Afghanistan
By: Ahmad Sear Rahimi
-Afghanistan is located in heart
of Asia
-It is a landlocked country.
-Afghanistan is mostly plains in
north and southwest.
-Overall it has rugged
mountains.
-for example: Hindu
Kush
- Southern border with Pakistan
has large areas of sandy desert.
Hindu Kush Mountains
Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
Kabul – Capital City
Northwestern Afghanistan
Major Religion of the Country
•
99% of the country is consists of Muslims.
•
Has both Sunnis and Shiites
• 80% Sunnis and 9% are Shittes
•
Sikhs and Hindus are the other 1%.
• have been brought by British during Anglo-Afghan War.
•
Multi-religion before Islam such as:
• Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Jews, and Hindus.
• Its history starts at 50,000 BCE.
• The written history is traced since Achaemenid Empire.
• Composed of small tribes that united to fight:
• Alexander the Great in 327 BC.
• 642 AD, the Islamic Empire controlled western
Afghanistan.
• From here on, most became Muslims.
Afghanistan’s Ethnic Diversity
Ancient History (700 BC-565 CE)
•
Afghanistan becomes the center of Islamic civilization.
•
962 Ghaznavid Dynasty was formed.
•
1219-1221
• Genghis Khan invaded the country.
•
Bahbul, an Afghan invaded part of India
•
1504, Moghul dynasty takes control of Kabul
•
1722, Mir Mahmood invades Persia and occupies Isfahan.
• 1725, after the murder of Mir Mahmood,
• Afghans lose control of Persia
• 1747-1773:
• Duranni controls Persia back and enlarges Afghanistan.
• Empire extended from central Asia to Delhi and
Arabian sea.
• Became the greatest Muslim empire
• 1774, capital transferred from Kandahar to Kabul
• 1809-1818, indecisive victory against Persians
• 1834, Afghanistan lose Peshawar, city of
Pakistan to Sikhs
• Later crushed the Sikhs but failed to retake
it.
• Due to disunity and bad judgement.
• First Anglo-Afghan War against Britain
• Afghans were victorious against British.
• 1859, British took Baluchistan and
Afghanistan became landlocked.
• 1878, second Anglo-Afghan War, Afghanistan
lost much of its land.
 1921, third Anglo-Afghan War
 British got fully defeated.
• 1940, Afghanistan remained neutral in WW2.
• 1965, communism was introduced by one of the
Afghans.
• Taliban group formed by part of Pashtuns.
• Supported mainly by Pakistan.
• October 2001, US invaded and took control
of major cities.
• New government was formed called Islamic
Republic.
 3 branch system: executive, judicial,
legislative
 President: Hamid Karzai elected 2004
 Target of assassinatio attempt in September
2002
 Karzai’s motto is to “bring peace to
Afghanistan”
WORK CITED
•
“Afghan Web.” Afghanistan Online. November 30, 2011. <http://www.afghan-web.com/>