AFGHANISTAN

HOW DID AFGHANISTAN’S HISTORY AFFECT ITS DEVELOPMENT?

AFGHANISTAN: HISTORY

• 3000 – 2000 BCE – urban civilization began• 550 – 331 bce – Persian empire• 330 – 327 bce – Alexander the Great• 320* -- Maurya empire• 250s bce – 200’s ce – Kushan empire• 200s – 630s ce – fragmentation / Persian • 637 – 900s – Islam (Muslims -- Abbasid)• 900s – 1220 – Islam (Muslims – Ghaznavid)• 1220 – 1504 – Mongols• 1504 – 1747 – Mughals• 1747 – 1978 – Pashtun rule (indigenous – Ahmad Shah)

How did global forces affect Afghanistan in the 1800s?

• The Great Game (1800s) >> competition b/t Russia and Britain for control of Central Asia – why?

• First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42)• Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878)• Third Anglo – Afghan War (1918)• RESULT: TREATY OF RAWALPINDI

(INDEPENDENCE)

AFGHANISTAN: THE 20TH CENTURY

The Cold War (1945 – 1992)• Border disputes with Pakistan

caused the Afghan gov’t. to shift towards the USSR (1948 – 63)

• Conflicts over the type of government – monarchy overthrown (1973 - 1978)

• Communist overthrow of Daoud (1978)

• Threat of overthrow of the Communists >> Soviet invasion

• 1979-89 guerilla war (mujahideen) against Soviets

Post- Soviet invasion• Civil War: 1992 – 1996• Taliban control: 1996 –

2001• Sept. 11, 2001 – attack on

WTC• Fall of 2001 – US attack on

Afghanistan (Taliban gov’t. collapsed, BUT…

• 2001 – present: US occupation

Summing Up…

WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN WE MAKE ABOUT AFGHANISTAN BASED ON ITS HISTORY?

HOW DOES THE HISTORY HELP TO EXPLAIN LIVING CONDITIONS IN AFGHANISTAN TODAY?