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The location of Afghanistan astride the land routes between the Indian
subcontinent, Iran, and central Asia has enticed conquerors throughout
history. The following is an historical look at conflict in Afghanistan.
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330-325 BC: Alexander the Great invades
Alexander the Great entered the territory of present-day
Afghanistan, then part of the Persian Empire, to capture Bactria
(present-day Balkh). One of Alexander's generals established a Greek-Macedonian
kingdom about 300 B.C. which existed for over three centuries. Invasions
by the Scythians, White Huns, and Turks followed in succeeding centuries.
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7th Century AD: Muslim conquests
Islam brought to Afghanistan by Arab invaders beginning in the 7th
century AD. Several short-lived Muslim dynasties were founded, the
most powerful of them having its capital at Ghazna. Mahmud of Ghazna,
who conquered the lands from Khorasan in Iran to the Punjab in India
early in the 11th cent., was the greatest of Afghanistan's rulers.
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1219:
Mongol Invasion
Led by Genghis Khan, the Mongols pillaged the lands of
Afghanistan. Many cities, including Herat, Ghazni, and Balkh, were
destroyed and fertile agricultural areas were ruined. Following Genghis
Khan's death in 1227, a succession of petty chieftains and princes
struggled for supremacy until late in the 14th century, when one of
his descendants, Tamerlane, incorporated Afghanistan into his own
vast Asian empire. Babur used Kabul as the base for his conquest of
India and the establishment of the Mughal empire in the 16th century.
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1747: Ahmad Shah Durrani
unites the modern kingdom of Afghanistan
Many Afghans still call themselves Durrani after the empire
that united modern-day Afghanistan. During his rule, which lasted
until 1818, Ahmad Shah consolidated power that had been divided amongst
many princes and chieftains. During that period, Afghanistan's territory
ranged from Mashhad in the west to Kashmir and Delhi in the east to
the Arabian Sea in the south.
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1839: Britain invades
Hoping for easier access to India, Britain attempted to
replace Afghan leader Dost Muhammad and replace him with a subordinate
emir. The Afghans fought back, leading to the first of three Anglo-Afghan
wars. Dost Muhammad was restored to the throne, although he signed
an agreement with Britain. Subsequent leader Sher Ali made concesssions
to Russia, touching off another war with Britain. British influence
in the region eneded in 1919, with the treaty that ended the third
war.
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1933: Mohammed Zahir
Shah begins 40-year reign
Afghanistan stays neutral in World War I and joins the
United Nations. Feud with Pakistan ensues in 1950's over the territory
of Pathans when British India is divided. Afghanistan remains neutral
in Cold War affairs until coups in the 1970s led to a Marxist-leaning
group taking power. Many now say Mohammed Zahir Shah may be re-installed
as leader of Afghanistan if the Taliban is toppled.
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1979: Russian occupation
In September, Russian troops moved into Afghanistan and installed
Babrak Karmal as its President. About a million Afghans lost their
lives as the Red Army tried to impose control for its puppet Afghan
government. Millions more fled abroad as refugees. Groups of Afghan
Islamic fighters - or mujahideen - fought endlessly to try to force
a Soviet retreat, with much covert support from the United States.
In 1989, the Soviet Union withdrew.
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1996: Taliban takes
over
In the wake of the Soviet withdrawal, Afghanistan was thrown
into disarray. In 1994, fundamentalist guerrilla fighters from Pashtun
began to gain control of parts of the country. In 1996, the guerrillas
took over Kabul and declared themselves the leaders of Afghanistan.
The Taliban, as the new government called itself, now controls 90%
of the country. It imposed a strict brand of Islam on the country
and has come under international pressure for its human rights abuses,
its treatment of women and its decision to destroy historical artifacts.
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2001: Current Tussle with United States
With the support of United States-led airstrikes, the Northern Alliance
has advanced on Taliban strongholds, taking over the capital, Kabul,
earlier today (November 12, 2001). The Taliban is in retreat, but
the outcome of the conflict and the future of Afghanistan remains
to be seen.
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