Kayan, Baghlan

For other uses, see Kayan (disambiguation).

Kayan
Town
Kayan Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 35°38′4″N68°25′42″E / 35.63444°N 68.42833°E / 35.63444; 68.42833
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Baghlan Province
District	Dushi District
Population
• Ethnicities	Sayyids Hazara
• Religions	Ismaili Shia Islam Twelver Shia Islam
Time zone	UTC+4:30 (AFT)

Kayan is a town in Dushi District of Baghlan Province in northeastern Afghanistan. ^[1] It is located in the Kayan Valley, approximately 30 kilometers west of Dushi. The population consists primarily of Sayyids and Hazaras who follow Ismaili Shia Islam. ^[2]

Kayan has historically been a center for Afghanistan's Ismaili community and serves as the seat of the Sayed of Kayan, a hereditary religious and political leadership position. ^[3]

History

Soviet–Afghan War period

During the Soviet–Afghan War and subsequent conflicts, Kayan became a significant military base for Ismaili forces. Sayed Mansur Naderi, who held the traditional position of Sayed of Kayan, established a militia force with government support to protect supply routes through Baghlan Province. ^[4]

His son, Sayed Jafar Naderi, commanded the 80th Infantry Division, which by 1989 consisted of approximately 12,000–18,000 troops based in the Kayan Valley. ^{[5] [6]} The force operated semi-independently, maintaining local security while nominally aligned with the Afghan government.

Taliban period

In August 1998, Taliban forces captured Kayan. In September 1998, they destroyed a large eagle statue that had been erected on a hill overlooking the valley in 1996. According to reports in Pakistan's Frontier Post, the Taliban viewed the statue as contradicting Islamic prohibitions against depictions of living beings. ^[7]

Documentary

Kayan was the subject of the 1989 documentary Warlord of Kayan , directed by Jeff B. Harmon. The film documented the valley's role as a military and political center during the Soviet–Afghan War and won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. ^[8]

Social programs

Drug treatment center

In the early 1990s, a drug addiction treatment center was established in Kayan by Sayed Mansur Naderi. According to journalists who visited in 1992, most patients came from districts in Badakhshan Province. ^[9] Mobile medical teams were reportedly sent to remote districts including Ishkashim, Shighnan, Zebak, and Darwaz District to provide treatment services. ^[10]

Notable visitors

King Zahir Shah

According to Sayed Ibrahim Bamyani's book Kayanian and Ismailis of Afghanistan, King Mohammad Zahir Shah visited Kayan Valley in 1964, hosted by Sayed Nadir Shah Kayani (Sayed Kayan).^{[ citation needed ]} Historical accounts indicate that Sayed Nadir Shah Kayani maintained close relations with the Afghan royal family during Zahir Shah's reign. ^[11]

Following the visit, the Afghan government increased scrutiny of the Ismaili leadership in Baghlan Province. Between 1967 and 1969, several members of the Naderi family, including Sayed Mansur Naderi, Rawnaq Naderi, Sayed Gohar Naderi, and Sayed Abdul Qadir Naderi, were imprisoned on charges that were later dismissed by the courts during the tenure of Prime Minister Noor Ahmad Etemadi.^{[ citation needed ] [12]}

Amitabh Bachchan

In 1991, Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan visited Kayan while filming portions of the Bollywood film Khuda Gawah in northern Afghanistan. He met with local leaders including Sayed Mansur Naderi and Sayed Jafar Naderi. ^[13]

Hamid Karzai

In early August 2009, during the 2009 Afghan presidential election campaign, President Hamid Karzai held a major campaign rally in Kayan Valley. Thousands of Afghan Ismailis gathered in the valley for a two-day event. ^[14] Karzai arrived by helicopter and was hosted by Sayed Mansur Naderi, who had endorsed his re-election campaign. ^[15]

Most attendees walked for up to a day to reach the valley, with some traveling nine hours on dirt roads from Kabul. ^[16] The rally took place shortly before the August 20, 2009 presidential election.

See also

• Baghlan Province
• Sadat Mansoor Naderi
• Sayed Jafar Naderi
• Warlord of Kayan
• Dushi District

References

1. "NGA GeoName Database". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
2. "Ismaili Shia Muslims" . Retrieved January 7, 2026.
3. Vogelsang, Willem (2002). The Afghans . Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. p.  324. ISBN   0-631-19841-5.
4. Emadi, Hafizullah (2005). Culture and Customs of Afghanistan. USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 110.
5. Giustozzi, Antonio (2000). War, Politics, and Society in Afghanistan. p. 220.
6. "Where Warlords Still Reign: Father And Son Keep Peace In Afghan Province". Chicago Tribune. June 25, 1989. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
7. "Taliban dynamited Eagle statue in Baghlan". RAWA and Frontier Post. September 6, 1998. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
8. "Warlord of Kayan". Journeyman Pictures. October 19, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
9. "Opium Trade". Compass Photos. June 6, 1992. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
10. "Sayed Mansoor Naderi". Hujat YouTube Channel. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
11. "The Ismailis of Afghanistan: The Sayeds of Kayan". Ismaili.NET. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
12. "Majesty and Might: The Story of King Zahir Shah in Kayan Valley". Kayan Valley. March 23, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
13. "Amitabh Bachan in Kayan Valley (1991)". Kayan Valley YouTube Channel. April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
14. "Afghan President Karzai Rallies Support". NPR. August 6, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
15. "A Rally For Karzai In The Kayan Valley". NPR. August 6, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
16. "Afghan President Karzai Rallies Support". NPR. August 6, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

External links

• Satellite map at Maplandia.com