Ismail Khan

Mohammad Ismail Khan (Persian: محمد اسماعیل خان) (born 1946) is a warlord and politician in Afghanistan, serving as Minister of Water and Energy since 2005. He was previously the Governor of Herat Province. He is widely known as a warlord because of his rise to power during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. He controlled a large sized mujahideen force, mainly his fellow Tajiks from western Afghanistan. He is a key member of the political party Jamiat-e Islami and was a member of the now defunct United National Front party.

Early years and rise to power

Khan was born in or about 1946 in the Shindand District of Herat Province in Afghanistan. His family are Tajiks from the Chahar-Mahal neighbourhood of Shindand.

In early 1979 Ismail Khan was a Captain in the Afghan National Army based in the western city of Herat. In early March of that year, there was a protest in front of the Communist governor's palace against the arrests and assassinations being carried out in the countryside. The governor's troops opened fire on the demonstrators, who proceeded to storm the palace and hunt down Soviet advisers. The Herat garrison mutinied and joined the revolt, with Ismail Khan and other officers distributing all available weapons to the insurgents. Hundreds of civil workers and people not dressed in traditional Muslim clothes were murdered. A garrison of Soviet advisors was overtaken and all of its inhabitants: Soviet advisors along with their wives and children were massacred. The mob put severed heads of the victims on sticks and paraded them through the city of Herat. The government led by Nur Mohammed Taraki responded, pulverizing the city using Soviet supplied bombers and killing an estimated 24,000 citizens in less than a week. This event marked the opening salvo of the rebellion which led to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979. Ismail Khan escaped to the countryside where he began to assemble a local mujahideen rebel army.

Ismail Khan (Moghul khan)

Ismail Khan was Khan of Yarkand and Kashgar between 1666 and 1669. He was replaced by Ilbars Khan from 1669-1670. His khanship was restored from 1670-1680.

War with Dzungars

In 1680 Galdan Boshugtu Khan led 120,000 Dzungar cavalry into the Tarim Basin through Aksu and Turpan towards Kashgar and Yarkand with the help of Afaq Khoja of the White Mountain Khojas and his followers. The army made good progress in their advance. The Chagatai ruler Ismail Khan's son Babak Sultan led his troops and offered fierce resistance only to perish in battle. Having occupied Kashgar, the Dzungar army immediately advanced upon Yarkand. The general Yiwazibo (Iwaz Beg), sent to oppose their advance was killed, and the Dzungar occupied Yarkand and took Ismail Khan and his family as prisoners to Ili.

See also

References

Dera Ismail Khan District

Dera Ismail Khan (Pashto/Urdu: ضلع دېره اسماعیل خان‎, ; often abbreviated as D.I. Khan) is one of the 26 districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The capital of the district is the town of Dera Ismail Khan. The district has an area of 7,326 km² (2,829 sq mi) and a population of 852,995 as of the 1998 Census.

Location

The district of Dera Ismail Khan is bounded on the east by the Bhakkar and Dera Ghazi Khan districts of Punjab, to the southwest by South Waziristan district, and to the northwest by Tank and Lakki Marwat districts.

History

The founder of Dera Isamil Khan was Sardar Ismail Khan Baloch son of Sardar Sohrab Khan Baloch.Who named it as Dera Ismail Khan after saving this land of Seraiki from pawanda(pashtun) attacks.

Dera Ismail Khan

Dera Ismail Khan (Urdu : ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان, Saraiki: ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان, Pashto: ډېره اسماعيل خان‎), often abbreviated to D.I. Khan, is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, 200 miles (320 km) west of Lahore and 120 miles (190 km) northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. Dera Ismail Khan often abbreviated to D.I.Khan, is a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The total population of the city is 86,969 according to census 1998. D.I.Khan is famous for its lacquered woodwork, glass and ivory ware, mats and sarongs. Newer industries within the city include sugar, soap, textile and oil milling. CRBC Canal is the major canal that provides water for irrigation. One of the most famous product of the district is the "Dhakki Date", which is exported to the Middle East, United States, and Europe. The district also produces wheat, sugar cane, rice and famous variety of mango called the langra.

Dera

Dera or Dehra (Urdu: ڈیرہ ‎) is a Saraiki-language word meaning camp or settlement. In Punjabi, it is usually used as a place where men meet and socialize in the village.

Towns in Pakistan with Dera in their names.

Towns in India with Dera in their names.

Places in Iran named Dera or Dehra.

Religious sects:

DERA

Dera (Urdu: ڈیرہ ) is a Saraiki-language word meaning camp or settlement.

Dera, Dehra or DERA may also refer to:

Places

Other uses