The A to Z of Afghan Wars, Revolutions and Insurgencies by Ludwig W. Adamec

Author:Ludwig W. Adamec
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 2005-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

Plan 6. Sketch of Herat City (MR 1925)

HERAT, SIEGE OF. Persia, encouraged by Russia, laid siege to Herat (1837–1838), but was unable to capture the city. A British officer, Major Eldred Pottinger, claimed an important role in the defense of the city. When Britain could not induce the shah to desist, Indian troops landed, on June 19, 1838, on the island of Kharak in the Persian Gulf. It was only then that Persia lifted the siege and withdrew in September 1838.

HERAT UPRISING. On March 21, 1979, demonstrators against the Kabul regime seized control of the city of Herat and liberated political prisoners. They proceeded to attack government officials and killed many of the Soviet advisers and their families, carrying the heads of some on pikes through the city of Herat. When the Marxist government sent troops to quell the uprising, the entire Afghan 17th Division mutinied and a powerful resistance organization was born, headed by Captain Ismail Khan. The Kabul government brought in air strikes, which eventually broke the resistance at the cost of some 5,000 deaths.

HINDU KUSH. The major mountain massif that originates in the southwestern corner of the Pamirs and with its extension, the Koh-i Baba, runs the entire length of central Afghanistan, constituting a formidable barrier to north-south communication. Its general elevation is between 14,500 and 17,000 feet, the highest peak Nowshak is at an altitude of some 24,000 feet (7,458 meters). Several passes leading across the massif lie at altitudes above 12,000 feet.

The name Hindu Kush is of uncertain origin and is not used generally by Afghans, who have local names for the range in their area. In the West the name has been interpreted as “Killer of Hindus”; but the name may be derived, according to some sources, from Hindu Kuh, marking the most northern extent of pre-Muslim Hindu control. The range is divided into three major sections: the eastern from the Pamirs to the Dorah Pass, the central from the Dorah to the Khawak Pass, and the western from the Khawak Pass to the termination of the range near the Shibar Pass.

During the winter months, the mountain range seals off northern Afghanistan from the rest of the country, and the rugged terrain has allowed small populations to survive in remote, economically marginal valleys. Poor lines of communication fostered a measure of autonomy and extensive linguistic and cultural diversity. The construction of the Salang Tunnel and an all-weather road in 1964 have contributed to the strengthening of central control over the northern part of the country. In the 1980s the Salang Highway became an important artery for supplying the Kabul government with Soviet materiel and therefore was a frequent object of attacks by mujahedin forces, especially those of Commander Ahmad Shah Mas’ud. Frequently made impassable, the Salang Tunnel was repaired and in full operation in December 2003, after the destruction during the Taliban regime.

HIZB-I ISLAMI. See HEKMATYAR, GULBUDDIN.

HIZB-I ISLAMI (KHALES). See KHALES, MUHAMMAD YUNUS.

HIZB-I WAHDAT. A coalition of eight Hazara Shi’a parties led by Abdul Ali Mazari centered in the area of Bamian and Wardak.

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