Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pashtunjuah province in Pakistan, and was the administrative center of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, although it was not the capital of said territory. It was founded by Kaniska, King of the Kushan Empire, in the 2nd century AD. C. (shortly before the year 144) and is one of the oldest cities in South Asia.
Etymology
The name Péshawar derives from the Sanskrit Puruṣapura (city of men, or city of God). In the Pashto language it is called Pekhawar or Peshawar (depending on the dialect), and in the native Hinduko language it is called Pishor.
History
Areas that originally belonged to the eastern tribes of the Scythians later became part of the Persian Empire. They were also briefly under Greek influence and then conquered by the Arabs who brought Islam. It was one of the centers of the Durrani Empire. Today it is one of Pakistan's major cities west of the Indus River.
Once there was a large settlement called Purushapura, founded by Kanishka, the king of Kushans, in the area of present-day Peshawar. Purushpura grew as the largest center of Buddhist learning until the 10th century and was the capital of the Greco-Indian kingdom of Gandhara. During that time, the Kanishka stupa on the outskirts of Peshawar was the tallest building in the world, reaching nearly 200 meters.
The present city was founded during the Mughal period, in the 16th century by Akbar, during which it received the name Peshawar. For much of its history, the city was one of the main centers of the ancient Silk Road and an important crossroads between various cultures from South, Central Asia and the Middle East.
In 1947, Peshawar was integrated into the newly formed state of Pakistan and emerged as a cultural center in the northwest of the country. The partition of India caused the emigration of Hindus and Sikhists who held key positions in Peshawar's economy. The University of Peshawar was established in the city in 1950, enriched by the annexation of British-era institutes. Until the mid '50s, Peshawar maintained its ancient city structure within walls, with sixteen gates. In the '60s, it served as a base for CIA espionage operations against the Soviet Union, with the U-2 spy plane incident shot down by the Soviets in 1960. In both that decade and the next, Peshawar was a important stop on the famous hippie route.
During the Soviet-Afghan war, Peshawar served as a political center for the CIA and for the training of mujahideen intelligence services. It was also the main destination for Afghan refugees. By 1980, 100,000 refugees per month were entering the province, with 25% of all of them living in the Peshawar district in 1981. The arrival of the refugees drastically altered the city's infrastructure and demographics.
Like much of northwest Pakistan, Peshawar was repeatedly hit by the violence of Taliban attacks. Different sanctuaries were attacked by the Islamists. In 2013 the All Saints Church was destroyed by a suicide attack. The most relevant case was the 2014 school massacre in which Taliban militants murdered 132 children.
Although Peshawar suffered 111 acts of terrorism in 2010, this number dropped to 18 by 2014, only to drop further thanks to the Zarb-e-Azb operation
Demographics
It is one of the largest and most important cities in the country and the most populated in the province. The main language spoken in Peshawar is Pashto, while some speak Hinduko. Urdu is understood throughout the city.
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pob. | ±% |
| 1881 | 79 982 | - |
| 1891 | 84 191 | +5.3% |
| 1901 | 95 147 | +13.0% |
| 1911 | 97 935 | +2.9% |
| 1921 | 104 452 | +6.7% |
| 1931 | 121 866 | +16.7% |
| 1941 | 130 967 | +7.5% |
| 1951 | 151 776 | +15.9% |
| 1961 | 218 000 | +43.6% |
| 1972 | 273 000 | +25.2% |
| 1981 | 555 000 | +103.3% |
| 1998 | 982 816 | +77.1% |
| 2017 | 1 970 042 | +100.4% |
| Source:DISTRICT WISE CENSUS RESULTS CENSUS 2017, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2017, p. 13, filed from the original on August 29, 2017, consulted on 29 March 2018. backwards/ref.Census of India (1921) | ||
The population of Peshawar district in 1998 was 2,026,851. The annual growth is estimated at 3.29%, being in 2016 the population estimated at 3,405,414. Peshawar is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan and the largest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The most widely spoken native languages in Peshawar are Pashto and Hindi, although English is used in educational institutions and Urdu is understood in the city. The Peshawar district is mostly Pasto-speaking, while the Hindu-speaking minority is concentrated in the old city. This group has increasingly assimilated elements of Pashto and Urdu into their language.
Peshawar is largely Muslim, with 98.5% of the population being 98.5% according to the 1998 census. Christians are the second largest religion with approximately 20,000 believers, while 7,000 members of the Ahmadiyya community live in Peshawar. There are few Hindus and Sikhs since the partition of British India in 1947.
General information
Located at the gates of the Khyber Pass, near the Afghan border, it is the economic, commercial, political and cultural capital of the Pashtuns in Pakistan. During the War in Afghanistan (1978-1992) it became the "Casablanca" West Asia, full of spies, workers, health workers and refugees.
Its population in 2017 was 1,970,042 inhabitants. Located next to the Khyber pass, this city is a connection between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and hosts many refugees and immigrants from the latter country. Peshawar's top attractions include the Mahabat Khan Mosque, Qissa Kahwani Bazaar and its central museum.