Gholam Serwar Nasher

Gholam Serwar Nasher (also: Ghulam Sarwar Nashir) (1922–1984) was the last ruling Ghaznavid Nasher Khan of the Kharoti (Ghilzai)and President of Spinzar Cotton Company in Kunduz, one of the largest companies in pre-war Afghanistan.

Life

Nashir was born in Quarabagh, Afghanistan to Mohammad Alam Khan Nasher, brother to Sher Khan Nasher, to an ethnic Pashtun Ghilzai family.

Nashir developed Spinzar Cotton Company, employing over 20,000 people and maintaining construction companies, a porcelain factory and hotels in Kunduz and throughout Afghanistan.[1] He opened factories in the north, providing free housing for the employees, hospital, the only girls school in the city, sport clubs and hotels all over Northern Afghanistan. Nashir founded the Nashir Library and Museum. During his khanat, Kunduz become one of the richest provinces of the pre-war country. The Oxford-professor Peter Levi referred to his rule as "enlightened despotism".

He was imprisoned by the communist government of President Daoud in 1973 for six years because he was a staunch supporter of Zahir Shah. He died in German exile in 1984 at the age of 62, due to a heart disease developed in prison. He was survived by two wives and nine children.

Discovery of Alexandria on the Oxus

On a hunting trip, Nasher discovered ancient artefacts and invited Princeton-archaeologist Daniel Schlumberger with his team to examine Ai-Khanoum.[2] It was soon found to be the historical Alexandria on the Oxus, also possibly later named اروکرتیه or Eucratidia), one of the primary cities of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Nashir was awarded "The Order of the Sacred Treasure" by the Emperor of Japan, in 1971.

References

  1. ↑ Reuter, Christoph: Power Plays in Afghanistan: Laying the Groundwork for Civil War, 49/2011 (Dec. 5, 2011) of DER SPIEGEL http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/power-plays-in-afghanistan-laying-the-groundwork-for-civil-war-a-801820-2.html
  2. ↑ Bernard, Paul: Aï Khanoum en Afghanistan hier (1964-1978) et aujourd'hui (2001), p. 971 www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/crai_0065-0536_2001_num_145_2_16315?_Prescripts_Search_tabs1=standard&

Further reading