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Pre-Islam Afghanistan. Area that is present day Afghanistan ruled by various empires, including Alexander the Great's Empire, the Seleucid dynasty, the Kushans, Sassanians, etc.
Islam arrives in 651 AD. By 9th-Century, most inhabitants of present day Afghanistan are converted into Sunni Muslims.
Ahmad Shah. Former general of Iranian army, becomes first Pashtun king of Afghanistan in 1747 and starts the Durrani dynasty which lasts until 1978. Known as Ahmad Shah Baba by Afghans. Captured Ghazni, Kabul, Herat, parts of Iran, and parts of India. Ahamd Shah brought various tribes -Tajiks, Hazaras, Turkmen- under his control. Died in 1772.
Successors to Ahmad Shah rule ineptly, undone by rivalry between siblings and infighting. Much of the territory gained by Ahmad Shah is lost. Dost Mohammad Khan. Charismatic leader takes control in 1826. Defeated Sikhs in Peshawar.
The Great Game. Great Britain and Russia push for control of Afghan region. Great Britain wants puppet government in Kabul. Russia wants access to waters of Indian subcontinent.
First Anglo-Afghan War (1838-1842). British claim they need an ally north of India to secure its welfare. They invade and set up Shah Shuja's puppet regime. Dost Mohammad Khan flees to India. But British soon under attack by disaffected Afghan tribes. British withdraw and Shah Shuja is assassinated in 1842. Dost Mohammad Khan returns to throne 1843, dies in 1857. Son, Sher Ali, takes over.
Second Anglo-Afghan War. Relations between Sher Ali and British deteriorate. After Sher Ali sends back a British diplomatic mission, war is triggered. Sher Ali dies and son, Yaqub Khan, signs treaty of Gandamak, relinquishing control of Afghan foreign matters to the British. Once again, there is Afghan uprising. British garrison in Kabul is destroyed. British withdraw.
Abdur-Rahman Khan. (1880-1901) The Iron Emir. Created modem state of Afghanistan. Consolidated country by quelling rebellion and punishing rebels. Created a system of provincial governors who had a great deal of power in local matters and had army at their disposal for tax collection and suppression of dissent. Brought foreign scientists to Afghanistan.
Under his rule, under pressure by the British in 1893, the Durrand Line is drawn to define the the limits of British and Afghan control in the Pashtun territories. The line becomes a source of debate and struggle between Afghanistan and British India, and later, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Habibullah Khan. Son of Abdur-Rahman Khan. Reigns from 1901-1919. Border with Iran defined. Afghanistan neutral during WWI. Assassinated 1919.
Amanullah Khan. (1919-1929) Third Anglo-Afghan War. Amanullah Khan tries to institute drastic political, social, and economic reforms. Signed Treaty of Friendship with Soviets in 1921. Discouraged women from veiling, encouraged western dress, impose secular education. Established National Bank, introduced the Afghani as the modem currency. Radical reforms led to tribal revolt. Overthrown in 1929.
Nadir Shah. (1929-1933) Reunited fragmented Afghanistan. Improved army, road construction. Assassinated in 1933.
Zahir Shah. (1933-1973) Influenced heavily by his uncles and other members of royal family during first 30 years of his reign. Relations improve with the Soviets who build air bases and send military consultants to Kabul. King's cousin, Daoud Khan, is named prime minister 1953-1963. He sought to improve ties with both USSR and U.S. Pashtunistan issue at forefront during Daoud's leadership, at odds with Pakistan. Led to severing economic ties with Pakistan in 1961. Afghan economy deteriorates. Daoud removed as prime minister in 1963.
Zahir Shah more active during last 10 years of his reign. Institutes the 1964 New Constitution, which gives more individual rights, prohibits members of royal family from holding political office, allows the term "Afghan" to apply to all citizens and not just Pashtuns, independent judiciary set up. Elections held in 1965. Various factions represented in parliament. Afghan communist party PDPA (People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan) is established: Has two arms: Khalq (led by Taraki) and Parcham (led by Babrak Karmal.)
Political instability follows. Parliament deadlocked. Political polarization. Daoud Khan overthrows king in bloodless coup in 1973.
Daoud Khan. (1973-1978) Tries to modernize Afghanistan. Pursues Pashtunistan issue. Although helped to power by socialists, he alienates them by purging Kabul of leftist factions. Maintains relations with soviets who continue to support him publicly, but who have grown nervous with his dismissal of leftists. Daoud Khan tried to reduce over-reliance on Soviet aid for his ambitious economic reforms by turning to west. Assassinated in April 1978 in Communist coup.
Communist rule. (1078-1979) PDPA (the Khalq arm) in control. Internal bickering with other arm of PDPA, Parcham. Taraki believes in classic Leninist government. His views seen as too radical by Soviets. Taraki assassinated. Hafizullah Amin takes control. He too is killed when Soviets invade and install Babrak Karmal as president.
Soviet war. (1979-1989) WorId denounces invasion. America boycotts Moscow olympics. War of attrition against the Mujahedeen. A million Afghans killed. Millions of refugees flee to Pakistan and Iran. Millions of landmines planted. Rural areas destroyed. Agriculture decimated. Karmal replaced by Najibullah -a former head of Afghan secret police- in 1986. Fails to gain popular support. Fighting peaks in 19851986 but Soviets weakened by Mujahedeen's guerilla-style warfare. Gorbachev withdraws troups, completing withdrawal in 1989. Continue to support Najibullah. Peace does not come. Soviet Union falls apart as Cold War comes to an end. Kabul government is undone by internal factions and loss of morale. Kabul falls to Mujahedeen in 1992.
1992-1996, the Mujahedeen era. Ahmad Shah Massoud and Rabbani's troops take over Kabul. Rabbani named president of Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is named. However, fierce fighting between rival factions of Mujahedeen continues. Many parts of Kabul destroyed during this infighting. Massoud and his supporters unable to bring peace to Kabul. In 1994, fundamentalist Taliban movement emerges as force. They take over Kabul in 1996.
Taliban Era. Led by enigmatic Mullah Omar, they bring relative peace to country, though fighting continues in north against the forces of Massoud and the so-called Northern Alliance. Taliban supported by Pakistan. Impose harsh interpretation ofIslam on Afghans. Ban women from public life. Prohibit art, most forms of entertainment. Destroy giant Buddha statues in March 2001.
WTC attacks on 9/11/02. Presence of Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan comes to forefront. Afghanistan seen as breeding ground for terrorist groups. America launches attack against Afghanistan in Oct. 2001. By December 2001, most major cities, including Kabul, are captured by Northern Alliance.
Post-Taliban Era. Representatives of various Afghan groups meet in Bonn in December 2001. Agree on interim government led by Hamid Karzai. Zahir Shah returns to Afghanistan after 29 years in exile in Italy. Loya Jirga, or Grand Council, held in June 2002. Hamid Karzai reappointed as president. International community vows economic help to rebuild Afghanistan. Local skirmishes go on and search for Taliban forces, Mullah Omar, and Osama Bin Laden continues.
Afghanistan approves new constitution in January 2004. Elections held in Summer 2004.
Ethnicities
Pashtuns. Dominant ethnicity. 40% of the people are Pashtuns. Mediterranean vari, of greater Caucasian race, speak both Pashtu and Dan (very close to the Iranian Farsi. Mostly Sunni Muslims. The Pashtun Durrani Dynasty provided leadership for Afghanistan from 1747 to 1978. Live by moral and legal code called Pashtunwali, m: up of values pertaining to honor, solidarity, hospitality. They identify themselves by the subgroups of their particular clan.
Tajiks. 2nd largest ethnicity. About 4.5 million people. Speak mostly Dari (very cle to Farsi.) Live in northern areas of the country. Unlike Pashtuns, they are not organii by tribes, and refer to themselves by the name of the area where they live. Kabul was Tajik town until 1776 when it was declared by Timur Shah to be the Pashtun capital.
They are the only non-Pashtun people to be well-represented in government and busir They have never dominated politically.
Uzbeks. Often mingled with Tajiks. Sunni Muslims. Speak Uzbeki, a Turkish diale, Mostly perform agriculture.
Hazaras. Live in rugged central mountainous areas of the country. Mongoloid featUJ Origins debated, most believe they are descendants of Mogul conquerors in 13th Cent Mostly Shia Muslims. Often persecuted by Pashtun government in Kabul. Mostly worked as low-grade civil servants.
Other ethnicities include Baluch, Nuristani, Turkmen.
