Jaghori District

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The Central bazaar of Jaghori. Photo by Hadi Zaheer.

Jaghori (also spelt Jaghuri or Jaghoori) is a major business center and one of the main districts of Ghazni province in Afghanistan. It is situated in the highlands of the central Hazarajat region. The population was estimated at 192,216 in 2002, making it one of the most populous districts in Afghanistan.

Jaghori is home to the Hazaras; an ethnic group that constitutes 19%-25% of Afghanistan's population. They speak Hazaragi, a rural accent of Dari. The literacy rate, estimated at 30% for men and 10% for women, is among the highest in the country, and there is a noteworthy library of around 5000 books in the capital, Sange-e-Masha.

Sange-e-Masha is a small bazaar of mud and dust. The rest of the district comprises villages of different sizes all dependent on agriculture as the main source of income and food.

Jaghori's economy is overwhelmingly agriculture-based. Wheat is the main crop while nuts, apples, and grapes are also grown in significant amount. Cattles include cows, sheep, and goats. Transportation is a combination of vehicles and animals. The well-off use modern transportation.

In contrast to the rest of the country Jaghori has witnessed little destruction, although local militia and forces loyal to the warlords have destroyed the little infrastructure that existed.

Jaghori has in recent years produced the largest number of students to qualify for a place in Kabul and other universities in Afghanistan, which some estimate to be in thousands. The new trend towards learning and education has come as a reaction against what people went through during the decades of factional, tribal, ethnic and religious conflicts.

Currently there are a number of High Schools, and hundreds of smaller primary and middle schools in the district but there are few signs of other infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water or gas.

Important bazaars are Sange-e-Masha, Angory and Ghujoor.