Gholam Serwar Nasher

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

Life

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

Nashir led the Spinzar Cotton Company in Kunduz, exporting cotton overseas, producing cotton seed oil, soap and porcelain. He built hotels under the Spinzar brand in Kunduz, Kabul and other northern cities, employing over 20,000 people including woman working in the porcelain factory.[1] He opened factories in the north, providing free housing for the employees, hospital, the only girls school in the city of Kunduz, sport clubs, and hotels.[2][3] Nashir founded the Nashir Library and Museum. During his khanat, Kunduz become one of the richest provinces of the pre-war country, Spinzar being Afghanistan's most profitable company.[4]

Nasher was the de-facto ruler of Kundus; the Oxford-professor Peter Levi referred to his rule as "enlightened despotism".

Nashir was awarded "The Order of the Golden House" by King Zahir Shah and "The Order of the Sacred Treasure" by the Emperor of Japan, in 1971.

Being a friend of king Zahir Shah and because of a personal feud with Daoud Khan he was imprisoned by the new government in 1973 for six years. As prime minister in 1953, Daoud had demanded a 51% equite for the government. After his coup in 1973, Daoud completely nationalized Spinzar.

He died in exile in Germany in 1984 at the age of 62. He was survived by two wives and nine children.

Discovery of Alexandria on the Oxus

On a hunting trip, Nashir discovered ancient artefacts of Ai Khanom and invited Princeton-archaeologist Daniel Schlumberger with his team to examine Ai-Khanoum.[5] 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. Some of those artefects were displayed in Europe and USA museums in 2004.

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. World Bank (1977). "Industrial Sector Review of Afghanistan" (PDF). Internal Document: 41.
  3. Fischer, Ludolph (2013-11-11). Afghanistan: Eine geographisch-medizinische Landeskunde / A Geomedical Monograph (in German). Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-642-85510-8.
  4. Barfield, Thomas J. (1981). The Central Asian Arabs of Afghanistan: Pastoral Nomadism in Transition. Thomas Barfield. ISBN 978-0-292-71066-5.
  5. 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
  • Dupree, Louis: Afghanistan
  • Emadi, Hafizullah: Dynamics of Political Development in Afghanistan. The British, Russian, and American Invasions
  • Meher, Jagmohan: Afghanistan: Dynamics of Survival
  • Runion, Meredith L.: The History of Afghanistan
  • Tanwir, Halim M.: AFGHANISTAN: History, Diplomacy and Journalism
  • An Introduction to the Commercial Law of Afghanistan, Second Edition, Afghanistan Legal Education Project (ALEP) at Stanford Law School
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