Eshkashem
Encyclopedia
Ishkashim or Ashkasham, also transliterated Ishkashem or Eshkashem, is a town in Badakhshan Province
in north-eastern Afghanistan
, the capital of Ishkashim District
. 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. 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 12120.
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 predominately Nizārī Ismā'īlī, and are called Ishkashmi. Most of them speak the Ishkashimi language
.
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.
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
.
Badakhshan Province
Badakhshan is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, consisting of 28 districts. It is located in the north-east of the country, between the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya. It is part of the Badakhshan region.-Geography:...
in north-eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, the capital of Ishkashim District
Ishkashim District
Ishkashim District is one of the 29 districts of Badakhshan Province in eastern Afghanistan. The capital is the city of Ishkashim . The people of the region are called Tajiks and some of them speak the Ishkashimi language...
. It lies on the Panj River
Panj River
The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border....
, at a point where its direction turns sharply north. Ishkashim lies opposite a town of the same name in Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
, although the Tajik town is normally transliterated Ishkoshim
Ishkoshim, Tajikistan
Ishkoshim , also Ishkashim , is the capital of Ishkoshim District in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in south-east Tajikistan. It lies on the Panj River, at a point where its direction turns sharply north...
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. 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 12120.
The valley has only one harvest per year. Wheat and barley are cultivated. Poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
and chinar
Chinar
Chinar may refer to:*Platanus orientalis*Chinar, alternative spelling of Çinar, Azerbaijan, a village in Azerbaijan*Chinar, Russia, a rural locality in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia*Chinar, alternative spelling of Chinor, a town in Tajikistan...
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
Wakhan
Wakhan or "the Wakhan" is a very mountainous and rugged part of the Pamir and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in Badakshan Province.-Geography:...
.
The people of the town are predominately Nizārī Ismā'īlī, and are called Ishkashmi. Most of them speak the Ishkashimi language
Ishkashimi language
The Ishkashimi language is one of the Pamir languages of the Southeastern Iranian language group. Its distribution is in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan, Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan and Chitral region of Pakistan....
.
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.
Ishkashim was earlier a state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
of the Emir of Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
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
Zebak
Zebak is the capital of the Zebak District in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. The city is based in the delta of the Sanglich river....
, Eshkashem was under the direct rule of the naib
Naib
Naib is an Arabic term for a local leader in some parts of the Ottoman Empire and eastern Caucasus.Naib or NAIB may also refer to:*National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
of Zebak, thus also placing them indirectly under the governor of Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
.