Name of Afghanistan

History of Afghanistan
Timeline
Pre-Islamic period  Bronze age and Proto-Elamite culture in Nimruz area (2300–1800 BC) Bronze age and Indus valley civilization in Mundigak (Kandahar area) (2200–1800 BC) Bronze age and Oxus civilization in northern Afghanistan (2100–1800 BC) Late Bronze age and Iron age and coming of Aryans (1700–700 BC) Median Empire (728–550 BC) Achaemenids (550–330 BC) Seleucids (330–150 BC) Mauryans (305–180 BC) Greco-Bactrians (256–125 BC) Indo-Greeks (180–130 BC) Indo-Scythians (Sakas) (155–80? BC) Indo-Parthians (20 BC–50? AD) Kushans (135 BC–248 AD) Sassanids (230–565) Indo-Sassanids (248–410) Kidarites (320–465) Hephthalites (410–557) Kabul Shahi (565–879)
Islamic conquest  Rashidun Caliphate (642–641) Umayyads (661–750) Abbasids (750–821) Tahirids (821–873) Saffarids (863–900)) Samanids (875–999) Ghaznavids (963–1187) Seljukids (1037–1194) Khwarezmids (1077–1231) Ghorids (1149–1212) Ilkhanate (1258–1353) Kartids (1245–1381) Timurids (1370–1506) Arghun (1479-1522) Mughals (1501–1738) Safavids (1510–1709) Hotaki dynasty (1709–1738) Afsharids (1738–1747)
Modern history  Durrani Empire (1747–1826) Emirate of Afghanistan (1826–1919) Kingdom of Afghanistan (1919–1973) Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) Democratic Republic (1978–1992) Islamic State (1992–1996) Islamic Emirate (1996–2001) Islamic Republic (2001–) Afghan Civil War 1979–1989 1989–1992 1992–1996 1996–2001 2001–present
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The name of Afghanistan is believed to be as old as the ethnonym Afghan, which is documented in a 10th century geography book called Hudud ul-'alam focusing on territories south of the Hindu Kush around the Sulaiman Mountains.^[1] The root name "Afghan" has been used historically in reference to the Pashtun people and the ending suffix "-stan" means "place of". Therefore, Afghanistan translates to the "place of Afghans" or "land of the Afghans" in the nation's official languages, Pashto and Dari (Persian).^{[2] [3] [4]}

Afghanization

Main article: Pashtunization

Afghanization (Pashtunization) has been going on in the Afghanistan-Indian subcontinent since at least the 8th century CE. It is a process of a cultural or linguistic change in which something non-Afghan becomes Afghan.

“

In the eighth and ninth centuries ancestors of many of today's Turkic-speaking Afghans settled in the Hindu Kush area (partly to obtain better grazing land) and began to assimilate much of the culture and language of the Pashtun tribes already present there.[5]

”

Afghan dynasties

Main articles: Khilji dynasty, Lodi dynasty, and Sur dynasty

According to Ta'rikh-i Yamini (author being secretary of Mahmud of Ghazni), an army of Afghans was enrolled in Sabuktigin's Turkic Ghaznavid Empire in the 10th century as well as in the later Ghurid Kingdom (1148–1215).^[6] From the beginning of the Khilji dynasty in 1290, Afghans are becoming more recognized in history among the Delhi Sultanate of India. The famous Moroccan travelling scholar, Ibn Battuta, visiting Kabul in 1333 writes: "We travelled on to Kabul, formerly a vast town, the site of which is now occupied by a village inhabited by a tribe of Persians called Afghans. They hold mountains and defiles and possess considerable strength, and are mostly highwaymen. Their principle mountain is called Kuh Sulayman."^[7] The later Lodi dynasty and Sur dynasty of Delhi were both made up of Afghans.

Early references to Afghanistan

See also: Afghan (name)

The name "Afghanistan" is mentioned in writing by the 16th century Mughal rulers Babur and his descendants, referring to the territory between Khorasan, Kabulistan, and the Indus River which was inhabited by tribes of Afghans.

The road from Khorasān leads by way of Kandahār. It is a straight level road, and does not go through any hill-passes... In the country of Kābul there are many and various tribes. Its valleys and plains are inhabited by Tūrks, Aimāks, and Arabs. In the city and the greater part of the villages, the population consists of Tājiks* (Sarts). Many other of the villages and districts are occupied by Pashāis, Parāchis, Tājiks, Berekis, and Afghans. In the hill-country to the west, reside the Hazāras and Nukderis. Among the Hazāra and Nukderi tribes, there are some who speak the Moghul language. In the hill-country to the north-east lies Kaferistān, such as Kattor and Gebrek. To the south is Afghanistān.^[8]

—Babur, 1525

The name "Afghanistan" is also mentioned many times in the writings of the 16th century historian, Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah (Ferishta), and many others.

The men of Kábul and Khilj also went home; and whenever they were ques­tioned about the Musulmáns of the Kohistán (the mountains), and how matters stood there, they said, "Don't call it Kohistán, but Afghánistán; for there is nothing there but Afgháns and dis­turbances." Thus it is clear that for this reason the people of the country call their home in their own language Afghánistán, and themselves Afgháns. The people of India call them Patán; but the reason for this is not known. But it occurs to me, that when, under the rule of Muhammadan sovereigns, Musulmáns first came to the city of Patná, and dwelt there, the people of India (for that reason) called them Patáns—but God knows!^[9]

—Ferishta, 1560-1620

Last Afghan empire

Main articles: Hotaki dynasty and Durrani Empire

A Lithography collection made by James Rattray in the early 1800s shows the name Afghaunistan on the front cover.

Regarding the modern state of Afghanistan, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Iranica, and many others explain that the political history of Afghanistan begins in 1709 with the rise of the Hotaki dynasty^[10][11][12], which was established by Mir Wais Hotak who is regarded as "Mirwais Neeka" ("Mirwais the grandfather").^[13]

The modern Afghan kingdom begins with the rise to supremacy first of the Ghalzais and shortly afterwards of the Durranis under Ahmed Shah.^[14]

—M. T. Houtsma

The Encyclopaedia of Islam states: ^[15]

The country now known as Afghanistan has borne that name only since the middle of the 18th century, when the supremacy of the Afghan race became assured: previously various districts bore distinct apellations, but the country was not a definite political unit, and its component parts were not bound together by any identity of race or language. The earlier meaning of the word was simply "the land of the Afghans", a limited territory which did not include many parts of the present state but did comprise large districts now either independent or within the boundary of British India (Pakistan).^[16]

—M. T. Houtsma

Afghanistan's first diplomatic foreign relations were established in 1801 with Great Britain and Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar, ruler of the Qajar dynasty of neighboring Persia.

The name "Afghanistan" is mentioned since 1801 in the Anglo-Persian peace treaty for the first time officially.^[17]

—A. Sabahuddin

See also

• List of country name etymologies
• History of Afghanistan
• Names of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Pashtunistan
• Afghan (name)
• Afghan
• -stan
• Afghanis-tan
• Pashtun people

References

1. ^ Vogelsang, Willem (2002). The Afghans. Wiley Blackwell. p. 18. ISBN 0631198415. http://books.google.com/books?id=9kfJ6MlMsJQC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
2. ^ Banting, Erinn (2003). Afghanistan: The land. Crabtree Publishing Company. p. 4. ISBN 0778793354. http://books.google.com/books?id=KRt0HfYFZGsC&lpg=PP1&vq=place%20of%20Afghans&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
3. ^ "General Information About Afghanistan". Abdullah Qazi. Afghanistan Online. http://www.afghan-web.com/facts.html. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
4. ^ "The Afghans - Language and Literacy". Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL). June 30, 2002. http://www.cal.org/co/afghan/alang.html. Retrieved 2010-09-16. 
5. ^ "Islamic Conquest". Craig Baxter. Library of Congress Country Studies on Afghanistan. 1997. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+af0002). 
6. ^ Houtsma, M. Th. (1993). E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936. BRILL. pp. 611. ISBN 9004097961, 9789004097964. http://books.google.com/books?id=GEl6N2tQeawC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA150#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
7. ^ Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325-1354 (reprint, illustrated ed.). Routledge. 2004. p. 180. ISBN 0415344735, 9780415344739. http://books.google.com/books?id=zKqn_CWTxYEC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA180#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-09-10. 
8. ^ Zahir ud-Din Mohammad Babur (1525). "Events Of The Year 910 (p.5)". Memoirs of Babur. Packard Humanities Institute. http://persian.packhum.org/persian//pf?file=03501051&ct=92. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
9. ^ Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah (1560-1620). "The History of India, Volume 6, chpt. 200, Translation of the Introduction to Firishta's History (p.8)". Sir H. M. Elliot. London: Packard Humanities Institute. http://persian.packhum.org/persian/pf?file=80201016&ct=199. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
10. ^ Louis Dupree, Nancy Hatch Dupree and others. "Last Afghan empire". Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/7798/Afghanistan/21392/Last-Afghan-empire. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
11. ^ D. Balland. "AFGHANISTAN x. Political History". Encyclopædia Iranica. http://iranica.com/articles/afghanistan-x-political-history. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
12. ^ Otfinoski, Steven Bruce (2004). Afghanistan. Infobase Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 0816050562, 9780816050567. http://books.google.com/books?id=fbXmk-EauHIC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-09-27. 
13. ^ Bleaney, C. H.; María Ángeles Gallego (2006). Afghanistan: a bibliography. BRILL. p. 216. ISBN 900414532X, 9789004145320. http://books.google.com/books?id=qCh41lAvg8oC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA216#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
14. ^ Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor (1987). E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936. 2. BRILL. p. 157. ISBN 9004082654, 9789004082656. http://books.google.com/books?id=zJU3AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA157#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
15. ^ M. Longworth Dames, G. Morgenstierne, R. Ghirshman, "Afghānistān", in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Online Edition
16. ^ Houtsma, Martijn Theodoor (1987). E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam 1913-1936. 2. BRILL. p. 146. ISBN 9004097961, 9789004097964. http://books.google.com/books?id=GEl6N2tQeawC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-08-23. 
17. ^ Sabahuddin, Abdul (2008). History of Afghanistan. Global Vision Publishing Ho. p. 45. ISBN 8182202469, 9788182202467. http://books.google.com/books?id=XfDYtxfOvTYC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA45#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2010-09-10.