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Afghan Resource Center > History of Afghanistan
Its strategic position sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent along the ancient "Silk Route" means that Afghanistan has long been fought over - despite its rugged and forbidding terrain.
19th Century
It was at the centre of the so-called "Great Game" in the 19th century when Imperial Russia and the British Empire in India vied for influence.
Cold War
Afghanistan became a key Cold War battleground after thousands of Soviet troops intervened in 1979 to prop up a pro-communist regime, leading to a major confrontation that drew in the US and Afghanistan's neighbours.
Unfortunately, the outside world eventually lost interest after the withdrawal of Soviet forces, while the country's protracted civil war dragged on.
The Taliban
The emergence of the Taliban - originally a group of Islamic scholars - brought at least a measure of stability after nearly two decades of conflict. But their extreme version of Islam attracted widespread criticism.
The Taliban (drawn from the Pashtun majority) were opposed by an alliance of factions drawn mainly from Afghanistan's minority communities and based in the north.
In control of about 90% of Afghanistan until late 2001, the Taliban were recognised as the legitimate government by only three countries (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates).
They were at loggerheads with the international community over the presence on their soil of Osama bin Laden, accused by the US of masterminding the bombing of their embassies in Africa in 1998 and the attacks on the US on 11 September 2001.
After the Taliban's refusal to hand over bin Laden, the US initiated aerial attacks in October, paving the way for opposition groups to drive them from power.
Infighting between local commanders over power and territory became a feature of the post-Taliban period. The authorities in Kabul have been able to exert little control beyond the capital, and the resurgence of the Taliban as a fighting force has worsened the security situation in the east and southeast.
Information courtesy of BBC News.
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