AfghanistanA Brief History

History• Has been invaded many

times:– Persians from (modern

day) Iran– 327 BC 150BC:

Alexander the Great– Kushans 0 AD 700

AD– ~ 700 AD: Muslims

(Sunni) take over– 1220: Genghis Khan– 1505: Mogul Dynasty– 1738: Persians – 1838-1842: The British

try to take over– 1878-1880: They try

again– 1979 - 1989: Russia

invades

Effect of Invasions• Diverse population of

29 million people– Dozens of ethnic

groups – Hundreds of tribes

• Many Afghans identify with their tribe first

• Then their ethnic group

– Few major cities• Most scattered though

out small villages/ hamlets

• Very difficult to bring together under one government

Recent History of Fundamentalist Islam in Afghanistan

• 1979 The Soviet Union Invades– 10 years of fighting

• A worldwide call goes out to declare Jihad (struggle)– Muslims across the world

rush to remove the invaders of a Muslim nation

– They form the Mujahideen

Mujahideen

• An army of Muslim fighters of Jihad defending Islam

• Made up of Muslims from around the world (including Osama Bin Laden)

• Assisted by the United State’s CIA to remove the Soviet Union ($, weapons, training)

1989: The Soviets Retreat

• The United States then removes aid• Leaves a gap for who is going to run the

country• The Mujahideen break up into groups

fighting for control• The Civil War rips apart the country even

more than the Soviet Invasion• 1996: The Taliban take control of

Afghanistan

The Taliban• Fundamentalist Islamic

group who believes that the religion of Islam should be the government

• Began during the Civil War as a group to fight road thieves.

• Brutal fighters• They bring order to

Afghanistan through strict religious rules– Most Afghans welcome

the end of the wars at first.

Taliban Law• Shiria (Islamic) Laws…No:

– Education or sports for women

– TV– Movies– Videos– Music– Dancing– Clapping during sports

events– Kite flying– Beard trimming