Timeline+of+Instability+2

=**__Timeline of Instability__ **=

 **__1__ __921__ **
 * __522 BCE-1842__**
 * Darius the Great of the Persian Empire expands its rule into what is now modern day Afghanistan.
 * his rule had constant revolts from Afghan tribes living in Arachosia area (modern day it contains the cities of Kandahar, and Quetta).
 * Genghis Khan invades Afghanistan, destroying the irrigation system turning the fertile soil to dessert
 * During this time many revolts occur throughout empire, internal Pashtun tribal tension
 * British invade Afghanistan out fear that Russians invade India from Afghanistan, the first “Anglo-Afghan War”.
 * British destroy Afghanistan


 * **British and Afghan War **
 * **British are defeated **


 * __1947-1961__ **


 * India gains independence from Britain. Pakistan is created out of India and Afghanistan
 * Afghanistan refuses the boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan
 * The land between Pakistan and Afghanistan is called Pashtunistan
 * Mohammad Daoud becomes Prime Minister
 * Asks Soviet Union for military aid against Pakistan
 * Nikita Kruschev, leader of Soviet Union, agrees to aid Afghanistan
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pakistan and Afghanistan almost engage in war over Pashtunistan


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__1965__ **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Afghan Communist Party was formed by Babrak Karmal
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Karmal elected to Parlament and fuels riots against current government
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Two governments are formed
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Monarchy government is lead by previous king Zahir and prime minister Yussof
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Communist government lead by Babrak Karmal


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__1973-1978__ **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">While Zahir is in Europe, the monarchy is overthrown by Daoud Khan and Afghan Communist Party **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Daoud removes monarchy and estabilishes himself President of the Republic of Afghanistan **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Communist Coup and new President Taraki signs treaty with Soviet Union **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mujahideen Afghan guerrillas are born **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__1979-1989__ **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to battle Mujahideen
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Soviet Union was defeated
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mujahideen overthrow Afghan government


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__1992-present__ **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Mujahideen form an Islamic State--Islamic Jihad Council
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">New Taliban militia are born and attack new government
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">capture much of Afghanistan and overthrow government
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">enforce strict Islamic law against men and women
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">destroy many historical statues
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Earthquake destroys Afghanistan in 1998, leaving it in further turmoil
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">United States becomes involved and begins to destroy terrorist bases in Afghanistan
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">September 11th suicide attacks ruin World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a result, the U.S and U.K increase air strikes and raids on Taliban and Afghanistan
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2004 Afghanistan creates a new constitution and forms a republic with 3 branches of government similar to the United States
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: circle; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Presidential elections are held and Hamid Karzai is elected new President
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Barack Obama planned the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan by 2012
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">President Karzai is currently holding peace talks with Taliban Leaders to end conflict in Afghanistan

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 15: **
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“he wedded my mother, sofia Akrami... a decendent of the royal family” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“When I was in fifth grade, we had a mullah who taught us about islam”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"I was a pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi'a"
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 25: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Hassan’s favorite book by far was the shahnamah, the tenth century epic of ancient persian heroes”
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 29: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The end, the official end, would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup detat, and then in December 1979, when russian tanks would roll into the very same streets.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Kabul awoke the next morning to find that the monarchy was a thing of the past. the king, zahir shah, was away in italy. jn his absence, his cousin Daoud khan had ended the kings forty year reign with a bloodless coup”
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 36: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"The King is gone. Good Riddance. Long live the president! my father knows Daoud Khan, did you know that, Amir?"
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 39: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“For the next couple of years, the words economic development and reform danced on a lot of lips in Kabul. The constitutional monarchy had been abolished, replaced by a republic, led by a president of the republic...People spoke of women’s rights and modern technology.”
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">pg 43: **

=**Discussion Questions**=

<span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">"marrying a poet was one thing, but fathering a son who preferred burying his face in poetry books to hunting...well, That wasn't how Baba envisioned it,..." pg. 19-20 Q: Earlier in the book Baba mentions his personal beliefs against religious figures that Amir comes in contact with. This was a view different from the what was commonly accepted. Khusha Khan Khattak the "warrior poet" is a famous figure of Afghan history for inspiring many against the Moghul empire through his blood boiling poems, but how would Baba feel about Khattak's poems?

"That Hassan would grow up illiterate like Ali and most Hazaras had been decided the minute he had been born..." pg. 28 Q: Do you think the degradation caused by prejudice towards Hazaras is similar to the degradation of Blacks in American history?

"Hassan held the slingshot pointed directly at Assef's face." pg. 42 Q: Prior to the years of the American civil war, there were a number of plantation revolts where slaves would kill their masters. But there was a distinction between field slaves and house slaves. Field slaves were treated as horses would be treated, expected to work outside all day and whipped when they started dragging their feet. House slaves were expected to do all the in door chores, which because of the close proximity to their masters where better clothed, bathed, and even formed a kind of friendship with their masters. Some house slaves even died defending their masters in revolts. Do you think Hassan is similar to an American house slave?

"“They called him “flat-nosed” Because of Ali and Hassan’ characteristics Hazara Mongoloid features.” pg.9 Q: Do you think that the Hazara prejudice comes from a very old hatred of the outside forces of Genghis Khan, and later the Moghuls?

"The end, the offical end, would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup d'etat, and then in December 1979, when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting." pg. 36 Q: Given Afghanistan's turbulent past and present, do you think Afganistan will ever become a lasting stable region?


 * References:**

A. Afghanistan History. (n.d.). Afghanistan Online. Retrieved from: []

B. Hosseini, K. (2003). //The Kite Runner//. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

C. Tamerlane. (2011). s9.com. Retrieved from: []