Afghanistan – History

Excavations of prehistoric sites by Louis Dupree and others suggest that humans were living in what is now Afghanistan at least 50,000 years ago, and that farming communities in the area were among the earliest in the world. An important site of early historical activities, many believe that Afghanistan compares to Egypt in terms of the historical value of its archaeological sites.

A miniature from Padshahnama depicting the surrender of the Safavid garrison of Kandahar in 1638 to the Mughals, which was re-taken by the Safavids in 1649 during the Mughal-Safavid war.

The country sits at a unique nexus point where numerous civilizations have interacted and often fought. It has been home to various peoples through the ages, among them the ancient Iranian peoples who established the dominant role of Indo-Iranian languages in the region. At multiple points, the land has been incorporated within large regional empires, among them the Achaemenid Empire, the Macedonian Empire, the Indian Maurya Empire, the Islamic Empire and the Sassanid Empire.

Mir Wais Hotak, considered as Grandfather of the Nation, revolted against the Safavids and declared southern Afghanistan an independent kingdom in 1709, which was later expanded by his son Mahmud to include Persia.

Many kingdoms have also risen to power in what is now Afghanistan, such as the Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, Hephthalites, Kabul Shahis, Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Kartids, Timurids, Mughals, and finally the Hotaki and Durrani dynasties that marked the political origins of the modern state.

Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the last Afghan empire and viewed as Father of the Nation.

Source: Wikipedia