AfghanistanMiddle Eastern Studies

History

Afghanistan is the crossroads between Central, West and South Asia

1st area to domesticate animals 1st true urban centers in Asia were in

Afghanistan› Mundigak (near Khandahar) and Deh Morasi

Ghundai Wheat Barley Sheep Goats

Kabul was established between 2000-1500 bce

Zoroastrianism (monotheistic religion) was introduced about 628 bce

Persians conquered Afghans by 330 bce but tribes continued bloody revolts

By 326 bce, it had been conquered by Alexander the Great, but he couldn’t quell the bloody revolts either

After Alexander the Great…› Buddhism was

introduced during the Kushan dynasty

› Capital was Peshawar

› Soon became part of the Selucid Empire

120 bce – Kushan Empire› King Kanishka was

first to give Buddha a face

400 ce – the White Huns invaded and left Afghanistan in ruins

425 ce – the Yaftalee Dynasty took over

530 ce – Persians took over again

652 ce – Arabs introduced Islam 962 ce – Ghazavid Dynasty took over

› Mahmud – made Islam the main religion› Afghanistan was the center of Islamic

power and civilization at that time 1219-1221 ce – Mongol Invasion –

Genghis Khan 1273 ce – Marco Polo crossed

Afghanistan on his way to the far East 1504-1519 – Moghul Dynasty

› Babur Shah took control of Kabul› Used Kabul as his base for conquering India

1708 ce – Mirwais Nika made Khandahar independent of Persia. He’s considered the father of Afghan independence

1736 – Persia took over most of Afghanistan again

1747-1773 – Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of today’s Afghanistan took over. He was a military giant and a humanitarian. Beginning of the Durrani Empire

1793 – capital moved from Khandahar to Kabul

Fighting lasted until 1826 1826-1839 – Dost Mohammad Khan

took over› Britain and Russia fought for

control/influence in Central Asia› Britain wanted control over northern routes

to India Tried to oust Dost Caused 1st Afghan War

1842-1844 – Akbar Khan – hero – defeated the British. Very revered in Afghan history – portion of Kabul is named after him

1857 – Dost signed an alliance with the British

1859 – British take Baluchistan causing Afghanistan to be land-locked

1865 – Russia conquered Bukhara, Tashkent and Samerkand

1873 – Russian set fixed boundary with Afghanistan

1878 – British invaded again but Afghanistan held them off

1879 – Amir Muhammed yaqub Khan gave territories to Brits – never to bet them back› Kabul went under British occupation

1880-1901 Afghanistan supported the British against Russia

1893 – Durand Line fixed borders with Afghanistan and British India

1919 – Russia and Great Britain in Convention of St. Petersburg set territorial integrity of Afghanistan

Late 1920’s, early 1930’s there was a lot of in-fighting in Afghanistan

1933 – at 19 years old, Zahir Shah took over as ruler of Afghanistan until 1973› Declared Afghanistan neutral during WWII

1973 – his cousin, Daoud Khan overthrew Zahir Shah calls himself President – established Republic of Afghanistan

1978-29 – Bloody Coup – Daoud was killed› Guerilla movement Mujahideen was born

1979 – Russia invaded Afghanistan› Guerillas gave them fits!

1989 – Russia withdrew, defeated 1990s – Mujahideen fighting with

Afghanistan gov’t. Islamic state was declared

1994 – Taliban militia was born. Fought Islamic gov’t and reduced Kabul to rubble

Oct. 2001 – U.S. Invaded› Taliban› Osama Bin Laden

2005 Afghanistan gov’t is still getting better.