Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Select all Deselect all Add selection to lightbox
Large Small
Thumbnails per page
William Brydon CB (10 October 1811 – 20 March 1873) was an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842), famous for reportedly being the only member of an army of 4,500 men to reach safety in Jalalabad at the end of the long retreat from Kabul.<br/><br/> The British Army began its retreat from Kabul in January 1842, following the killing of the two British representatives there. The nearest British garrison was in Jalalabad, 90 miles (140 km) away, and the army would need to go through mountain passes with the January snow hindering them.<br/><br/> Under the command of Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, 4,500 British and Indian soldiers plus 12,000 civilian camp followers including wives and children set out for Jalalabad on 6 January 1842, on the understanding that they had been offered safe passage. Afghan tribesmen intercepted them and proceeded to massacre them during the next seven days.
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Sarbani Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali, they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747.<br/><br/> The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16% of the population of Afghanistan or 5 million individuals. Durrani are found throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan, although large concentrations are found in the South, they are also found to less extent in East, West and Central Afghanistan. Many Durranis are found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and in a lesser number in India, many of whom adopted Urdu as their language.<br/><br/> The Durrani Pashtuns of the Afghan capital Kabul are usually bilingual in Pashto and Dari Persian. The ruling Sadozai and Barakzai dynasties of Afghanistan were originally from the Durrani.
Mullah Mohammed Omar (born c. 1959), often simply called Mullah Omar, is the spiritual leader of the Taliban movement that operates in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title of Head of the Supreme Council. He held the title Commander of the Faithful of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which was officially recognized by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He lost an eye during the war against Soviet occupation.<br/><br/> There are at most one or two indistinct photographs of Mullah Omar, who follows a strict Salafist interpretation of the Islamic prohibition on making images of living things, including via photography. In a more mundane sense, this has served him well as a guerrilla commander by protecting his anonymity.<br/><br/> It was reported on 29 July 2015, that Mullah Omar had died in 2013. These reports were confirmed by the National Directorate of Security and the Taliban the following day.
The Yūsufzai, also called Yousafzai, Esapzai or Yūsufī, is one of the tribes of the great Sarban Confederation of the Pashtun people. They are found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan, and in some eastern parts of Afghanistan.<br/><br/> In addition, some Yusufzai trace their lineages from 18th century India, most notably in the Rohilkhand region as well as the Tonk area, many of whom form a part of the larger Rohilla community.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of the British Raj by the East India Company.
The Pashtun people are an ethnic group with populations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, mainly in and around the tribal areas between the two countries. The Pashtun people are generally classified as Eastern Iranian who use Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali, which is a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct.<br/><br/> Their origin is unclear but historians have come across references to various ancient peoples called Pakthas (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BCE, who may be the early ancestors of the Pashtun people. Often characterised as a warrior and martial race, their history is mostly spread amongst various countries of South and Central Asia, centred on their traditional seat of power in medieval Afghanistan.
Bala Murghab, also called Morghab, is a village in Badghis Province in north-western Afghanistan. It is the district center for the Murghab District.<br/><br/> Colonel Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich, KCMG, KCIE, CB (1843–1929) was an English geographer and president of the Royal Geographical Society. He is best known as Superintendent of Frontier Surveys in British India and author of numerous books, including The Gates of India, The Countries of the King's Award and Political Frontiers and Boundary Making.
The lady in the lithograph, Shakar Lab or 'Sugar Lips', was the favourite wife of a Governor of Bamiyan and niece by marriage to Dost Mohammed.<br/><br/> As a great favour, Rattray was introduced to her at Kabul. Describing her as a 'Qizilbash Belle of the First Water', Rattray wrote: 'Afghaun ladies exercise more control over their husbands than is usual in Eastern countries'.
Ghorband District is a district of Parwan Province, Afghanistan. Ghorband is located in the southern foothills of Hindu Kush and forms the western boundary of the ancient valley of Koh Daman.<br/><br/> It is located 50 km from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The capital lies at Syahgerd, also known as Seya Gerd. It is the largest district of the province, covering an area of 899 square kilometres with a population of 74,123 as of 2003. The Ghorband River flows through the district.
Kandahar (Ancient Greek, Alexandria Arachosia) is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 468,200 as of 2006. It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m (3,297 feet) above sea level. The Arghandab River runs along the west of the city.<br/><br/> Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. The region produces fine fruits, especially pomegranates and grapes, and the city has plants for canning, drying, and packing fruit.<br/><br/> Many empires have long fought over the city, due to its strategic location along the trade routes of Southern and Central Asia. In 1709, Mirwais Hotak made the region an independent kingdom and turned Kandahar into the capital of the Hotaki dynasty. In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Afghan Empire, made it the capital of modern Afghanistan.<br/><br/> From 1996 to 2001, Kandahar served as the capital of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2002, the city is slowly being rebuilt.
The Afridi is a Karlani Pashtun tribe present in Pakistan, with substantial numbers in Afghanistan. The Afridis are most dominant in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, inhabiting about 1,000 square miles (3,000 km²) of rough hilly area in the eastern Spin Ghar range west of Peshawar, covering most of Khyber Agency, FR Peshawar and FR Kohat.<br/><br/> The Afridis are historically known for the strategic location they inhabit, and for belligerence against outside forces; battling the Mughal dynasty's armies throughout Mughal rule. Their later clashes against British expeditions comprised the most savage fighting of the Anglo-Afghan Wars. After independence, Afridi tribesmen also helped attack Jammu and Kashmir for Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947. Today, Afridis make use of their dominant social position in FATA and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by controlling transport and various businesses, including trade in arms, munitions, and other goods.
Durrani or Abdali is the name of an important Sarbani Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali, they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747.<br/><br/> The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16% of the population of Afghanistan or 5 million individuals. Durrani are found throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan, although large concentrations are found in the South, they are also found to less extent in East, West and Central Afghanistan. Many Durranis are found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and in a lesser number in India, many of whom adopted Urdu as their language.<br/><br/> The Durrani Pashtuns of the Afghan capital Kabul are usually bilingual in Pashto and Dari Persian. The ruling Sadozai and Barakzai dynasties of Afghanistan were originally from the Durrani.
Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is the largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and according to the 1998 census was the ninth-largest city of Pakistan. Peshawar is a metropolitan city and the administrative centre and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.<br/><br/> Peshawar is situated in a large valley near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, close to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar is irrigated by various canals of the Kabul River and by its right tributary, the Bara River.<br/><br/> Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BCE, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in South Asia.
Hazara are a Persian-speaking people who mainly live in central Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are overwhelmingly Twelver Shia Muslims and make up the third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, forming about 20% of the total population.
When the British captured Ghazni in July 1839, one of the most important consequences was the capture of its governor, Ghulam Haider Khan, the fourth son of Dost Mohammed. Fearing for his life, Ghulam tried to escape from the city, but was intercepted and eventually received and pardoned by the incumbent Emir, Shah Shuja.<br/><br/> When Dost Mohammed regained his position in Afghanistan, Ghulam became prime minister of Kabul, succeeding his brother Akbar. In so doing, Ghulam became Dost Mohammed's most likely successor and thus upset his two older brothers who felt they had been sidelined. According to Rattray, he was a large, good-looking and very stout young man who resembled his father. This portrait is a copy of a picture owned by Dowager Lady Keane, rather than a study from life.
Top to bottom, left to right: Dost Mohammed, Haider Khan, Mohammed Akram Khan and Abdul Ghani Khan, all held captive by the British at Ludhiana, 1840s
The Uzbeks are the largest Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan but are also found as a minority group in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Russia and China.<br/><br/> Uzbek diaspora communities also exist in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan.
Ghazni is a city in Afghanistan with a population of over 150,000 people. It is located in the central-east part of the country. Situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet (2,219 m) above sea level, the city serves as the capital of Ghazni Province.<br/><br/> As with other cities in Afghanistan, Ghazni is very old and has witnessed many military invasions. During the pre-Islamic period, the area was inhabited by various tribes who practiced different religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The city was destroyed by one of the Ghurid rulers but later rebuilt. It fell to a number of regional powers, including the Timurids and the Delhi Sultanate, until it became part of the Hotaki dynasty followed by the Durrani Empire or modern Afghanistan.
Shah Shujah-ul-Mulk (1785-1842) was the Amir of Afghanistan from 1802 until 1809 when he was driven out by his rival Mahmud Shah. During the First Afghan War (1838-42), the Governor-General of India Lord Auckland, attempted to restore Shah Shujah against the wishes of the Afghan people.<br/><br/> In summer of 1839 the British-Indian Army of the Indus, under the command of Sir John Keane, captured Kandahar and the fortress of Ghazni. They then advanced north towards Kabul. Amir Dost Mohammed fled from the capital and Shah Shujah was duly installed in his place in August 1839.<br/><br/> After his British backers were forced to retreat from Kabul in January 1842, Shah Shujah fled to the Bala Hissar fortress. In April he left this refuge and was killed by the supporters of Dost Mohammad's son, Muhammad Akbar Khan. Dost Mohammed was quietly restored to the throne.
The Jezail (sometimes Jezzail from the Pashto language) was a simple, cost-efficient and often handmade muzzle-loading long arm commonly used in British India, Central Asia and parts of the Middle East in the past.
Dost Mohammad Khan (December 23, 1793 - June 9, 1863) was the Emir of Afghanistan between 1826 and 1863. He first ruled from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1843 to 1863. He was the eleventh son of Sardar Pāyendah Khan (chief of the Barakzai tribe) who was killed by Zaman Shah Durrani in 1799.<br/><br/>He was the grandson of Hajji Jamal Khan who founded the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan. Dost Mahommed belonged to the Pashtun ethnic group.
Herāt (Pashto / Persian: هرات‎) is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. The city is linked with Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif via highway 1 or the ring road that stretches around the country. It is also linked to the city of Mashad in Iran through the border town of Islam Qala.<br/><br/> Situated in a fertile area, Herāt dates back to the Avestan times and was traditionally known for its wine. The city has a number of historic sites, including the Herat Citadel and the Mosallah Complex. During the Middle Ages Herāt became one of the important cities of Khorasan, as it was known as the Pearl of Khorasan. In 1717, the city was captured by the Pashtuns and remained under Pashtun control until the Hotaki dynasty was defeated by the Afsharids in 1736.<br/><br/> After Nadir Shah's death, Herat became part of the Durrani Empire in 1747. It saw some actions during the 19th century Anglo-Afghan wars. Much of the city has been spared from destructions that occurred in other cities of Afghanistan during the post-1979 Russian and American wars.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan.<br/><br/> The war ended in a manner after attaining all the British geopolitical objectives. Most of the British and Indian soldiers withdrew from Afghanistan. The Afghans were permitted to maintain internal sovereignty but they had to cede control of their nation's foreign relations to the British.
Kandahar (Ancient Greek, Alexandria Arachosia) is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 468,200 as of 2006. It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m (3,297 feet) above sea level. The Arghandab River runs along the west of the city.<br/><br/> Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. The region produces fine fruits, especially pomegranates and grapes, and the city has plants for canning, drying, and packing fruit.<br/><br/> Many empires have long fought over the city, due to its strategic location along the trade routes of Southern and Central Asia. In 1709, Mirwais Hotak made the region an independent kingdom and turned Kandahar into the capital of the Hotaki dynasty. In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Afghan Empire, made it the capital of modern Afghanistan.<br/><br/> From 1996 to 2001, Kandahar served as the capital of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2002, the city is slowly being rebuilt.
Qizilbash or Kizilbash (sometimes also Qezelbash or Qazilbash) is the name given to a wide variety of Shi'a militant groups that flourished in Azerbaijan, Anatolia and Kurdistan from the late 13th century onwards, some of which contributed to the foundation of the Safavid dynasty of Iran.
Mahmud of Ghazni (November 2, 971 - April 30, 1030) was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty and ruled from 997 until his death in 1030. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni (now in Afghanistan) into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which extended from Afghanistan into most of Iran as well as Pakistan and regions of North-West India.
Ghilzai (Pashto: Ghar-Zai, meaning: 'hill people') are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai.<br/><br/> These Pashtun people are located mainly in southeastern Afghanistan, between Kandahar and Kabul, and extending eastwards towards the Suleiman Mountains into Pakistan. In Afghanistan they are the second largest Pashtun tribal confederation after the Abdali/Durrani.<br/><br/> Ghilzai are often considered to be the most courageous,fiercely independent, warlike and tough Afghan Pashtun tribe.
Lithograph from 'Afghaunistan' by Lieutenant James Rattray (1841). The Kohistani is Mir Alam, formerly one of a band of noted robbers on the road to Turkestan, north-west of Begram. Rattray wrote: 'Coistaun has always been remarkable for the war-like character of its inhabitants, who average some forty thousand families famous for the efficiency and excellence of their Pyadas (foot-soldiery). As light infantry they are unrivalled, and from their numbers and determined courage, are of considerable importance in the event of any revolution in which they may take part'.<br/><br/> The robber chief Hassan secretly and daringly accosted the British envoy William McNaghten and offered to bring him Dost Mohammmed's head in return for a large amount of money. Although this offer was hastily turned down, Hassan and his men were later enrolled among the infantry escort of Rattray's brother. Giving up their precarious livelihood, they became most efficient soldiers.<br/><br/> Mir Alam carries a 'juzzail', a type of large heavy rifle. Afghan snipers were expert marksmen and their juzzails fired roughened bullets, long iron nails or even pebbles over a range of some 250 metres. The Afghans could fling the large rifles across their shoulders as if they were feathers and spring nimbly from rock to rock. They loved to decorate their rifles: Rattray writes of finding one adorned with human teeth.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Kandahar (Ancient Greek, Alexandria Arachosia) is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 468,200 as of 2006. It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m (3,297 feet) above sea level. The Arghandab River runs along the west of the city.<br/><br/> Kandahar is a major trading center for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. The region produces fine fruits, especially pomegranates and grapes, and the city has plants for canning, drying, and packing fruit.<br/><br/> Many empires have long fought over the city, due to its strategic location along the trade routes of Southern and Central Asia. In 1709, Mirwais Hotak made the region an independent kingdom and turned Kandahar into the capital of the Hotaki dynasty. In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Afghan Empire, made it the capital of modern Afghanistan.<br/><br/> From 1996 to 2001, Kandahar served as the capital of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since 2002, the city is slowly being rebuilt.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Citadel of Herat (Persian: ارگ هرات‎, Pashto سکندرۍ کلا), also known as the Citadel of Alexander, and locally known as Qala Iktyaruddin (Persian: قلعه اختیارالدین‎), is located in the center of Herat in Afghanistan. It dates back to 330 BCE, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived to what is now Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela. Many empires have used it as a headquarters in the last 2,000 years, and was destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries.<br/><br/>This historic citadel was saved from demolition in the 1950s, and was excavated and restored by UNESCO between 1976 and 1979. From decades of wars and neglect, the citadel began to crumble but in recent years several international organizations decided to completely rebuild it. The National Museum of Herat is also housed inside the citadel, while the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture is the caretaker of the whole premises.
A Hand-colored engraving from Auguste Wahlen, 'Moeurs, Usages, et Costumes de tous les Peuples de Monde, d'apres des Documents Authentiques et les Voyages les plus Recents' (Manners, Customs and Costumes of all the Peoples of the World taken from Authentic Documents and the Most Recent Travels), Brussels: 1843.
By 1921, banditry was dramatically curtailed in Afghanistan by harsh punishments, such as being imprisoned in a suspended cage and left to die of stravation and exposure.
Sher Ali Khan (1825–February 21, 1879) was Amir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 until his death in 1879. He was the thirdson of Dost Mohammed Khan, founder of the Barakzai Dynasty in Afghanistan.
Pashtuns, also called Pathans, are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. Their true origin is unclear but historians have come across references to a people called Paktha (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, who may be the early ancestors of Pashtuns.
Amanullah Khan (June 1, 1892 – April 25, 1960) was the ruler of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change.
The Barakzai dynasty (‘Sons of Barak’) ruled Afghanistan from 1826 until 1973 when the monarchy rule finally ended under Mohammad Zahir Shah. The Barakzai dynasty was established by Dost Mohammad Khan after the Durrani dynasty of Ahmad Shah Durrani was removed from power. During this era, Afghanistan saw much of its territory lost to the British in the south and east, Persia in the west, and Russia in the north. There were also many conflicts within Afghanistan, including the three major Anglo-Afghan Wars and the 1929 civil war.
Timur Shah Durrani (1748 – May 18, 1793) was the second ruler of the Durrani Empire from October 16, 1772, until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second and eldest son of Ahmad Shah Durrani.
The flag of Afghanistan was adopted by the transitional government of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in 2002–2004. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973. The difference is the addition of the shahadah (Islamic Confession of Faith) at the top of the coat of arms (seen in gold/yellow) in the center. The new flag was adopted January 4, 2004. The flag consists of three stripes of the colors black, red, and green. This has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last twenty years. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Ghazni is a city in central Afghanistan, with an approximate population of 141,000 people (2010). It is the capital of Ghazni Province, situated on a plateau at 7,280 feet (2,219 m) above sea level.<br/><br/> Ghazni was founded sometime in antiquity as a small market-town and is mentioned by Ptolemy. According to various legends it was founded by Raja Gaj of the Yadu Dynasty around 1500 BCE. In the 6th century BCE, the city was conquered by the Achaemenid king, Cyrus II, and incorporated into the Persian empire.<br/><br/> Ghazni was a thriving Buddhist center up until the 7th century. In 683 CE, Arab armies brought Islam to the region but many refused to accept the new religion. Yaqub Saffari from Zaranj conquered the city in the late 9th century. It later became the dazzling capital of the Ghaznavid Empire, which encompassed much of northern India, Persia and Central Asia. Between 1215–21, Ghazni was managed by the Khwarezmid Empire, during which time it was destroyed by the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan, led by his son Ögedei Khan.
Mohammed Nadir Shah (born Mohammed Nadir; April 9, 1883 - November 8, 1933), was king of the Kingdom of Afghanistan from October 15, 1929 until his assassination in 1933. He and his son Mohammed Zahir Shah, who succeeded him, are sometimes referred to as the Musahiban.
The Amir Yakub Khan, General Daoud Shah, Habeebulah Moustafa, with Major Cavagnari C.S.I. and a Mr Jenkyns. The Treaty of Gandamak officially ended the first phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Afghanistan ceded various frontier areas to Britain to prevent invasion of further areas of the country. It was signed by the emir of Afghanistan, Mohammad Yaqub Khan and Sir Pierre Louis Napoleon Cavagnari representing the British government of India, on 26 May 1879, at a British army camp near the village of Gandamak, about 70 miles east of Kabul, The treaty was ratified by Lord Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton, Viceroy of India, on 30 May 1879. Most historical writings consider the Treaty of Gandamak as the prelude to the second phase of the Second Anglo-Afghan War, 1879-80.
Afghanistan, India, Bengal: Sher Shah Suri (1486 - May 22, 1545), also known as Sher Khan (The Lion King), was a powerful Afghan (Pashtun) conqueror in medieval Delhi, India. He first served as a private before rising to become a commander in the army of Mughal leader Babur and finally the governor of Bihar. In 1537, when the new Mughal leader Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah Suri overran Bengal and became the new emperor after establishing the Suri Empire.
Pashtuns, also called Pathans, are an Eastern Iranian ethno-linguistic group with populations primarily in Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan. The Pashtuns are typically characterized by their usage of the Pashto language and practice of Pashtunwali, a traditional set of ethics guiding individual and communal conduct. Their true origin is unclear but historians have come across references to a people called Paktha (Pactyans) between the 2nd and the 1st millennium BC, who may be the early ancestors of Pashtuns.
Mohammed Zahir Shah (15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning for four decades, from 1933 until he was ousted by a coup in 1973. Following his return from exile he was given the title 'Father of the Nation' in 2002 which he held until his death. Had he not been deposed in 1973, he would have reigned for a total of 73 years and he would have been one of the longest reigning monarchs of all time.
Mohammad Afzal Khan (1811 - October 7, 1867) was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1865 to 1867. The oldest son of Dost Mohammed Khan, Afzal Khan seized power from his brother Sher Ali Khan three years after their father's death. Following Afzal Khan's death the following year, Sher Ali Khan was reinstated as Amir of Afghanistan. He was an ethnic Pashtun and belonged to the Barakzai tribe.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War was fought between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the nation was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended in a manner after attaining all the British geopolitical objectives. Most of the British and Indian soldiers withdrew from Afghanistan. The Afghans were permitted to maintain internal sovereignty but they had to cede control of their nation's foreign relations to the British.
Hamid Karzai (24 December 1957 - ) is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.<br/><br/> During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the Interim administration. He was then chosen for a two-year term as Interim President during the 2002 'loya jirga' (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul.<br/><br/> After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He controversially won a second five-year term in the disputed 2009 presidential election while admitting the elections were flawed.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Ghilzai are one of the major Pashtun tribes found in Afghanistan. They are also known historically as Ghiljies, Ghaljis, and possibly Gharzais. These Pashtun people are located mainly in southeastern Afghanistan, between Kandahar and Kabul, and extending eastwards towards the Suleiman Mountains into Pakistan. They are the second Pashtun tribal confederation after the Durrani.
Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan or Daud Khan (July 18, 1909 – April 27, 1978) was Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963, later becoming the President of Afghanistan. He overthrew the monarchy of his first cousin Mohammed Zahir Shah and declared himself as the first President of Afghanistan from 1973 until his assassination in 1978 as a result of the Saur Revolution led by the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Daoud Khan was known for his progressive policies, especially in relation to the rights of women, and for initiating two five-year modernization plans.
Shuja Shah Durrani (also known as Shah Shujah, Shoja Shah, Shujah al-Mulk) (c. November 4, 1785 – April 5, 1842) was ruler of the Durrani Empire from 1803 to 1809. He then ruled from 1839 until his death in 1842. Shuja Shah was of the Sadozai line of the Abdali group of Pashtuns. He became the fifth Emir of Afghanistan.
The Durrani Empire, also referred to as the Afghan Empire, was a monarchy centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the modern state of Pakistan as well as the Punjab region of India.<br/><br/> It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief of the Abdali tribe. After the death of Ahmad Shah in about 1773, the Emirship was passed onto his children followed by grandchildren and its capital was shifted to Kabul. With the support of tribal leaders, Ahmad Shah Durrani extended Afghan control from Meshed to Kashmir and Delhi, from the Amu Darya to the Arabian Sea.<br/><br/> Next to the Ottoman Empire, the Durrani was the greatest Muslim Empire in the second half of the 18th century. The Durrani Empire is considered the foundation of the current state of Afghanistan, with Ahmad Shah Durrani being considered the ‘Father’ of modern Afghanistan.
Amanullah Khan (June 1, 1892 – April 25, 1960) was the ruler of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Zaman Shah Durrani (c.1770 - 1844) was ruler of the Durrani Empire from 1793 until 1800. He was the grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the fifth son of Timur Shah Durrani. Zaman Shah became the third King of Afghanistan.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Durrani Empire, also referred to as the Afghan Empire, was a monarchy centered in Afghanistan and included northeastern Iran, the modern state of Pakistan as well as the Punjab region of India.<br/><br/> It was established at Kandahar in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan military commander under Nader Shah of Persia and chief of the Abdali tribe. After the death of Ahmad Shah in about 1773, the Emirship was passed onto his children followed by grandchildren and its capital was shifted to Kabul. With the support of tribal leaders, Ahmad Shah Durrani extended Afghan control from Meshed to Kashmir and Delhi, from the Amu Darya to the Arabian Sea.<br/><br/> Next to the Ottoman Empire, the Durrani was the greatest Muslim Empire in the second half of the 18th century. The Durrani Empire is considered the foundation of the current state of Afghanistan, with Ahmad Shah Durrani being considered the ‘Father’ of modern Afghanistan.
Hajji Mirwais Khan Hotak (1673–1715) was an influential tribal chief of the Ghilzai Pashtuns from Kandahar, Afghanistan, who founded the Hotaki Dynasty that ruled a wide area in Persia and Afghanistan from 1709 to 1738.
Dost Mohammad Khan (December 23, 1793 - June 9, 1863) was the Emir of Afghanistan between 1826 and 1863. He first ruled from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1843 to 1863. He was the eleventh son of Sardar Pāyendah Khan (chief of the Barakzai tribe) who was killed by Zaman Shah Durrani in 1799. He was the grandson of Hajji Jamal Khan who founded the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan. Dost Mahommed belonged to the Pashtun ethnic group.
Mahmud of Ghazni (November 2, 971 - April 30, 1030) was the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid dynasty and ruled from 997 until his death in 1030. Mahmud turned the former provincial city of Ghazni (now in Afghanistan) into the wealthy capital of an extensive empire which extended from Afghanistan into most of Iran as well as Pakistan and regions of North-West India.
Shah Mahmud Hotaki (1697-1725) was an Afghan ruler of the Hotaki dynasty who defeated and overthrew the Safavid dynasty to become the king of Persia from 1722 until his death in 1725. He was the eldest son of Mir Wais Hotak, the chief of the Ghilzai-Pashtun tribe of Afghanistan, who had made the Kandahar region independent from Persian rule in 1709.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia, and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the indigenous Afghan Mujahideen and foreign ‘Arab–Afghan’ volunteers. The mujahideen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Egypt, China and other nations. The Afghan war became a proxy war in the broader context of the late Cold War. The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
The Ghaznavids (Persian: غزنویان‎) were a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic slave origin which existed from 975 to 1187 and ruled much of Persia, Transoxania, and the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent.<br/><br/> The Ghaznavid state was centered in Ghazni, a city in modern-day Afghanistan. Due to the political and cultural influence of their predecessors - that of the Persian Samanid Empire - the originally Turkic Ghaznavids had become thoroughly Persianized.<br/><br/> The dynasty was founded by Sebuktigin upon his succession to rule of territories centered around the city of Ghazni from his father-in-law, Alp Tigin, a break-away ex-general of the Samanid sultans. Sebuktigin's son, Shah Mahmud, expanded the empire in the region that stretched from the Oxus river to the Indus Valley and the Indian Ocean; and in the west it reached Rey and Hamadan.
The flag of the Islamic Amirate (Emirate) of Afghanistan, government of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, and also the flag of the Afghan Taliban movement (1994 - continuing) shows the shahadah, or Muslim declaration of faith, in black on a white field. The shahahdah, always written in Arabic, states 'There is no God but God, Muhammad is the Prophet of God'.
Hamid Karzai (24 December 1957 - ) is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.<br/><br/> During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the Interim administration. He was then chosen for a two-year term as Interim President during the 2002 'loya jirga' (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul.<br/><br/> After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He controversially won a second five-year term in the disputed 2009 presidential election while admitting the elections were flawed.
A Soldier from Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (Airborne), watches cattle make room while a CH-47 helicopter prepares to land on Landing Zone Shetland during Operation Saray Has July 19 near Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan.
Hamid Karzai (24 December 1957 - ) is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.<br/><br/> During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the Interim administration. He was then chosen for a two-year term as Interim President during the 2002 'loya jirga' (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul.<br/><br/> After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He controversially won a second five-year term in the disputed 2009 presidential election while admitting the elections were flawed.
Hamid Karzai (24 December 1957 - ) is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.<br/><br/> During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the Interim administration. He was then chosen for a two-year term as Interim President during the 2002 'loya jirga' (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul.<br/><br/> After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He controversially won a second five-year term in the disputed 2009 presidential election while admitting the elections were flawed.