1st Edition

Nation, Ethnicity and the Conflict in Afghanistan Political Islam and the rise of ethno-politics 1992–1996

By Raghav Sharma Copyright 2017
    200 Pages
    by Routledge

    198 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Ethnic and tribal loyalties in Afghanistan provided the lethal cocktail for the violent conflict that engulfed the country following the collapse of the Soviet backed government in 1992. The ensuing fighting between mujahideen groups paved the way for the tectonic social and political shifts, which continue to shape events today. What accounts for the emergence of ethnicity, as the main cause of conflict in Afghanistan? What moved people to respond with such fervour and intensity to calls for ethnic solidarity? This book attempts to make sense of ethnicity’s decisive role in Afghanistan through a comprehensive exploration of its nature and perception. Based on new data, generated through interviews, field notes and participant observations, Sharma maps the increased role of ethnicity in Afghan national politics. Key social, political and historical processes that facilitated its emergence as the pre-dominant fault-line of conflict are explored, moving away from grand political and military narrative to instead engage with zones of conflict as social spaces. This book will be of interest to students and scholars working in politics, ethnic studies and security studies.

    1. Introduction



    2. Nation and Ethnicity in Afghanistan



    3. From Ideology to Identity: Framing the Ethno-political turn in the Afghan Conflict (1992-1996)



    4. Historical Drivers of the Afghan Conflict: Role of the Nationalizing State, National Minorities and External Actors



    5. Afghanistan under the Mujahideen (1992-1996): Ethnicization of the Conflict



    6. Conclusion

    Biography

    Raghav Sharma is an Assistant Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P Jindal Global University, India. He is also the Director of the Jindal Center on Afghanistan Studies.