Afghanistan: Borders, Tribes & Empires – The Past That Shapes the Future

Abstract

This research explores how the tribal patchwork of Afghanistan has had a long-term effect on the country and the politically drawn boundaries that define the politics of this nation. As the paper shows, it is by contextualizing the analysis within the legacies of the Durrani Empire and colonial-era settlements, including the Durand Line, that one can understand how historical processes of tribal autonomy, imperial interruption, and conflicted borders have further entrenched political division and cycles of violence. Building on a diverse corpus of historical, political, and regional literature, the discussion is used to elucidate how crosscutting tribal loyalties and exogenously induced geopolitical forces are converging to weaken state-building and national unity. Although pointing out the structural continuation of such dynamics, the article makes the point that inclusive governance, cooperation in regional mechanisms, as well as investment in education are the ways that have the potential to lead to peace and stability. By so doing, it adds to a wider discussion on conflict resolution, politics along the borders, and the possibility of lasting stability in Afghanistan.