TheShahada in black on a white field, underneath which is "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" inPashto, both written in calligraphic script
Theflag of Afghanistan (Pashto:د افغانستان بیرغ;Dari:بیرق افغانستان[3]) is thenational flag of theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan, adopted on 15 August 2021 due to theTaliban's victory in the2001–2021 war, features a white field with a blackShahada inscribed.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Since the 20th century, Afghanistan has changed its national flag several times.[10][11] During this period, the national flag had mostly black, red, and green colours.
In contrast, the tricolour flag of the internationally recognizedIslamic Republic of Afghanistan, still in use internationally, consists of three vertical stripes in black, red and green, with thenational emblem at the centre in white. This emblem is encircled by sheaves of wheat and encompasses several elements: aShahada, aTakbir, rays of the sun, a mosque with amihrab andminbar, two miniature Afghan flags, the year 1298 in theSolar Hijri calendar (corresponding to1919 in theGregorian calendar), and the name of the nation. A version of this tricolour flag, introduced byKingAmanullah Khan in July 1928, similarly featured three vertical stripes and an emblem within wheat sheaves.
Symbolism of the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
The current flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a plain white flag with the black words of theshahada in the centre. The white stands for "the (Islamic Movement of Taliban's) purity of faith and government"; the flag incorporated theshahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, after 1997.[12][13]
The current national flag differs from the banners of other jihadist groups, including those ofal-Qaeda and theIslamic State, in having white as its chief colour and theshahada in black, an inversion of the design of the coloring of most jihadist groups' banners. This current Afghan flag likely was inspired by the historicUmayyad caliphate, which began the Muslim conquest of the Indian subcontinent, theGhazwa-e-Hind: Islam entered Afghanistan with the Umayyad invasion, begun in 663–665 A.D. as a prelude to theMuslim conquest of Transoxiana from 673 to 751 A.D.
Three vertical bands of black, red and green with theNational Emblem in white centered on the red band and then slightly overlapping the black and green bands.
Variant flag containing a colored emblem
The national flag of theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan set out in the2004 Constitution consists of a vertical tricolor with the classicalnational emblem in the center. The latest version was adopted on August 19, 2013, but many similar tricolor designs had been in use throughout most of the 20th century, starting in 1928.
During theAfghan Independence Day rallies inJalalabad and other cities on 18 and 19 August 2021, the Taliban killed three people and injured over a dozen others for removing Taliban flags and displaying the tricolor Afghan flags.[22][23] The Taliban has issued a decree requiring the use of the Islamic Emirate's flag in all official settings and outlawing the tricolor.[4]
History of Afghanistan's tricolor flags
The inspiration of the Afghan tricolor in 1928
German flag, in 1919—1933
Afghan flag from 1928
The black color represents its troubled 19th century history as aprotected state, the red color represents the blood of those who fought for independence (specifically, theAnglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919), and the green represents hope and prosperity for the future.[24][25] Some have alternatively interpreted the black to represent history, the red to represent progress, and the green to represent either agricultural prosperity orIslam.[26][27]
Almost every Afghan tricolor flag since 1928 has had theEmblem of Afghanistan in the center. Almost every emblem has had amosque in it, which first appeared in 1901, andwheat, first appearing in 1928.
The last tricolor flag took its current form in 2002 with modifications later on in 2004 and 2013, with some variants containing differing coloured emblems.[29]
Following the restoration of theIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan after theFall of Kabul in 2021, protests took place inJalalabad and other cities, where protesters were seen waving Afghan tricolor flags protesting its removal in defiance of Taliban rule, due to the reinstatement of the white Shahada flag and the abolishment of the former black, red and green tricolor flag.[22]
Black Standard is one of the flags flown by the Islamic prophetMuhammad according to Muslim tradition. It was historically used byAbu Muslim in his uprising leading to theAbbasid Revolution in 747 and is therefore associated with theAbbasid Caliphate in particular. The revolution began with a rebellion inKhorasan. After this event, in the world of Islam, black banners were strongly associated with Khorasan and the East in general.
The next dynasty associated with the use of the Black Banner was theHotak dynasty in the early 18th century, followingMirwais Hotak'sSunni rebellion against theTwelver Shi'iSafavid dynasty. The flags of the Hotak dynasty are remembered as solid black, but sometimes there were also whiteshahada inscriptions.
Solid black flag was last used during the reign ofAbdur Rahman Khan in theEmirate of Afghanistan and in 1901, after his death, a white seal was added to it.
Herat flag (1818–1842)
c. 1818-1842
The Hotak dynasty was overthrown by Persian King,Nader Shah. Following hisassassination in 1747,Ahmad Shah Durrani rose to power inKandahar. He rapidly expanded into neighboring countries such as theMughal Empire,Afsharids, and others. Ahmad Shah became the first Amir of modern Afghanistan (ruled 1747–1772). After the Durranis were deposed from power and forced to exile in Herat after the assassination ofFateh Khan Barakzai, the flag was implemented during the reign ofKamran Shah Durrani in theEmirate of Herat.
Second flag (1901–1919)
1901–1919
State flag and royal banner introduced around 1901, whenHabibullah Khan ascended the throne, and replaced in 1919. Its use was limited to the king, the army and some state services (e.g. customs). Overlaid on a black field was a whiteemblem with a schematic drawing of amosque, inside of which could be seen the mihrâb, a niche for prayer facingMecca, and theminbar (pulpit). The mosque rested on crossed arms and weather vanes and was crowned with a royal headdress (Kolah namadi), all encased in a garland of leaves. The mosque has been used as a national emblem before, but its inclusion on the flag in 1901 is considered the first adoption of anofficial emblem. Since then, most of the later flags include the emblem.[32]
Third flag (1919–1921/29)
1919–1921/29
First flag flown under the rule of EmirAmanullah. He expanded his father's flag by removing the cannons and replacing the wreath with rays emanating from the seal in the form of anoctagram. This new style of seal was common in theOttoman Empire.
Fourth flag (1921–1926/29)
1921–1926/29
An oval replaced the circle inscribing the mosque in 1921. In 1926, Amanullah was proclaimed King and changed the national flag by modernizing the arms.[33]
Fifth flag (1926–1928)
1926–1928
Royal flag of Amanullah Khan (pre 1926–1929)
Royal flag of Amanullah Khan (reverse)
After being crowned the first king of Afghanistan, Amanullah Khan replaced the star with awreath, which, depending on the version, consisted ofolive andoak leaves. The swords and kolah were removed from the emblem, and the mosque was redrawn to be more complex. Despite these changes, during Amanullah Khan's trip to Europe in 1928, he was greeted with flags with the star. In addition to changing the national flag, the king also introduced a personal flag, which contained elements removed from the emblem on a red background on the obverse and royaltughra on the reverse.
Sixth flag (1928)
1928
Next flag flown under King Amanullah, introduced around June 1928. The Black Banner was replaced by the tricolor for the first time. Consisting of black, red and green respectively, symbolizing the past (previous flags), bloodshed for independence (Third Anglo-Afghan War) and hope for the future, it was probably influenced by the king's visit to Europe, and especially theWeimar Republic (which at the time had a black-red-gold flag) in 1927/8.
Seventh flag (1928–1929)
1928–1929 (possible variant)
1928–1929 (possible variant)
1928–1929 (possible variant)
Fifth flag flown under the rule of Amanullah, introduced about a month after the last change. It was the first vertical-tricolored flag which would be used throughout most of the remainder of the 20th century. The emblem was completely changed in the style ofsocialist heraldry, removing religious, military and royal references. The new emblem shows the sun rising over two snow-capped mountains, representing a new beginning for the kingdom. This emblem also contained heaps ofwheat, an icon that would be present on all future emblems of Afghanistan throughout different regimes. Notably, only theSoviet emblem had wheat at the time, and would in the future appear on manycommunist states' flags. The flag is known only through abbreviated descriptions; the chromatics of the central emblem are uncertain, as is the presence of the star. This short-lived innovative emblem did not appear on the currency. The symbol of the sun rising over the mountains appears later in the 1940s on theflag of Pashtunistan.
Eighth flag (1929)
1929
InJanuary 1929, in opposition to Amrullah's reformist rule, theSaqqawists approached Kabul. The king abdicated, leaving power to his brother. During the 3 days of his reign,Inayatullah Khan reportedly hoisted old flags with a solid black background.
Ninth flag (1929)
1929
Flag used for several months in 1929 in areas not underSaqqawist control. DuringAmarullah's struggle to regain power the tricolor flag was restored however, in the center was the old radial emblem – with some modifications – in an elliptical version.
Tenth flag (1929–1931)
1929
Herat flag 1929–1931
Saqqawist forces underHabibullāh Kalakāni established government ofEmirate of Afghanistan on 17 January 1929. Flag flown under the brief rule ofHabibullah Kalakani – a red, black and white verticaltricolor, like the ones used by theMongols during their occupation of Afghanistan in the 13th century.[34] Saqqawist Emirate of Afghanistan controlled only part of Afghanistan, mainly around Kabul and a wide north–south strip along the border withBritish India, present-dayPakistan. The exception was the city ofHerat, which was conquered in an uprising and held long after the fall of the Emirate and Kalakani's death.[35] The insurgents in Herat used a modified Saqqawi flag with a crescentmoon.
Eleventh flag (1929)
1929
Transitional flag used byAli Ahmad Khan's short-lived rival government inJalalabad, in opposition to the Kalakani rebellion.
Twelfth flag (1929–1931)
1929 – 27 March 1931
Direct development of the ninth flag underMohammad Nadir Shah which retained the emblem in the star.
Thirteenth flag (1931–1973)
27 March 1931 – 16 July 1973
Royal standard of the King of Afghanistan (1931–1973)
A modified variant of the fifth flag's wheat emblem replaced the octagram. The year١٣٤٨ (1348 of the lunarIslamic calendar, or 1929 AD of theGregorian calendar; the year Mohammed Nadir Shah's dynasty began) inPersian numerals and a ribbon bearing the inscriptionافغانستان were added below the depiction of the mosque. New royal flags were also introduced based on the 1926 design, which included the national emblem on a red background and a royal tughra on the reverse. This flag has the longest use of any in modern Afghanistan, being used until the1973 Afghan coup d'état which overthrew KingMohammad Zahir Shah. It was officially confirmed in theconstitution of October 1964.
Fourteenth flag (1973–1974)
17 July 1973 – 8 May 1974
First flag flown for theRepublic of Afghanistan, proclaimed after the1973 Afghan coup d'état by the king's cousin, Army GeneralMohammad Daoud Khan, who became the first president. It is identical to the previous flag, except that the year ١٣٤٨ (1348) was removed due to the abolition of the monarchy; this was likely not followed because of the poverty of the country, the low level of public construction and the family links between Daoud and deposed King Zahir Shah.
Fifteenth flag (1974–1978)
9 May 1974 – 26 April 1978
Vertical variant
Standard of the president of Afghanistan (1974–1978)
Second flag flown for the Republic of Afghanistan. The same colors were used, but the meanings reinterpreted: black for the obscure past, red for blood shed for independence, and green for prosperity from agriculture. In thecanton is a new seal, with agolden eagle with spread wings, a pulpit (minbar) on the eagle's chest (for a mosque), wheat surrounding the eagle, and the sun's rays above the eagle (for the new republic). The cartouche bears the name of the country and the date of the revolution according to the local solar calendar, 26 changash 1352, or 17 July 1973. President Daoud also changed the flag of the head of state by replacing it with a new emblem, and the flag became double-sided.
Sixteenth flag (1978)
27 April 1978 – 18 October 1978
When the republic's president Mohammad Daoud Khan was killed in acoup, the new regime under thePeople's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) established acommunist state. For a brief period of time, during the transition, the same flag design was kept, but no seal. A similar flag was used by theJunbish-e Milli party which controlled autonomous northern Afghanistan from 1992 to 1998.
Under the Fundamental Principles program of the new leadership underBabrak Karmal, the traditional black, red and greentricolor was re-established, representing the past, blood shed for independence, and theIslamic faith, respectively. A new seal was designed, with a rising sun (a reference to the former name,Khorasan, meaning "Land of the Rising Sun"), a pulpit and a book, ribbons with the national colors, a cogwheel for industry, and ared star forcommunism. The seal's ribbons and wheat has similarities to the then-East German andRomanian seals.
Nineteenth flag (1987–1992)
30 November 1987 – 26 April 1992
The flag was changed as part ofMohammad Najibullah's National Reconciliation constitution changes. Same as the previous flag, except that in the national seal, the cogwheel is moved from the top to the bottom, the red star and the book are removed, and the green field curved to resemble the horizon.
Twentieth flag (1992)
27 April 1992 − 6 December 1992
27 April 1992 − 6 December 1992
This flag was used as a provisional flag after the fall of the Najibullah pro-Soviet regime. It appeared in many variants of which two are shown here. The upper stripe contains theTakbir, whereas the center stripe (now white, with the red entirely removed from the flag) contains theShahada.
Twenty-first flag (1992–2002)
7 December 1992 – 27 September 1996; 27 September 1996 – 27 January 2002 (Northern Alliance)
The new Islamic government underRabbani featured a flag change. The color scheme is similar to several Middle Eastern Muslim nations' flags. Elements from the times of the monarchy returned to the emblem, but with the addition of theShahada and drawn completely differently swords representing the mujahideen's victory. It now shows the year ١۲۹٨ (1298), thesolar Islamic calendar equivalent of AD 1919 of theGregorian Calendar, the year of full independence. On the bottom part of the emblem was written "دا افغانستان اسلامی دولت",Islamic State of Afghanistan. The rays of the rising sun have survived on the emblem. This pattern was used longer in areas that theTaliban did not control after winning thebattle for Kabul, i.e. the north of the country. In 2021, the flag returned among the flags of theNational Resistance Front of Afghanistan.
In 1997, the Taliban introduced theArabicShahada in black on a white flag as the national flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.[36][37][38][2]
Twenty-fourth flag (2001–2002)
13 November 2001 – 27 January 2002
This flag was used by President Rabbani along with the national flag after the fall of the Taliban government. Same as the 1992 flag, but with a blueShahada.
Twenty-fifth flag (2002)
28 January 2002 – 27 June 2002
After the fall of the Taliban, the traditional black, red and green colors were restored and in a vertical pattern, just as the ones flown from 1928 to 1974. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan – it is the same version as used in the 1992 flag, but with the swords removed.
Twenty-sixth flag (2002–2004)
27 June 2002 – 9 October 2004
The Loya Jirga of spring 2002 voted the Afghan national flag with some changes including the coat of arms being gold instead of white, the year now dating "1380" under the mosque instead of "1348". In June 2002, Afghanistan officially changed its national flag from a white coat of arms in the center of the flag to a gold coat of arms which symbolizes the colour of a wheat wreath.[29]
The2004 constitution adopted underHamid Karzai's presidency adopts an emblem more akin to the last emblem from the reign of the kingdom.[40][41] The flag was used in many variants by the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and after its collapse is one of the flags of the anti-Taliban opposition. In 2004, the flag of the head of state was introduced again, this time in opposite colors than the flag from the time of Daud. However, a newer emblem appeared only in 2013, when Karzai was replaced byAshraf Ghani.
Twenty-eighth flag (2021–present)
15 August 2021 – present
15 August 2021 – present (version 1)
15 August 2021 – present (version 2)
In 2021, the Taliban re-introduced the flag of the Islamic Emirate. As with the first adoption of the Taliban flag, many variants appeared this time, among others,Shahada on a white flag with "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" inPashto written below theArabicShahada;[42] aDari Persian version of the flag has also been observed, although less frequently.
Unicode
The flag of Afghanistan is represented as theUnicodeemoji sequenceU+1F1E6🇦REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER A andU+1F1EB🇫REGIONAL INDICATOR SYMBOL LETTER F, making "🇦🇫". Emoji platforms continue to represent it with the flag used by theIslamic Republic of Afghanistan.[43]
Gallery
Flags of Afghanistan onKoht-e Sangi during Independence Day
^"Afghanistan".The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 11 August 2021.Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved16 August 2021.
^Artimovich, Nick; McMillan, Joe; Macdonald, Ian (21 September 2016)."Historical Flags (Afghanistan)".Flags of the World.Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved11 February 2020.
^Smith, Whitney (25 March 2004)."Flag of Afghanistan".Encyclopaedia Britannica.Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved11 February 2020.
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