Zaranj

Infobox Settlement
official_name =Zaranj
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pushpin_map_caption =Location in Afghanistan
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Afghanistan
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Nimruz Province
subdivision_type2 = District
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population_total =70,000
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latd=30|latm=57 |lats=36|latNS=N
longd=61|longm=51 |longs=36|longEW=E
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Zaranj is a town in south-western Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 70,000 people. It is the capital of Nimruz province and is situated right next to Iran's eastern border. It is linked by highways with Lashkar Gah to the east, Farah to the north and Zabol in Iran to the west. Zaranj is of significant importance to the trade-route between Asia and the Middle East.

Ethnography

The population of the area is a mixture of Dari Persian-speaking ethnic Sistani, Pashtun and Baloch people. The town itself, like the neighboring Zabol in Iran, boasts to a solid ancient Sistani Persian population. The nomadic Pashtun and Baluch form the minorities inside the town per se.

History

Zaranj is an ancient historic city which was known as SarangFact|date=August 2008 in Sanskrit during Hindu times and later came to be known as Zarang and now Zaranj. Other historical names for Zaranj include Zirra, [Ten Thousand Miles in Persia: Or, Eight Years in Irán By Percy Sykes, pg. 363] Zarangia or Drangiana. [The Afghans By Dr Willem Vogelsang, pg. 162] In Achamenid texts, the city was referred to as Zra'kaFact|date=August 2008.

In 661, a small Arab garrison reestablish its authority of the region after having temporarily lost control due to skirmishes and revolts. [Islamic History: A New Interpretation By Muhammad Abdulhavy Shaban]

Later, a new local power emerged which made Zaranj the capital; the Saffarid dynasty. Zaranj was also home to Ya'qub-i Laith Saffari the founder of the Saffarid dynasty. [Ariana Antiqua: A Descriptive Account of the Antiquities and Coins of Afghanistan By Horace Hayman Wilson, pg. 154]

Recent developments

A new highway is being built between Zaranj and Delaram by the Indian Government's Border Roads Organization at a cost of about US $80 million (expected to go up to US $250 million due to security concerns) to open up a link between the deep sea port at Chabahar in Iran to Afghanistan's main ring road highway system which connects Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Kunduz. The construction of the highway is complete and it is being handed over to the Afghan government [ [http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=an&nid=694] ] .

The province has been one of the 7 (Nimruz, Helmand, Kandahar, Oruzgan, Ghazni, Paktika and Zabul) where the Taliban have been recently regrouping.Fact|date=July 2008

Due to its proximity to Iran, beautiful Iranian artifacts and carpets or other merchandise are available in Zaranj. In addition, Iran recently received permission from the Afghan government to excavate the site of the Saffarid capital in Zaranj. [ [http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=51657&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs Iran News - Iranians to search for Saffarid capital in Helmand ] ]

There is no airport in Zaranj worth the name. However, UN and PACTEC flights sometimes (Irregularly) land on a dirt strip there during fair weather.

See also

*Afghanistan
*International Security Assistance Force
*Provincial Reconstruction Team
*NATO

References and footnotes