This is atimeline ofAfghan history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Afghanistan and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, seeHistory of Afghanistan. See also thelist of heads of state of Afghanistan and thelist of years in Afghanistan.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000BCE | First known evidences of humans living in Afghanistan, and thatfarming communities of the region were among the earliest in the world.[1] | |
| 3300–2350BCE | TheBronze AgeHelmand culture in the middle and lower valley of theHelmand River, in southern Afghanistan (Kandahar,Helmand andNimruz province) and easternIran (Sistan and Baluchestan province).[2] | |
| 2400-1700BCE | The Bronze AgeOxus civilization in present-day northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan.[3][4] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1500BCE | The earliest textual mention ofGandhara civilization, in ancient Indian manuscripts theRigveda and theZoroastrianAvesta.[5][6] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 550BCE | Cyrus II capturesKabul, which becomes a center of learning forZoroastrianism andBuddhism. | |
| 516BCE | Darius I invades Afghanistan, makes it part of theAchaemenid Empire. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 330-327BCE | Alexander III of Macedon conquers Afghanistan. | |
| 312BCE | Afghanistan becomes part of theSeleucid Empire after the death of Alexander III and breakup of the Macedonian Empire. | |
| 305-303BCE | TheHindu Kush,Gandhara,Arachosia (centered around ancient Kandahar) and areas south ofBagram become part of theMaurya Empire afterChandragupta Maurya defeatsSeleucus I in theSeleucid–Mauryan war. Introduction ofBuddhism to the region which becomes a major religion alongsideZoroastrianism and ancientHinduism. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 15BCE | BuddhistApracharajas dynasty with territory coveringSwat,Gandhara,Taxila, and parts of eastern Afghanistan. (till 50 CE) |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 19CE | Suren kingdom founded byGondophares with capitals inKabul andTaxila, and territory covering southern Afghanistan, eastern Iran and northwest regions of the Indian subcontinent. (till 226 CE) | |
| 30CE | 27 January | Kushan Empire founded byKujula Kadphises in theArghandab River valley.[7] (till 375 CE) |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | Kanishka becomes emperor of theKushan Empire. He extends his empire from present-day southernUzbekistan andTajikistan, north of theAmu Darya (Oxus) in the north west to Northern India, as far asPataliputra in theGangetic Plains. A follower ofBuddhism, he encourages Buddhist teachings, art and architecture. | |
| 151 | Kanishka Stupa is built. Reported by modern archeologists and ancient Chinese pilgrimXuanzang to have had a diameter of 87 metres, height of 180–210 metres and covered with jewels.[8] | |
| 191 | Vasudeva I becomes emperor of the Kushan Empire. His reign lasts till 232 CE. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 320 | Kidara Huns kingdom established,[9] lasts till about 467. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 440 | Hephthalite (White Huns) empire established with its capital atKunduz. Buddhism,Manichaeism andZoroastrianism were their major religions. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 570 | The smaller of theBuddhas of Bamiyan, known as the "Eastern Buddha" built (approximate year based on carbon dating), during Hephthalite rule. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 618 | The larger of theBuddhas of Bamiyan, known as the "Western Buddha" built (approximate year based on carbon dating) during Hephthalite rule. | |
| 630 | Chinese monk, scholar and travelerXuanzang visitsBalkh, reports about a 100 Buddhist convents, 30,000 monks, large number ofstupas and other religious monuments. The most remarkable stupa was theNavbahara, which possessed a gigantic statue of the Buddha. | |
| 665 | Establishment of the BuddhistTurk Shahi dynasty, with its capital inKapisi near the present-day town ofBagram. | |
| 680 | Establishment of theZunbil dynasty in present southern Afghanistan region, with its capital inGhazni. | |
| 683 | Turk Shahi king routs the Arab army of theUmayyad Caliphate led byYazid ibn Ziyad, who is killed in battle and an Arab invasion is decisively repulsed.[10] | |
| 698 | Zunbil king defeats an Arab 'Army of Destruction' led by Ubayd Allah b. Abi Bakra, who is forced to offer a large tribute, give hostages including three of his sons and take an oath not to invade Zunbil again. Twenty five thousand of the thirty thousand strong Arab army killed.[11][12] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 815 | Defeat of the Turk Shahis by the ArabAbbasid Caliphate. The Turk Shah is forced to convert toIslam and pay an annual tribute. | |
| 850 | Overthrow of the unpopular Turk Shah Lagaturman by his minister Kallar and establishment of theHindu Shahi dynasty. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 964 | Jayapala of theHindu Shahi dynasty conducts a number of invasions of Ghazni, the capital city of theGhaznavids. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1001 | 27 November | Mahmud of Ghazni's army defeats the Hindu Shahi army ofJayapala in theBattle of Peshawar (1001) |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1219-1221 | Mongol invasion of Afghanistan as part of theMongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire, resulting in thousands killed in the cities of Kabul,Kandahar,Jalalabad. | |
| 1221 | In pursuit of the fleeingKhwarazmian kingJalal al-Din Mangburni,Genghis Khan massacres the entire population of Bamiyan after his favorite grandsonMutukan is killed in theSiege of Bamyan, but leaves the Buddhas of Bamiyan unharmed. | |
| 1259 | Division of the Mongol Empire afterGenghis's death. Afghanistan become part of theChagatai Khanate. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1383-1385 | Invasion of Afghanistan byTimur, leader of neighboringTransoxiana (roughly modern-dayUzbekistan,Tajikistan, and adjacent areas), becomes a part of theTimurid Empire. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1504 | Babur, deposed ruler ofFergana andSamarkand capturesKabul (Siege of Kabul (1504)). |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1709 | 21 April | Mirwais Hotak, an influentialAfghan tribal chief, gained independence atKandahar after a successful revolution against the PersianSafavid dynasty.[13] |
| 1709–1713 | The Persian government sent two large armies to regain Kandahar Province but suffered defeat by the Afghans.[13] | |
| 1715 | November | Mirwais died of a natural cause and his brotherAbdul Aziz inherited the throne until he was killed byMahmud Hotaki, son of Mirwais.[13] |
| 1722 | Battle of Gulnabad: Led by Mahmud, theAfghan army captured the Safavid capital ofIsfahan and Mahmad was declaredShah of Persia.[14] | |
| 1725 | 22 April | Mahmud was murdered by his cousinAshraf, son of Abdul Aziz, and succeeded him asShah of Persia.[15] |
| 1729 | 29 September | Battle of Damghan:Afsharid forces led byNader Shah defeated Ashraf and his forces. |
| 1738 | Nader invaded and destroyedKandahar, and restored theAbdali ethnic Pashtus to political prominence. | |
| 1747 | 19 June | Ahmad Shah Durrani of the AbdaliPashtun confederacy declared the establishment of an independent Afghanistan, with its capital at Kandahar.[16] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1809 | Durrani signed a treaty of alliance with theUnited Kingdom.[17] | |
| 1819 | July | Battle of Shopian:Sikh Khalsa Army ofRanjit Singh defeated the Durrani force led by governor Jabbar Khan, annexingKashmir into theSikh Empire. |
| 1823 | Dost Mohammad Khan took the throne inKabul, where he proclaimed himselfemir. | |
| March | Battle of Nowshera: Sikh Khalsa Army of Ranjit Singh defeated a Durrani force led byAzim Khan, capturing thePeshawar Valley. | |
| 1837 | November | Siege of Herat: A Persian force attempts to capture Herat but are defeated and leave in 1838. |
| 1839 | March | First Anglo-Afghan War: ABritish expeditionary force capturedQuetta. |
| 23 July | British captureGhazni in theBattle of Ghazni and install Shuja Shah Durrani as the puppet ruler of Afghanistan. | |
| 1841 | November | First Anglo-Afghan War: A mob killed theBritish envoy to Afghanistan. |
| 1842 | January | Massacre of Elphinstone's army: A retreatingBritish With mostlyIndian regiment force of sixteen thousand was massacred by the Afghans. |
| 1857 | Afghanistan declared war onPersia. | |
| Afghan forces re-capturedHerat. | ||
| 1878 | January | Second Anglo-Afghan War: Afghanistan refused aBritish diplomatic mission, provoking a second Anglo-Afghan war. |
| 1879 | May | Second Anglo-Afghan War: To preventBritish occupation of a large part of the country, the Afghan government ceded much power to the United Kingdom in theTreaty of Gandamak. |
| 1880 | 22 July | Abdur Rahman Khan was officially recognized asemir of Afghanistan. |
| 1893 | 12 November | Abdur Rahman andBritish Raj representativeMortimer Durand signed an agreement establishing theDurand Line. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 1 October | Habibullah Khan, son ofAbdur Rahman, becameemir of Afghanistan. |
| 1919 | 20 February | Habibullah was assassinated. His sonAmanullah Khan declared himself King of Afghanistan. |
| May | Third Anglo-Afghan War:Amanullah led a surprise attack against theBritish. | |
| 19 August | Afghan Foreign MinisterMahmud Tarzi negotiated theTreaty of Rawalpindi with theBritish atRawalpindi. | |
| 1922 | Solar Hijri calendar officially adopted in Afghanistan.[18] | |
| 1929 | January | Amanullah was forced to abdicate in favor ofHabibullāh Kalakāni in the face of a popular uprising.[19] |
| 15 October | Former GeneralMohammad Nadir Shah took control of Afghanistan.[20] | |
| 1933 | 8 November | Nadir was assassinated. His son,Mohammad Zahir Shah, was proclaimed King. |
| 1964 | October | A new constitution was ratified which instituted a democratic legislature.[21] |
| 1965 | 1 January | TheMarxistPeople's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) held its first congress. |
| 1973 | 17 July | Mohammad Daoud Khan declares himself President in acoup against the king,Mohammad Zahir Shah. |
| 1978 | 27 April | Saur Revolution: Military units loyal to thePDPA assaulted theAfghan Presidential Palace, killing PresidentMohammad Daoud Khan and his family. |
| 1 May | Saur Revolution: ThePDPA installed its leader,Nur Muhammad Taraki, as President of Afghanistan. | |
| July | A rebellion against the new Afghan government began with an uprising inNuristan Province. | |
| 5 December | A treaty was signed which permitted deployment of theSoviet military at the Afghan government's request. | |
| 1979 | 14 September | Taraki was murdered by supporters of Prime MinisterHafizullah Amin. |
| 24 December | Soviet–Afghan War: Fearing the collapse of theAmin regime, theSoviet army invaded Afghanistan. | |
| 27 December | Operation Storm-333:Soviet troops occupied major governmental, military and media buildings inKabul, including theTajbeg Palace, and executed Prime MinisterAmin. | |
| 1988 | 14 April | Soviet–Afghan War: TheSoviet government signed theGeneva Accords, which included a timetable for withdrawingtheir armed forces. |
| 1989 | 15 February | Soviet–Afghan War: The lastSoviet troops left the country. |
| 1992 | 24 April | Afghan Civil War (1989–1992): Afghan political parties signed thePeshawar Accord which created theIslamic State of Afghanistan and proclaimedSibghatullah Mojaddedi its interim President. |
| Gulbuddin Hekmatyar'sHezbi Islami, with the support of neighboringPakistan, began a massive bombardment against the Islamic State in the capitalKabul. | ||
| 28 June | As agreed upon in the Peshawar Accord,Jamiat-e Islami leaderBurhanuddin Rabbani took over as President. | |
| Taliban attacks and looting of theNational Museum of Afghanistan result in loss of 70% of the 100,000 artifacts of Afghan culture and history. | ||
| 1994 | August | TheTaliban government began to form in a small village betweenLashkargah andKandahar. |
| 1995 | January | The Taliban, withPakistani support, initiated a military campaign against the Islamic State of Afghanistan and its capitalKabul. |
| 13 March | Taliban tortured and killedAbdul Ali Mazari leader of theHazara people. | |
| 1996 | 26 September | Afghan Civil War (1996–2001): The forces of the Islamic State retreated to northern Afghanistan. |
| 27 September | Afghan Civil War (1996–2001): The Taliban conquered Kabul and declared the establishment of theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Former PresidentMohammad Najibullah, who had been living underUnited Nations protection in Kabul, was tortured, castrated and executed by Taliban forces. | |
| 30 September | Taliban pass decree that all women should be banned from employment.[22] | |
| 1998 | August | Afghan Civil War (1996–2001): TheTaliban capturedMazar-i-Sharif, forcingAbdul Rashid Dostum into exile. |
| 11 August | Destruction of thePuli Khumri Public Library by the Taliban. The library contained over 55,000 books and old manuscripts and was considered by Afghans as one of the most valuable and beautiful collections of their nation and their culture.[23][24] | |
| 20 August | Operation Infinite Reach: Cruise missiles were fired by theUnited StatesNavy into four militant training camps in theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2 March | Destruction of theBuddhas of Bamiyan by the Taliban with dynamite, on orders from its leaderMullah Omar. |
| 9 September | Resistance leaderAhmad Shah Massoud was killed in a suicide bomb attack by two Arabs who were disguised asFrench news reporters. | |
| 20 September | After theSeptember 11 attacks in theUnited States,U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush demanded the Taliban government to hand overal-Qaeda headOsama bin Laden and close all terrorist training camps in the country, which the Taliban refuses the following day for lack of evidence connecting bin Laden to 9/11 attacks.[25] | |
| 7 October | Operation Enduring Freedom: The United States and theUnited Kingdom began an aerial bombing campaign against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. | |
| October | Reports of Taliban having destroyed at least 2,750 ancient works of art at theNational Museum of Afghanistan during the year. | |
| 5 December | TheUnited Nations Security Council authorized the creation of theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to help maintain security in Afghanistan and assist theKarzai administration.[26] | |
| 20 December | International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany:Hamid Karzai chosen as head of theAfghan Interim Administration. | |
| 2002 | July | 2002 loya jirga: Hamid Karzai appointed as President of theAfghan Transitional Administration inKabul, Afghanistan. |
| 2003 | 14 December | 2003 loya jirga: A 502-delegateloya jirga was held to consider a newAfghan constitution. |
| 2004 | 9 October | Hamid Karzai was elected President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after winning theAfghan presidential election. |
| 2005 | Taliban insurgency: An insurgency began after a Pakistani decision to station around 80,000 soldiers next to the porousDurand Line border with Afghanistan. | |
| 2006 | 1 March | Bush and wife visited Afghanistan to inaugurate the renovatedEmbassy of the United States in Kabul. |
| 2007 | 13 May | Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes: Skirmishes began with Pakistan.[27] |
| 2010 | U.S. PresidentBarack Obama sent additional 33,000 U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan, with the total international troops reaching 150,000. | |
| 2011 | After thedeath of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, many high-profile Afghan officials were assassinated, including among them wereMohammed Daud Daud,Ahmed Wali Karzai,Jan Mohammad Khan,Ghulam Haider Hamidi, andBurhanuddin Rabbani. | |
| National Front of Afghanistan was created byTajik leaderAhmad Zia Massoud,Hazara leaderMuhammad Mohaqiq andUzbek leaderAbdul Rashid Dostum | ||
| 2016 | 31 December | United States troopswithdraw from Afghanistan after 15 years.[28] |
| 2020 | 29 February | U.S. signspeace agreement with Taliban, committing the U.S. to a drawdown of troops and conditional full withdrawal by 1 May 2021. The agreement further required the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan soldiers held by the Taliban. |
| 2021 | 15 January | U.S. completes the final Afghanistan troop drawdown of thefirst Trump administration, reducing the U.S. troop level to 2,500.[29][30] |
| 14 April | US PresidentJoe Biden orders complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by 11 September 2021 (later revised to 31 August 2021). | |
| 1 July | US forces leaveBagram Airfield, its largest base in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years. | |
| 15 August | Kabul falls toTaliban (Fall of Kabul). | |
| 2023 | October - December | Pakistani government ordered theexpulsion of Afghans from Pakistan.[31] Iran also decided to deportAfghan refugees back to Afghanistan a few months later.[32] |
Cities in Afghanistan:
The Oxus Civilization, also named the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (or Culture) (BMAC), developed in southern Central Asia during the Middle and Late Bronze Age and lasted for about half a millennium (ca. 2250–1700 BC)...
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)Nadir received word of the victory in Ali Khayl and immediately set out for the capital, arriving in the city on the 15th.
Even after 14 years of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has not fully succeeded in restoring security to the country or defeating the Taliban. Now, at the request of the new Afghan government, the United States has delayed the completion of its troop withdrawal from the country until 2016 at the earliest.