Kandahar Province - Name

Name

There is speculation about the origin of the name "Kandahar". It is believed that Kandahar bears Alexander's name, and derives from the Pashto rendering of Iskandariya or Alexandria. A temple to the deified Alexander as well as an inscription in Greek and Aramaic by the emperor Ashoka, who lived a few decades later, have been discovered in the old citadel. Alternatively, it is believed that "Kandahar" may derive its name from Gandhara, an ancient Indic kingdom along the modern Kashmir and Afghanistan border. It is suggested that at some point the people of Gandhara migrated south to Arachosia and transferred the name with them.