I’ve always found certain historical happenings to be rather ironic, such as this one:
Shahr-e-Gholghola
The name of the ancient city of Shahr-e-Gholghola, which is located in the Bamiyan valley, translates to “city of screams.” The name is derived from the 1221 massacre in which Mongol hordes led by Genghis Khan leveled the city and massacred its 150,000 inhabitants.
The irony is that Bamiyan’s ruler, Jalaluddin Kwarazm Shah, had managed to repel Genghis Khan’s siege and was only defeated on account of something more mundane. His daughter betrayed the citadel’s entrance to the Mongols in a fit of rage over the fact that her long widowed father was remarrying a princess of Ghazni whom she did not approve of. In a sort of tragic irony, she expected to be rewarded by Genghis Khan for her help but was killed along with the rest of the city’s inhabitants.
Mongols destroyed the cities of the region (Afghanistan), but their next generation (Mughals) loved the same areas. Some regions have a power to conquer the conquerors. :)
BTW, What was the original name of the city before it was destroyed?
Mongols destroyed the cities of the region (Afghanistan), but their next generation (Mughals) loved the same areas. Some regions have a power to conquer the conquerors. :)
BTW, What was the original name of the city before it was destroyed?
I've never been able to find what the city was originally called. I've researched this before and it seems the original name has been lost to history.
Interestingly though, many of surrounding cities have interesting names:
– Bamiyan ("The Place of Shining Light")
– Shahr-e-Zahak ("City of the Lover of Snakes") – Named after the Zahhak-e-Maraan ("lover of snakes"), a legendary king in Persian literature known for his despotism and cruelty. In modern times, the city is also called "The Red City" in reference to the sun-dried red clay used in its construction.
– Qala-e-Chehel Dukhtaran ("Palace of Forty Maidens)
– Darra-e-Azhdahar ("Valley of the Dragon")
– Qala-e-Dokhtar ("The Daughter's Palace") – Believed to be named after the rather treasonous daughter of Jalaluddin Kwarazm Shah.
