Ahmed Shah's Treasure Cave
32.322500,65.117800
Description
Notes
NOTE 1: A hoard of gold coins consisting of 48 krur (480,000,00) mohurs of the Delhi minting of 1677 (SHAH, I 1986 book 2, chapter 10; edited 2003: 148, 158). NOTE 2: Indicated by Ray Mansfield. AHMED SHAH, Abdali Durrani, King of Afghanistan, 1747-1773, and founder of the Abdali (Durrani) tribe. Born 1722 in Herat. He was able to capture a caravan with booty from India and thus gained the means to win the support he needed to be elected King (Shah) of Afghanistan in October 1747 by an assembly of Pashtun chiefs. The Pashtun tribesmen rallied to his banner, and Ahmed Shah led them on nine campaignes into India in search of booty and territorial conquest (ADAMEC 1991: 24). NOTE 3: The hoard was hidden, according to a fictive clay tablet (SHAH 1986, 2.X edited 2003: 147) in 1171 Hijri (common era, corresponding to 1757 C.E.) and discovered in the early days of May (SHAH 1986 edited 2003, book 2, chapter 10) after the Soviet invasion (December 1979). NOTE 4: SHAH, Idries (1986a, 1986b edited 1987, 1991a, 1991b, 1993): Kara Kush: The gold of Ahmed Shah.- (London: Harper & Collins), book 2, chapter 10; SHAH, Idries (2002 edited 2003): Kara Kush: A novel of Afghanistan.- (Woodstock & New York: Overlook Press), book 2, chapter 10, pages 142-146, 156. NOTE 5: Kajakai Dam N32°19'21”: E65°07'04” (WGS84): 1093 feet (333.15 m) accessed 28.05.2004.
General description
Fabulous man-made rock chambers, in which the hidden treasure (note 1) of Ahmad Shah (note 2) was found (note 3), is placed in a novel by the Afghan writer Idries Shah (note 4) near the construction site of the Kajakai Reservoir dam (note 5) on the Helmand (Hilmand) river in »Kandahar Province« (sic! now, 2004 common era: Hilmand Province). CAVE DESCRIPTION [extracts only]: »The fissure led to a passage, then a cave. […] This was a honeycomb, a catacomb, in fact, part of the very ancient underground dwelling places, cities almost, which were found all over Afghanistan… It was a mess of passages, linked caves, leading to caverns. […] The master tunnel… was large, dry as a bone and free of fungus. Why had the tunnel be cut at all? Looking at the plan, Akbar projected the line of the passage at its present angle, to the surface. It should emerge there… […] Just behind the prayer niche facing Mecca… a dark hole with steps came into view… At the bottom of the steps, a tunnel ran into another passage at right angles to it. Then it opened out into a vast passageway, with man-made caves to left and right. […] There are 48 caves… smaller passages, and air vents… […] Akbar had installed electric light, and had even found a tunnel which passed close to his office. Samir had made a secret passage to it, so that it could be reached without going outside and making the long climb up to the hill to the old mosque and then down the steps to the treasure cave.«
Documents
Bibliography 07/05/2016- Shah, Idries 1986 edited 1987, 1991a, 1991b, 1993, 2002, 2003.
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22.6 | ZAMIN DAWAR karez / kariz | ||
| 88.0 | KAFIR QAL'EH, Tirine / Vahnaï (Grottes de) | ||
| 91.0 | MUMMIYA GHAR, Or Dobolagh | ||
| 162.3 | De Jyalizi Mene Cave | ||
| 166.3 | Borankhel Mene Cave | ||
| 168.8 | MOHAMMAD SAFIG MENA (Cave of) | ||
| 170.4 | Soltan Menah (Cave of) | ||
| 170.9 | MARGHUNDAY (Cave on the) | ||
| 186.9 | Ghorat (Cave at) |