The Logar district and the Qizilbash population of Logar (1893)

The Logar district and the Qizilbash population of Logar

The Logar district consist of the valley of the Logar river, and may be roughly described as extending from Amir Kala on the south to Safed Sang on the north. For convenience sake, it may be divided into three portions: ―

                                i.            Upper Logar, extending from Amir Kala to the other side of the pass lying between Mir Saidan and Hisarak, called Tangi Hisarak. This is by far the most populous and prosperous part of the valley, containing as it does the very large and flourishing groups of villages known respectively as Baraki-Rajan, Baraki-Barak, Padkao Roghani, and Padkao Shahana, under one of which names almost all the villages enclosed within the great area of cultivated and irrigated land is grouped for revenue purposes, and it is this portion of the valley that may be looked upon as constituting the real granary of Kabul.

                               ii.            Middle Logar, extending from Tangi Hisarak, inclusive of the Tangi Waga Jan. This portion of the district is more sparsely populated and cultivated. The villages and cultivation lie almost exclusively along the banks of the river, and the irrigation canal are much fewer and less extensive than in Upper Logar. The principal groups of villages are Hisarak, Kulangar, and Dadu Khel.

                             iii.            Northern Logar comprising the valley from the Tangi Waga Jan to the Safed Sang pass at the entrance of the Chaharasia sub-district of Kabul. This portion of the valley is thickly cultivated on both sides of the river, but it is quite barren at a short distance from the bed of the stream. Its principal villages are Deh-i-Nao, Muhammad Aga, Gumran, Saidabad, Kuti, Khel and Zargan Shahar, the last named being situated four miles from the right bank of the river, and entirely dependent for its water-supply on the karezes that have been dag from the district of Surkhao to the east.

On every side Logar is completely shut in by high, barren hills, with passes leading into Zurmat, Kharwar, Wardak, and Maidan. Two excellent bridle roads traverse the valley on both sides of the river, which latter is fordable at almost all points owing to the quantity of water that is diverted into the irrigation canals.

One of the roads from Ghazni to Kabul traverses the whole length of the valley, and in 1880 was made practicable for wheeled artillery. The Kuram route to Kabul also runs through the Logar district from Kushi as far as Safed Sang.

The three principal outlying districts of Logar are Surkhao, seven miles to the east of Zargan Shahar; Kushi, an exceedingly prosperous Tajik district, situated near the entrance of the Shutargardan pass; and Cherkh, on the extreme south of the district. This last is a most fertile little valley, forming a cul-de-sac. It is well wooded, with an abundant supply of water, and is inhabited entirely by Tajiks, who have a well-to-do and prosperous appearance.

With the exception of these three districts, the cultivation in Logar is continuous, and the villages are closely situated one to another. During the ripening of the harvest, Upper Logar presents to the eye an immense unbroken surface of waving corn. Where the cultivation ceases, the desert commences on either side of the river, and continues right up to the hills.

The spring crops consist of wheat and barley, and the autumn crops are rice and Indian-corn.

The supplies obtainable in Logar, according to Major Euan Smith, are “to all intents and purposes practically inexhaustible, and an army could be maintained there for a very long period, and find no difficulty whatever in supplying itself with all the necessaries of life both for man and beast. The yearly crop of grain and of cereals of various kinds is immense, the grazing for camels is illimitable, and the supply of green forage and bhusa is ample for the supply of a very large force. The water of the Logar river is excellent.”

This is probably a somewhat exaggerated view of the resources of the Logar district, but there is no doubt that large quantities of supplies can be obtained there.

In an ordinary winter snow does not lie on the ground for more than ten days; should it remain for three weeks, the season is called extremely severe. At such times the scarcity of folder for cattle is great. Fever is common in the autumn, but on the whole the valley may be said to be healthy.

The inhabitants of the Logar district are Ghilzais and Farsiwans, the latter including Tajiks, Hazaras, and Kizilbashes. The Ghilzais are the most powerful community. There are also about 150 Hindu families in Logar.

The Military Geography of Afghanistan. Part [04]. Kabul (1893)