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| Daykundi Province | |
|---|---|
| Name | Daykundi Province |
| Native name | ولایت دایکندی |
| Settlement type | Province |
| Subdivision type | Country |
| Subdivision name | Afghanistan |
| Established title | Established |
| Established date | 2004 |
| Seat type | Capital |
| Seat | Nili |
| Leader title | Governor |
| Area total km2 | 18350 |
| Population total | 520000 |
| Population as of | 2021 |
| Population density km2 | auto |
| Timezone1 | AFT |
| Utc offset1 | +4:30 |
| Iso code | AF-DAY |
Daykundi Province is a central highland province of Afghanistan created in 2004 from the northern districts of Uruzgan Province. The province is predominantly inhabited by the Hazara people, and its capital is Nili. The region sits within the Hindu Kush mountains and has been shaped by historical processes involving Ghilji Pashtuns, Khanates of the 19th century, and modern political reorganizations by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and subsequent administrations.
The name of the province derives from Persian and local Turkic-influenced toponyms used across central Hazarajat and Ghor Province borderlands; historical variants appear in archival records of the Durrani Empire and travelogues by Henry Rawlinson and Abdullah Khan-era chroniclers. Regional oral histories link the name to settlement patterns recorded during the reigns of the Hotak dynasty and the administrative reforms of the Emirate of Afghanistan.
The area now comprising the province formed part of larger polities such as the Timurid Empire and later the Durrani Empire. During the 19th century, the highlands experienced incursions and shifting control involving Barakzai dynasty interests and neighboring Kandahar Province authorities. In the 20th century, land tenure changes under rulers including Amanullah Khan and Mohammed Daoud Khan affected local chieftains and the Hazara communities. The Soviet–Afghan War impacted adjacent districts through mobilization tied to figures linked with the Mujahideen, and the post-2001 era saw new administrative arrangements culminating in the 2004 formation of the province by decree from the then Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan leadership and ministers influenced by members of the Northern Alliance and Hamid Karzai administration.
The province lies within the central Hindu Kush ranges, bordering Ghazni Province, Uruzgan Province, Ghor Province, and Bamyan Province. Elevations range from high plateaus to peaks exceeding 3,000 meters, feeding tributaries of the Helmand River basin and local streams noted in topographical surveys by explorers such as Aurel Stein. The climate is continental montane, with cold winters influenced by Siberian anticyclones and short summers consistent with patterns observed in Bamyan and Baghlan highlands. Snowmelt supports alpine pastures historically used in transhumance linked to seasonal movements documented alongside Hazara pastoralists and traders connecting to Kabul and Herat markets.
The province is predominantly populated by the Hazara people with minority communities including Tajik people and migrant Pashtun groups. Languages spoken include Dari Persian and local dialects tied to Hazaragi speech. Population distribution is rural, with settlements such as Nili, Sangtakht, and smaller villages documented in NGO surveys by organizations like United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and World Food Programme. Social indicators reflect patterns reported in assessments by UNICEF and World Bank country briefs, including health and literacy gaps relative to national averages.
Local livelihoods center on subsistence agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry, with crops and orchards similar to those in Bamyan Province and Ghor Province. Infrastructure constraints affect connectivity: road links to Kabul and Lashkar Gah are seasonal and associated with projects funded by donors such as Asian Development Bank and bilateral programs from Japan and Germany. Energy access relies on small hydropower and diesel generators; water management and irrigation systems reflect designs promoted by Food and Agriculture Organization and USAID interventions. Markets and remittances connect migrants to labor destinations in Iran and Pakistan, a dynamic noted by labor studies from International Labour Organization.
The province is administered through provincial offices located in Nili, with district governance structures analogous to those elsewhere in Afghanistan and influenced by national policies enacted by ministries including the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. Local power structures combine formal appointees and traditional elders and shuras comparable to practices in neighboring Bamyan Province. Security arrangements have involved personnel affiliated with national security forces and, intermittently, factions linked historically to leaders active during the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996) and the US-led intervention in Afghanistan.
Cultural life reflects Hazara traditions, with religious practices primarily Twelver Shia Islam and communal observances shared with Shia centers such as Qom and Najaf through pilgrimage networks. Folk arts, music, and handicrafts align with artistic forms present in Bamyan and central highlands, while oral poetry connects to broader Persianate literary traditions including references found in works by Rumi and regional scribes. Civil society activity has included NGOs like Afghan Red Crescent Society and education initiatives supported by UNICEF and private foundations promoting schools and vocational training similar to programs in Kabul and Herat.