A Brief History of Afghanistan

by Shaista Wahab and Barry Youngerman

• ISBN13: 9780816082193
• ISBN10: 0816082197
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-09-01
• Publisher: Facts on File

Summary

For centuries Afghanistan was able to maintain its unofficial policy of political isolation, aided by its sparse population and remote geography. Slowly, however, worldwide economic and cultural changes could no longer be shut out. At the end of the 20th century, after a protracted civil war, the capital and most of the nation's provinces were under the control of the rigidly fundamentalist Taliban. A Brief History of Afghanistan, Second Edition examines how this once isolated country became entangled in a lengthy and controversial global conflict. It provides extensive background information to enable readers to understand the current situation in Afghanistan and make informed judgments with regard to it.

Author Biography

Shaista Wahab is head of the Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection of the University Library at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, which holds the largest collection of Afghan materials in the United States. Professor Wahab has led the Afghan Oral History Project at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and has taught oral history to Afghan women journalists who created the documentary film Afghanistan Unveiled in Kabul. She has lectured widely on Afghan history and culture. Barry Youngerman has been a nonfiction writer, editor, and translator for more than 25 years.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. vi
List of Maps	p. vii
List of Charts	p. vii
Introduction: No Longer Remote	p. viii
Land and People	p. 1
Early History (Prehistory-651)	p. 32
From the Rise of Islam to the Afghan State (651-1747)	p. 52
The Birth of Modern Afghanistan (1747-1901)	p. 73
Twentieth-Century Monarchy (1901-1973)	p. 101
A Coup and a Revolution (1973-1978)	p. 133
Soviet Afghanistan (1979-1989)	p. 153
Afghanistan in Rebellion (1978-1992)	p. 175
Mujahideen Rule (1992-1996)	p. 201
The Taliban Era (1996-2001)	p. 219
A New Chance (2001-2010)	p. 236
Renewed Crisis (2001-2010)	p. 272
Appendixes
Basic Facts	p. 293
Chronology	p. 298
Bibliography	p. 305
Suggested Reading	p. 312
Index	p. 332
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

An up-to-date look at the political isolation, war, and anarchy that distinguish Afghanistan's history.
Praise for the previous hardcover edition:...very thorough...This work is a good choice for those wanting to familiarize themselves with the roots of the current conflict, and a handy reference for basic information on Afghanistan. Recommended.—Choice
Recommended...—Library Journal
Afghanistan has long been considered a remote and uninviting country to all but its closest neighbors. This lightly populated agricultural and pastoral nation has guarded its independence in the age of European imperialism thanks in large part to its limited perceived value. Political isolation—reinforced by a conservative tribal culture—kept most of the cultural and economic changes of the modern world at bay. Slowly, however, modern ways and values began to penetrate into the capital city of Kabul.
A Brief History of Afghanistan examines this country's isolation and how it found itself involved in 30 years of war and anarchy. This resource provides extensive background information so readers can understand the issues and make informed judgments of their own. Offering a clear, concise account of this country's historical and cultural heritage, from 3000 BCE to the present, this insightful book explores the culture and politics of the Pashtun tribes whose homeland extends across much of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, as well as the Taliban insurgency and the relationship between local leaders and the central government in Kabul.
Coverage includes:
The rise of Islam to the establishment of the Afghan state
The birth of modern Afghanistan
The 20th-century monarchy
Two revolutions
Soviet Afghanistan
Afghanistan in rebellion
Mujahideen rule
The Taliban era
Afghanistan under Karzai
The Taliban resurgence.