Zabul carries the name of Zabulistan, a historic land of the south-eastern Afghan highlands. Today it is a province of hills, flat valleys and mountain ridges between Kandahar and Ghazni, crossed by the Tarnak and Arghandab rivers and by the main highway that links Kandahar with Kabul. Its capital, Qalat, gathers beneath a hilltop fortress that local people regard as the landmark of the province.
Valleys, rivers and karez
About two-fifths of Zabul is mountainous or semi-mountainous, and more than a quarter is flat land. The Tarnak flows down from Moqor through Shahjoy and past Qalat towards Shahr-e Safa before joining the Arghandab in Kandahar, while the Arghandab itself crosses the western districts through Daychopan. Many smaller streams are seasonal, running in winter and spring after rain and snow.
Traditional canals draw water from the rivers, and the Loy Canal at Shahjoy is one of the biggest, but most irrigated land has been watered by karez, underground channels that tap groundwater. The natural vegetation is dry scrubland with wild pistachio, while the high mountains of the north hold alpine meadows with willows.
Zabulistan and the fortress of Qalat
In early Islamic times Zabulistan was ruled by local kings known as the Zunbils, who resisted the Arab armies advancing from Sistan; an expedition sent against them in 698 was driven back by fierce resistance, lack of supplies and the cold. In Persian legend the region is also remembered as the birthplace of the hero Rostam. Zabul became a separate province, carved out of Kandahar, in 1963.
Qalat, long known as Qalat-e Ghilzai, stands on the road between Kandahar and Ghazni. Its fortress crowns a high mound that may hide much older foundations, and it may have been an important stronghold in several periods. Two springs near the top never run dry; the green area around them, with a shrine and the tomb of Hajji Baqa, is a favourite place for picnics.
People, orchards and herds
Zabul’s people are overwhelmingly Pashtun, notably Tokhi and Hotak Ghilzais, along with Nurzai and other Durrani groups, and Pashto is the language of daily life. Kuchi herders spend the seasons in southern districts such as Shamulzai, Daychopan and Shahjoy.
Wheat is the main crop, with maize, barley, some cumin, and melons and watermelons in summer. Orchards grow almonds, grapes for kishmish raisins and apricots dried as kishta; Zabul was once famous for its almonds and dried apricots. Herding families make ghee, qurut and wool, and the province’s produce goes to market in Kandahar, Ghazni and Kabul.