Gholam Serwar Nasher

Gholam Serwar Nasher (also known as 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 and one 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 of Khans.

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 the richest province of the pre-war country, Spinzar being Afghanistan's most profitable company.[4]

Nasher 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.

Death

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

Discovery of Ai-Khanoum

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 a major city of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and was extensively studied before the outbreak of the Soviet-Afghan War in 1979, during which it was comprehensively looted. Artefacts from the ruins have been exhibited worldwide.

References
  1. Reuter, Christoph: Power Plays in Afghanistan: Laying the Groundwork for Civil War, 49/2011 (5 December 2011) of DER SPIEGEL
  2. World Bank (1977). "Industrial Sector Review of Afghanistan" (PDF). Internal Document: 41.
  3. Fischer, Ludolph (11 November 2013). 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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