Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present

Jul 6, 2026

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Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present traces political change across more than five centuries, from early Afghan sultanates through the rise of major empires, frontier dynamics, and periods of fragmentation. The narrative follows key turning points including major rulers and reform movements, the collapse of earlier experimental projects, and shifting strategies toward governance. It extends into the late twentieth century and beyond, ending with contemporary developments. Supporting materials include lists of charts, tables, maps, transliterations, genealogical charts, and reference notes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages781

Reading Time32 h 48 min

Introduction

Afghan Sultanates, 1260–1732

Nadir Shah and the Afghans, 1732–47

Ahmad Shah and the Durrani Empire, 1747–72

Fragmentation, 1772–1824

Afghanistan and the Indus Frontier, 1824–39

Nineteenth-Century Reform and Control

Twentieth-Century Revolution, Resistance, and Governance

Between the Dragon and his Wrath, 1994–2017

Conclusion

A fghan istan AFGHANISTAN A History from 1260 to the Present Jonathan L. Lee Reaktion Books For Andrew, Stephen and Grace Published by Rea kt ion B o o ks Ltd Unit 32, Waterside 44–48 Wharf Road London n1 7ux, uk [www.reaktionbooks.co.uk](www.reaktionbooks.co.uk) First published 2018 Copyright © Jonathan L. Lee 2018 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain, Glasgow A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library isbn 978 1 78914 010 1 Contents List of Charts 7 List of Tables 8 List of maps 9 Transliterations 10 Introduction 13 1 Afghan Sultanates, 1260–1732 51 2 Nadir Shah and the Afghans, 1732–47 88 3 Ahmad Shah and the Durrani Empire, 1747–72 116 4 Fragmentation: Timur Shah and his Successors, 1772–1824 143 5 Afghanistan and the Indus Frontier, 1824–39 187 6 The Death of the ‘Great Experiment’, 1839–43 244 7 The Pursuit of ‘Scientific Frontiers’, 1843–79 307 8 ‘Reducing the Disorderly People’, 1879–1901 364 9 Reform and Repression, 1901–19 412 10 Dreams Melted into Air, 1919–29 450 11 Backs to the Future, 1929–33 502 12 A House Divided, 1933–73 530 13 Republicanism, Revolution and Resistance, 1973–94 581 14 ‘Between the Dragon and his Wrath’, 1994–2017 629 Conclusion 684 genealogical charts 698 glossary 703 A Note on Sources 712 References 714 Select Bibliography 746 Acknowledgements 753 Photo Acknowledgements 754 Index 755 List of Charts 1 Lineage of Saddozai Sultans and Mir-i Afghanihas, 1558–1747 698 2 The Saddozai Dynasty from Ahmad Shah to Shah Shuja‘ al-Mulk, 1747–1842 699 3 Principal Descendants of Hajji Jamal Khan Barakzai down to Amir Dost Muhammad Khan, 1772–1863 700 4 Principal Descendants of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan 701 5 The Muhammadzais: Dynastic Relationships ofthe Saraj, Musahiban and Tarzi families 702 List of Tables 1 Principal pre-Islamic Dynasties of Afghanistan, 555 bce–1001 ce 31 2 Principal Dynasties of Afghanistan, 664–1256 33 3 Principal Dynasties of Afghanistan, 1256–1859 34 4 The Muslim Dynasties of Northern India, 975–1558 65 5 The Hotaki Dynasty of Kandahar and Persia, 1709–38 77 6 The Saddozai Dynasty of Herat, 1717–32 80 7 Saddozai Kings and Barakzai Wazirs (Sardars) of Afghanistan, 1793–1839 156 8 Military Backgrounds of British Commanders in the First AngloAfghan War 232 List of maps 1 Modern Afghanistan and Neighbouring States 12 2 The Empires ofthe Iranian–Indian Borderland in the Mid-eighteenth Century 50 3 Kabul City and Environs, c. 1970 186 4 Kabul and Southeastern Afghanistan 243

FAQs

What time span does the book cover?

The book covers Afghanistan’s history from 1260 to the present, moving through major eras and turning points across the period.

Which major dynastic or imperial phases are highlighted?

The contents highlight Afghan sultanates (1260–1732), the Durrani Empire under Ahmad Shah (1747–72), and later periods of fragmentation and empire-building.

What kinds of reference materials accompany the main chapters?

The volume includes lists of charts, tables, maps, transliterations, genealogical charts, a glossary, a note on sources, references with select bibliography, acknowledgements, and an index.

Jul 6, 2026

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