

  1. Population of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan
  2. V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.443-444
  3. Adamec, Ludwig W., ed. (1972). Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan. 1. Graz, Austria: Akadamische Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt. p. 85.
  4. Adamec, Ludwig W., ed. (1972). Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan. 1. Graz, Austria: Akadamische Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt. p. 85.
  5. Adamec, Ludwig W., ed. (1972). Historical and Political Gazetteer of Afghanistan. 1. Graz, Austria: Akadamische Druck-u. Verlangsanstalt. p. 85.

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