Afghanistan was once a vast empire.

Afghanistan emerged on the map of the world as an independent country on August 19, 1919 from British control. The landlocked country of Afghanistan (Area 652,000 sq km), located in Southern Asia, divided into 30 administrative divisions with population of nearly 26,813,057 (July 2001) is a land of rich hospitality and cultural traditions.

Historically speaking, Afghanistan has a centuries long history dating back to Stone Age (50,000 to 20,000 BC) as archaeologists have identified evidence of Stone Age technology in few areas of Afghanistan. In addition to it, the plant remains at the foothills of Hindu Kush Mountains indicate that North Afghanistan was one of the earliest places to domestic plants and animals. During the Bronze Age (3000 BC to 2000 BC), ancient Afghanistan was believed to be a crossroad between Mesopotamia and other civilizations. In 522 BC, Darius the Great invaded this land but few years later the constant and bloody tribal revolts from Afghans plagued the Persian Empire. Now in 329 BC, this land went to Alexander the Great but he was also unable to maintain his control on this land. Greeks, Bactrian and Parthian followed Alexander’s empire until it fell to Kushans where King Kanishka ruled it in 50 AD. This was the time when Gandhara culture reached at its heights but 03 centuries later, White Huns (400 AD) destroyed the Buddhist culture and left most of the country in ruins.

In 07th century AD, Arabs introduced Islam in this region and in next 06 centuries it became the center of Islamic power and civilization. This was the era when great Afghan scientist, Ibn-e-Sina was born at Balkh in 980 AD. In 13th century AD, Genghis Khan invaded Afghanistan and had destroyed the irrigation system, which turned fertile soil into permanent deserts. This was the same century when Marco Polo crossed Afghanistan in 1273 AD. A century later Muslims reasserted the control over Afghanistan and in early 16th century AD, Babur, the founder of the Moghul dynasty took control of Kabul and later he invaded Indian sub-continent to lay foundation of his kingdom. The next 02 centuries were of revolts in Afghanistan as leaders of various tribes keep on killing each other to get the power. These proxy war clashes led to the British’s’ attempted invasion in Afghanistan in 1836 AD. British had to leave Afghanistan due to having their 15,000 or so soldiers massacred by the Pushtuns. This event that took place can be told today because of the 15,000 soldiers, one was allowed to live to tell what had happened. Once again the power went to local kings. In 1879, few areas of the Afghanistan came under the control of British Empire and it was in 1893 that Durand line was fixed between Afghanistan and British India, splitting Afghan tribal areas and leaving half of these Afghans in what is now Pakistan.

In 1895, Afghanistan’s northern border was fixed and guaranteed by Russia but in earlier 20th century, Russia and Great Britain signed a convention in St. Petersburg in which Afghanistan was declared outside Russia’s sphere of influence.

In 1919, Afghanistan retains the control from British and once again the power went to local rulers. For another 35 years, Afghanistan was under the influence of United States of America but in 1955 they took a sharp turn to Soviet Union. Now former Soviet Union had an enormous pressure in Afghanistan due which they kept on changing the rulers and lastly in December 1979 they invaded Afghanistan. In result of this invasion, Afghan guerrilla (Mujahideen) movement was born and they bravely forced out Russia from Afghanistan in 1988. Russians went out of Afghanistan but they left the country at civil war and it was finally in 1992 when Islamic State under the leadership of Professor Burhan-ud-din Rabanni was established. In 1994, a new movement under the name of Taliban was born and in just 02 years time they got control of the whole Afghanistan except for the Northern part of the country in 1996.

The Taliban were ruling over Afghanistan when the incidents of Sep 11, 2001 took place in New York and Washington, which made United States of America to take a military action against Taliban Government in October 2001. Finally it was in November 2001 when Taliban moved out and on December 22, United Nations appointed leaders of various ethnic groups to be the part of an interim group that have ruled Afghanistan till June 30, 2002. Now a new Transitional Government is working in Afghanistan under the leadership of Pashtun leader, Mr. Hamid Karzai, which will remain effective till December 2003. The main task for this Government is to lay down a foundation for a new democratic Government in Afghanistan.