But why is it that Afghanistan has experienced such bloody conflict and slaughter? What factors have allowed the country to be exploited by external powers who have intervened to determine its politics, social structure and, consequently, its place in the world?
In this fascinating new book, Amalendu Misra seeks to provide answers to these pressing questions. By analysing the nature of conflict in Afghanistan, he exposes the various geopolitical, ethnic, economic and religious variables which have contributed to the breakdown of the Afghan state, and ponders whether post-war reconstruction could lead to a more democratic and peaceful Afghanistan.
* Exam copies only available to lecturers for whom the book may be suitable as a course text.
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Joseph Tucker, Nations and Nationalism
"Provides the reader, novice and expert alike with a clear guide through the complex maze of Afghanistan's troubled past. Amalendu Misra's work is an excellent starting point for the study of Afghanistan's recent history, which can be a complex and cloudy subject at the best of times.’"
Tom Withington, Kings College, London
Acknowledgements.
Introduction.
1 The Curse of Geopolitics.
2 Ethnic rivalry and the death of Afghan State.
3 Return of the Conservative Natives.
4 Brothers in arms: Radical Islam and its followers.
5 11 September and commitment against terrorism.
6 Poppy cultivation and political economy of civil war.
7 Picking up the pieces: reconstructing peace.
Conclusion.
Glossary.
Chronology.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index
