Lal Wa Sarjangal
| La‘l wa Sar Jangal | |
|---|---|
| District | |
 La‘l wa Sar Jangal
|
|
| Coordinates: 34°36′10″N 66°16′36″E / 34.60278°N 66.27667°E | |
| Country |
 Afghanistan
|
| Province | Ghor Province |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Total | 250,000- |
La‘l wa Sar Jangal (Lal Wa Sarjangal, لعل و سر جنگل) is a district in the north-east of Ghor Province, Afghanistan. The district center is the town of La‘l. The population of 250,000 is exclusively Hazara. However other sources suggest the population exceeds 250,000 individuals.
The early history of the district is clouded in myths and folklore including stories of how the Hazaras of southern Hazarastan took control of this Aimaq-inhabited province. However, the regions now known as Lal, Sar Jangal and Kirman have been documented in historic books. Ghobar states Lal & Kirman as the grazing land for the horses of Mongol army under the great conqueror Genghis Khan.
Traditionally, in the feudal Hazara society prior to the 1880-1890 massacre of the hazaras, Lal and Sar Jangal was part of the Greater Daizangi region ruled in parts by feudal chiefs known as Mirs and Baigs. The country's grazing land had historically proven to be useful for maintaining large armies by the Mirs. Prominent Mirs of the old days include Nauroz Baig and Yusuf Baig who hold considerable respect in the local folklore.
During the period that followed the genocide by Abdul Rahman and the failure of state following assassination of Nadir Khan, the hazara elite came to an uneasy settlement with the Kabul government. District governors almost always Pashtun were appointed by the central government who governed the area with the help of government-appointed arbabs like in most parts of the country. Over this period, the district oversaw the rise of many feudal chiefs turned politicians. This period was a harsh time for the hazaras, but the people of Lal with hard work and dedication survived through this phase and by the 1970s, the district had a reputation in the hazara community for large number of intellectuals, university graduates and prominent personalities.
Towering figures of this period included Member of Parliament Khadim Hussain Baig, Haji Sarwar and Haji Sayed Akbar. Similarly, local politicians of prominence well-respected by the people included names such as Kalbi Reza Baig, Sayed Nasir La'li, Mir Mohammad Amir Baig, Arbab Nadir Shah and other local leaders. The La'l elite proved to be well-respected because of their piety and understanding of the people's needs.
Lal Sar Jangal was a vibrantly changing and progressive society right before the revolution that struck in 1978. The district's educated elite however were generally massacred by the communist regime of Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafeezullah Amin, mostly under the allegation of being Maoists. Prominent student leaders from the district included Aziz Tughian and Mohammad Ranjbar.
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Wikipedia