or KANDAHAR, an extensive province of Afghanistan, situated between the 31st and 34th degrees of north latitude, and between the 64th and 68th degrees of east longitude. To the north it is bounded by the country of Balk, to the south by Beloochistan, and on the east it has Sinde and Beloochistan; and on the west a sandy desert of various breadth divides it from the province of Seistan, in Persia. Part of this province consists of mountains, and part of arid and uncultivated plains, crossed by ranges of hills running westward from the Paropamisan Mountains. But though the general appearance of the country be waste and barren, most parts of it supply water and forage to the pastoral hordes by whom it is frequented; and it is not destitute of many well-watered and pleasant valleys, and some fertile plains, surrounded by mountains. The western part of this tract is by no means so mountainous as the northern; and in former times it was a fertile and well-inhabited region, as appears from many magnificent ruins that are scattered over it. From Candahara a tract of very considerable extent stretches westward for upwards of two hundred miles. Its general breadth is a hundred miles. This tract is very imperfectly defined, the hills on the north sometimes running into the plain, and the southern parts of the inhabited country not being easily distinguished from the desert on which they border. The aspect of this country approaches to that of a desert. Scarce a tree is to be found in the whole region; the plains are covered merely with low bushes. Through this arid region many various streams diffuse occasional fertility. The banks of the Furrah, the Khaush, and other streams, are well cultivated, and produce wheat, barley, pulse, and abundance of excellent melons. Even at a distance from the streams some patches of cultivation are to be found, which are artificially watered. There are villages among the cultivated lands; but the mass of the inhabitants are scattered over the face of the country in tents. The banks of the Helmund must, however, be excepted from the general unproductive character of the country, along which a fertile strip extends about two miles in breadth, beyond which the sandy desert begins, and stretches out for many days journey. To the northward of this desert tract is a hilly region, dependent on the Paropamisan range, which includes fertile plains, that are well watered, and produce abundance of wheat, barley, and rice, together with madder and artificial grasses. On these plains grow the tamarisk and the mulberry, and a few willows and poplars; and the orchards contain all the fruit trees of Europe. The country around the city of Candahar is level, of tolerable fertility, irriga- Candahar, fed both by water courses from the rivers and springs, and most industriously cultivated. It abounds in grain, good vegetables, excellent fruit; in madder, assaftedia, lucern, clover, and tobacco, which is in great repute.

The wild animals of this country are leopards, bears, wolves, hyenas, jackals, foxes, deer, hares, boars, and the wild ass. The tame animals are camels, horses, cattle, mules, asses, sheep, goats, dogs, &c. They have also a few buffaloes. The country produces no metals, nor has it any peculiar manufactures. But as the road between India and Persia passes through it, it has a considerable transit trade. Besides the Dooraneees, one of the chief tribes of the Afghan country, there are in Candahar Hindus, Persians, Belooches, and Taujiks. The Taujiks generally inhabit towns, and follow different trades. The bankers and shop-keepers are all Hindus.

the capital of the above province, and a large and populous city. Its form is that of an oblong square; and as it was built at once on a fixed plan, it has the advantage of great regularity. All the four great streets or bazars in the city meet in a central point, where there is a circular space of about forty or fifty yards in diameter, covered with a dome. This place is called the Chaursoo. It is surrounded with shops, and may be considered as the public market-place, where proclamations are made, and where the bodies of criminals are exposed to the view of the populace. The four streets are each about fifty yards broad. The sides consist of shops of the same size and plan, all one story in height, with the lofty houses of the town overlooking them from behind; and in front runs an uniform veranda, along the whole length of the street. There are gates at the entrance of the streets, with the exception of the northern one, where stands the king's palace facing the Chaursoo. All the other streets run from these four; and though they are narrow, they are all straight, and almost all cross each other at right angles. This city, however, though it is more regular in its plan than most of the cities of Asia, has but a mean appearance, being built for the most part of brick, often with no other cement than mud. It is divided into various quarters, which are attached to the respective tribes and nations which form the inhabitants of the city. Almost all the great nobles of the Dooranee tribe have houses in Candahar, and some of them are said to be large and elegant. Among the common people the Hindus have the best houses, which they are in the practice of building very high. There are many caravanserais and mosques; but of the latter, one only near the palace is said to be handsome. The palace is not remarkable; but it contains several courts, many buildings, and a private garden. Near the palace stands the tomb of Ahmed Shah, which is not a large building, but has a handsome cupola, and is elegantly painted, gilt, and otherwise ornamented within. It is held in high veneration, and is a sure asylum, from which the king does not even venture to drag his enemies. It is also common for any of the great lords who are discontented with the world, to retire to this tomb, and to spend the remainder of their lives in prayer.

The city is well watered by two large canals from the river Urghundanab, which are crossed in different places by small bridges. From these canals small water-courses run to almost every street in the town, which are in some parts open, and in others are under ground. Candahar is a place of great trade and resort; its streets are crowded from noon till evening; all sorts of trades are carried on in it; and all articles of manufacture from the west are in much greater plenty and perfection than at Peshawer. The Turcoman merchants from Bucharia and Samarcan frequent the markets of Candahar, whence they transport into their own country a considerable quantity of indigo and other commodities. Candahar so far differs from the other cities in Afghanistan, that the greater part of the inhabitants are Afghans, and of these the greater number of the Dooranee tribe. But the rude institutions and manners of the Afghans are here superseded by regular government and an efficient police. (See Afghanistan.) The other inhabitants are the same as those in the province, being an assemblage from the different nations of the East. Candahar is surrounded with gardens and orchards, and many places of worship, which are more frequently scenes of pleasure than of devotion. About two miles to the north of the city stands the fortress of Candahar, on the top of a precipitous rock, which, before the introduction of cannon, was considered impregnable. This fortress was in very early times the residence of a Hindu prince. In the beginning of the eleventh century it was in possession of the Afghan tribes, from whom it was taken by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghizne. It was afterwards captured by the troops of Ghenghis Khan in the beginning of the thirteenth century, and by those of Timour in the fourteenth. In 1507 it was taken by the Emperor Baber, but was soon afterwards recovered by the Afghans. In 1521 Baber again got possession of it, after a long siege. Homayon, the son of Baber, when he was expelled from the throne of Hindustan, agreed to make over the fort and district of Candahar to the Persian monarch, in return for the aid which he gave him. But repenting of his promise, he again got possession of the fortress, which by its strength defied all the efforts of the Persians to reduce it, and it remained an appendage of Hindustan until the year 1625, when it was taken by Shah Abbas the Great, and being surrendered by treachery, was recovered in 1649, and was successfully defended against Aurungzebe with an army of 50,000 men. Three years after, he was again compelled to retreat from it with disgrace. It remained in possession of Persia till 1709, when it was taken by an Afghan tribe. It was retaken by Nadir Shah, after a siege of two years; and on his assassination, it was taken in 1747 by Ahmed, the chief of the Abdallies, who thereby laid the foundation of the Afghan power. We have no information as to the population. Elphinstone, to whom we are indebted for the preceding account, says, "I am utterly at a loss to fix the extent of Candahar, or the number of inhabitants which it contains." The travelling distance from Delhi by Cabul is 1071 miles; from Calcutta, 2047 miles. (Foster's Journey from Bengal to England; Rennell's Memoir of a Map of Hindustan; Elphinstone's Account of the Kingdom of Cabul.)