This article is about the city. For the military base, see Bagram Airfield. For the village in Iran, see Bagram, Iran.
Bagram (/bəɡrɑːm/; Pashto/Persian: بگرام) is a town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul. It is the site of an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband and Panjshir Valley, near today's city of Charikar, Afghanistan. The location of this historical town made it a key passage from Ancient India along the Silk Road, leading westwards through the mountains towards Bamiyan, and north over the Kushan Pass to the Baghlan Valley[2] and past the Kushan archeological site at Surkh Kotal, to the commercial centre of Balkh and the rest of northern Afghanistan. Bagram was also a capital of Kushan empire
Bagram
بگرام بګرام
Town
Clockwise from top: Bazaar and part of Bagram (2009); Bagram Valley; A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter takes off on February 4, 2012 from Bagram Airfield; and Bagram Airfield in winter
Storm clouds part, offering a rare glimpse through the crisp air at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, December 18, 2008. The high altitude of the Hindu Kush mountain range creates a harsh climate ranging from more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to below-freezing temperatures in the winter.
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Bagram has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dsa) with brief, but cold winters and long, hot and dry summers. Precipitation is most likely between the months of October and April. Dust storms and sand storms occur frequently during certain times of the year[3] and the city is often blanketed by snow in winter months. The annual mean temperature is 12.0 °C (53.6 °F)
The ancient city of Kapisi is identified with present-day Bagram. The figures of ancient Buddhist and Hindu sculptures show that the city was initially ruled by Indic people who have either migrated or intermingled with the Iranian populations who moved into the region like Kambojas from Bactria.
While the Diadochi were warring amongst themselves, the Mauryan Empire was developing in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. The founder of the empire, Chandragupta Maurya, confronted a Macedonian invasion force led by Seleucus I in 305 BC and following a brief conflict, an agreement was reached as Seleucus ceded Gandhara and Arachosia (centered on ancient Kandahar) and areas south of Bagram (corresponding to the extreme south-east of modern Afghanistan) to the Mauryans. During the 120 years of the Mauryans in southern Afghanistan, Buddhism was introduced and eventually become a major religion alongside Zoroastrianism and local pagan beliefs.
Bagram became the capital of the Kushan Empire in the first century. The "Bagram treasure" as it has been called, is indicative of intense commercial exchanges between all the cultural centers of the classical time, with the Kushan empire at the junction of the land and sea trade between the east and west. However, the works of art found in Bagram, such as the Begram ivories, are either quite purely Hellenistic, Roman, Chinese or Indian, with only little indications of the cultural syncretism found in Greco-Buddhist art.
Islamic conquest
The Islamic conquest of Afghanistan and the adjoining Pashtun region began in seventh century right after conquest of Persia. However, the complete Islamization of Afghanistan wasn't achieved until the Ghaznavid rule. The modern-day town is believed to be founded by Babur at the site of the ancient city.[5] In Babur's memoirs, the Baburnama, the emphasis of his visit in 1519 is on the colony of Hindu ascetics at Gurh Kattri (Kur Katri), who fascinated him.[6]
Recent history
Bagram school children
Bagram hosts the strategic Bagram Airfield, from which most US air activity in Afghanistan took place. The runway was built in 1976, and it was a Sovietair base from 1979 to 1989. There was also a Provincial Reconstruction Team when the US were present in Afghanistan and implemented their counter-insurgency strategy.[7]
Bagram is also the location of the Parwan Detention Facility; this detention facility was the last prison in Afghanistan under management of the US. It was handed back to the Afghan government on 25 March 2013.[8] The detention centre had earlier come into the attention of the news media as it was claimed that prisoners were tortured (see the article Bagram torture and prisoner abuse). At the time of the hand-over of the facility, human-rights groups like Amnesty International have raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners there.[8]
On December 21, 2015, Bagram was the site of a suicide bombing killing 6 people.[9]
On July 1, 2021, US troops departed from the air base, abandoning the outpost over to the Afghan government after 20 years. According to the Afghan commander at the time, the US evacuated the base during the night without any previous official notice to the Afghan army.[10]
^"Bagram Air Base in Parvan Province, Afghanistan". Retrieved 20 October 2022.
^"Climate: Bagram — Climate-Data.org". Retrieved 3 September 2022.
^Bhattacharya, Avijeet (11 October 2017). Journeys on the Silk Road Through Ages. Zorba. p. 192. ISBN9789386407818. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
^Losty, J. P. Roy, Malini (eds), Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire, pp. 42-43, 2013, British Library, ISBN0712358706, 9780712358705
^"Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs)". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2021-07-02.
^ abAljazeera news: US hands over Bagram prison to Afghanistan, 25 March 2013
^Popalzai, Masoud; Starr, Barbara. "6 U.S. troops killed in motorcycle bomb attack in Afghanistan, officials say". CNN. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
^"US left Bagram Airbase at night with no notice, Afghan commander says". BBC. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
References
The Ancient Geography of India. I. The Buddhist Period, Including the Campaigns of Alexander, and the Travels of Hwen-Thsang. Alexander Cunningham. Trübner and Co., London. Complete and unabridged reprint (2006): Low Price Publications, Delhi.
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul (2008). Eds., Friedrik Hiebert and Pierre Cambon. National Geographic, Washington, D.C. ISBN978-1-4262-0374-9.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bagram.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bagram.
Map of Bagram and the surrounding area 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine, Afghanistan Information Management Service (AIMS)
Human Rights First;
Human Rights First;
December 31, 2022
bagram, this, article, about, city, military, base, airfield, village, iran, iran, ɑː, pashto, persian, بگرام, town, seat, district, parwan, province, afghanistan, about, kilometers, north, capital, kabul, site, ancient, city, located, junction, ghorband, panj. This article is about the city For the military base see Bagram Airfield For the village in Iran see Bagram Iran Bagram b e ɡ r ɑː m Pashto Persian بگرام is a town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan about 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul It is the site of an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband and Panjshir Valley near today s city of Charikar Afghanistan The location of this historical town made it a key passage from Ancient India along the Silk Road leading westwards through the mountains towards Bamiyan and north over the Kushan Pass to the Baghlan Valley 2 and past the Kushan archeological site at Surkh Kotal to the commercial centre of Balkh and the rest of northern Afghanistan Bagram was also a capital of Kushan empireBagram بگرامبګرامTownClockwise from top Bazaar and part of Bagram 2009 Bagram Valley A U S Army CH 47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter takes off on February 4 2012 from Bagram Airfield and Bagram Airfield in winterBagramLocation in AfghanistanShow map of AfghanistanBagramBagram South Asia Show map of South AsiaCoordinates 34 56 25 N 69 15 18 E 34 9403 N 69 2550 E 34 9403 69 2550 Coordinates 34 56 25 N 69 15 18 E 34 9403 N 69 2550 E 34 9403 69 2550Country AfghanistanProvinceParwanDistrictBagramElevation 1 4 882 ft 1 488 m Time zone 04 30 Contents 1 Climate 2 History 2 1 Ancient history 2 2 Islamic conquest 2 3 Recent history 3 See also 4 Footnotes 5 References 6 External linksClimate Edit Storm clouds part offering a rare glimpse through the crisp air at Bagram Air Field Afghanistan December 18 2008 The high altitude of the Hindu Kush mountain range creates a harsh climate ranging from more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to below freezing temperatures in the winter According to the Koppen climate classification system Bagram has a hot summer humid continental climate Dsa with brief but cold winters and long hot and dry summers Precipitation is most likely between the months of October and April Dust storms and sand storms occur frequently during certain times of the year 3 and the city is often blanketed by snow in winter months The annual mean temperature is 12 0 C 53 6 F Bagram blanketed in snow December 28 2012 Climate data for BagramMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearAverage high C F 3 5 38 3 4 1 39 4 11 1 52 0 18 2 64 8 24 6 76 3 29 6 85 3 32 6 90 7 31 8 89 2 27 6 81 7 21 0 69 8 12 9 55 2 7 2 45 0 18 7 65 6 Daily mean C F 2 5 27 5 1 3 29 7 4 8 40 6 11 3 52 3 17 4 63 3 22 3 72 1 25 5 77 9 24 7 76 5 20 7 69 3 14 4 57 9 6 3 43 3 0 8 33 4 12 0 53 7 Average low C F 8 5 16 7 6 7 19 9 1 5 29 3 4 4 39 9 10 1 50 2 15 0 59 0 18 3 64 9 17 6 63 7 13 7 56 7 7 7 45 9 0 4 31 3 5 6 21 9 5 3 41 6 Average precipitation mm inches 50 2 0 72 2 8 73 2 9 51 2 0 23 0 9 6 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 1 9 0 4 20 0 8 29 1 1 339 13 3 Source Climate Data org 4 History EditAncient history Edit Main articles Ancient Kapisa Alexandria on the Caucasus and Treasure of Begram The ancient city of Kapisi is identified with present day Bagram The figures of ancient Buddhist and Hindu sculptures show that the city was initially ruled by Indic people who have either migrated or intermingled with the Iranian populations who moved into the region like Kambojas from Bactria Bilingual edict Greek and Aramaic by Emperor Ashoka from Kandahar Afghan National Museum Click image for translation While the Diadochi were warring amongst themselves the Mauryan Empire was developing in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent The founder of the empire Chandragupta Maurya confronted a Macedonian invasion force led by Seleucus I in 305 BC and following a brief conflict an agreement was reached as Seleucus ceded Gandhara and Arachosia centered on ancient Kandahar and areas south of Bagram corresponding to the extreme south east of modern Afghanistan to the Mauryans During the 120 years of the Mauryans in southern Afghanistan Buddhism was introduced and eventually become a major religion alongside Zoroastrianism and local pagan beliefs Bagram became the capital of the Kushan Empire in the first century The Bagram treasure as it has been called is indicative of intense commercial exchanges between all the cultural centers of the classical time with the Kushan empire at the junction of the land and sea trade between the east and west However the works of art found in Bagram such as the Begram ivories are either quite purely Hellenistic Roman Chinese or Indian with only little indications of the cultural syncretism found in Greco Buddhist art Islamic conquest Edit The Islamic conquest of Afghanistan and the adjoining Pashtun region began in seventh century right after conquest of Persia However the complete Islamization of Afghanistan wasn t achieved until the Ghaznavid rule The modern day town is believed to be founded by Babur at the site of the ancient city 5 In Babur s memoirs the Baburnama the emphasis of his visit in 1519 is on the colony of Hindu ascetics at Gurh Kattri Kur Katri who fascinated him 6 Recent history Edit Bagram school children Bagram hosts the strategic Bagram Airfield from which most US air activity in Afghanistan took place The runway was built in 1976 and it was a Soviet air base from 1979 to 1989 There was also a Provincial Reconstruction Team when the US were present in Afghanistan and implemented their counter insurgency strategy 7 Bagram is also the location of the Parwan Detention Facility this detention facility was the last prison in Afghanistan under management of the US It was handed back to the Afghan government on 25 March 2013 8 The detention centre had earlier come into the attention of the news media as it was claimed that prisoners were tortured see the article Bagram torture and prisoner abuse At the time of the hand over of the facility human rights groups like Amnesty International have raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners there 8 On December 21 2015 Bagram was the site of a suicide bombing killing 6 people 9 On July 1 2021 US troops departed from the air base abandoning the outpost over to the Afghan government after 20 years According to the Afghan commander at the time the US evacuated the base during the night without any previous official notice to the Afghan army 10 See also EditBagram District Parwan ProvinceFootnotes Edit Climate Data org Elevation Bagram Retrieved 24 September 2022 Cunningham 1871 pp 16 27 Bagram Air Base in Parvan Province Afghanistan Retrieved 20 October 2022 Climate Bagram Climate Data org Retrieved 3 September 2022 Bhattacharya Avijeet 11 October 2017 Journeys on the Silk Road Through Ages Zorba p 192 ISBN 9789386407818 Retrieved 19 January 2018 Losty J P Roy Malini eds Mughal India Art Culture and Empire pp 42 43 2013 British Library ISBN 0712358706 9780712358705 Provincial Reconstruction Teams PRTs Institute for the Study of War Retrieved 2021 07 02 a b Aljazeera news US hands over Bagram prison to Afghanistan 25 March 2013 Popalzai Masoud Starr Barbara 6 U S troops killed in motorcycle bomb attack in Afghanistan officials say CNN Retrieved 21 December 2015 US left Bagram Airbase at night with no notice Afghan commander says BBC Retrieved 2022 06 16 References EditThe Ancient Geography of India I The Buddhist Period Including the Campaigns of Alexander and the Travels of Hwen Thsang Alexander Cunningham Trubner and Co London Complete and unabridged reprint 2006 Low Price Publications Delhi Afghanistan Hidden Treasures from the National Museum Kabul 2008 Eds Friedrik Hiebert and Pierre Cambon National Geographic Washington D C ISBN 978 1 4262 0374 9 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bagram Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Bagram Map of Bagram and the surrounding area Archived 2011 06 15 at the Wayback Machine Afghanistan Information Management Service AIMS Human Rights First Undue Process An Examination of Detention and Trials of Bagram Detainees in Afghanistan in April 2009 2009 Human Rights First Arbitrary Justice Trial of Guantanamo and Bagram Detainees in Afghanistan 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bagram amp oldid 1128954934, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
