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Afghanistan, a Country Study

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Afghanistan, a Country Study Afghanistan, a country study Edited by Peter R. Blood Afghanistan, a country study Table of Contents Afghanistan, a country study...................................................................................................................................1 Edited by Peter R. Blood................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................3 CHAPTER 1. HISTORICAL SETTING................................................................................................................5 THE PRE−ISLAMIC PERIOD.....................................................................................................................5 Achaemenid Rule, ca. 550−331 B.C.......................................................................................................5 Alexander and Greek Rule, 330−ca. 150 B.C.........................................................................................6 Central Asian and Sassanian Rule, ca. 150 B.C.−700 A.D.....................................................................6 ISLAMIC CONQUEST.................................................................................................................................7 Ghaznavid and Ghorid Rule....................................................................................................................7 Mongol Rule, 1220−1506........................................................................................................................8 Mughal−Safavid Rivalry, ca. 1500−1747...............................................................................................8 AHMAD SHAH AND THE DURRANI EMPIRE.......................................................................................9 THE GREAT GAME...................................................................................................................................11 The Rise of Dost Mohammad................................................................................................................11 The First Anglo−Afghan War...............................................................................................................12 The Second Anglo−Afghan War...........................................................................................................13 ABDUR RAHMAN KHAN, THE IRON AMIR, 1880−1901...............................................................14 Consolidation of the Modern State........................................................................................................14 Modernization and Development of Institutions...................................................................................15 THE REIGN OF KING HABIBULLAH, 1901−1919................................................................................16 THE REIGN OF KING AMANULLAH, 1919−29.....................................................................................16 Third Anglo−Afghan War and Independence.......................................................................................17 Reform, Popular Reaction, and Forced Abdication...............................................................................18 TAJIK RULE, JANUARY−OCTOBER 1929.............................................................................................19 MUHAMMAD NADIR SHAH, 1929−33...................................................................................................19 MOHAMMAD ZAHIR SHAH, 1933−73...................................................................................................20 Zahir Shah and His Uncles, 1933−53....................................................................................................20 The Pashtunistan Issue..........................................................................................................................21 Early Links with the Soviet Union........................................................................................................21 Experiment with Liberalized Politics....................................................................................................22 Daoud as Prime Minister, 1953−63.......................................................................................................22 The King Reigns: The Last Decade of the Monarchy, 1963−73...........................................................24 DAOUD'S REPUBLIC, JULY 1973− APRIL 1978...................................................................................26 COMMUNISM, REBELLION, AND SOVIET INTERVENTION...........................................................28 CHAPTER 2. THE SOCIETY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT..............................................................................32 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT...........................................................................................................32 Mountains..............................................................................................................................................33 Rivers.....................................................................................................................................................34 Regions..................................................................................................................................................34 Climate..................................................................................................................................................35 POPULATION.............................................................................................................................................36 SOCIAL STRUCTURE...............................................................................................................................37 Ethnic Groups........................................................................................................................................37 Other Groups.........................................................................................................................................41 Non−Muslims........................................................................................................................................43 i Afghanistan, a country study Table of Contents CHAPTER 2. THE SOCIETY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT Interethnic Relations..............................................................................................................................43 Tribes.....................................................................................................................................................45 MODES OF SUBSISTENCE......................................................................................................................46 Pastoralism............................................................................................................................................46 Mixed Subsistence Patterns...................................................................................................................48 FAMILY......................................................................................................................................................49 GENDER ROLES........................................................................................................................................52 RELIGION...................................................................................................................................................55 Early Development of Islam..................................................................................................................55 Tenets of Islam......................................................................................................................................56 Islamic Expression in Afghanistan........................................................................................................58 Meaning and Practice............................................................................................................................61 Politicized Islam....................................................................................................................................62 EDUCATION..............................................................................................................................................64 Literacy..................................................................................................................................................65 Administrative Structure.......................................................................................................................65 Enrollment.............................................................................................................................................66 Curriculum.............................................................................................................................................66 Teacher Training...................................................................................................................................66 Higher Education...................................................................................................................................67 Adult Literacy........................................................................................................................................67
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