The Turbulent History of Kandahar: Afghanistan’s Forgotten Heartland
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Kandahar, the second-largest city in Afghanistan, is more than just a dot on the map. It’s a place where empires have risen and fallen, where cultures have clashed and blended, and where the echoes of history still shape the present. From its ancient roots as a crossroads of trade to its modern role as a Taliban stronghold, Kandahar’s story is one of resilience, conflict, and enduring significance.
Kandahar’s history stretches back over two millennia. According to legend, the city was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, named as Alexandria in Arachosia. While archaeological evidence is sparse, the region’s strategic location along trade routes connecting Persia, India, and Central Asia made it a prized possession for conquerors.
By the 1st century CE, Kandahar became a center of Buddhist culture. The famous Kandahar Edict of Ashoka, inscribed in Greek and Aramaic, stands as a testament to the region’s multicultural past. For centuries, the city thrived as a hub for merchants, monks, and scholars traveling the Silk Road.
The arrival of Islam in the 7th century transformed Kandahar. Arab armies swept through, bringing a new faith and governance. By the 10th century, the Ghaznavid Empire, with its Turkic roots, turned Kandahar into a military outpost. The city’s fortifications grew, and its role as a defensive stronghold became clear.
In 1709, Mirwais Hotak, a local tribal leader, led a rebellion against Persian rule, establishing the Hotak Dynasty. This marked the beginning of Afghan self-rule and set the stage for Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of modern Afghanistan, who made Kandahar his capital in 1747. The city flourished under Durrani’s rule, becoming a center of Pashtun culture and politics.
Kandahar’s strategic importance made it a battleground during the 19th-century Anglo-Afghan Wars. The British Empire, seeking to counter Russian influence, invaded Afghanistan twice—occupying Kandahar in 1839 and again in 1878. Both times, fierce Afghan resistance, often led by tribal leaders from Kandahar, forced their retreat.
The 1893 Durand Line, drawn by British diplomat Mortimer Durand, split Pashtun lands between Afghanistan and British India (later Pakistan). This arbitrary border sowed lasting tensions, as Kandahar’s Pashtun population found themselves divided by colonial politics—a rift that still fuels conflict today.
When Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Kandahar became a key battleground. The city’s conservative Pashtun population fiercely resisted communist rule, aligning with the U.S.-backed Mujahideen. The war left Kandahar in ruins, but it also empowered radical Islamist factions that would later form the Taliban.
In 1994, the Taliban emerged from Kandahar’s religious schools, led by Mullah Omar. The city became their de facto capital, where they imposed strict Sharia law. After the U.S. invasion in 2001, Kandahar remained a Taliban stronghold, even as NATO forces tried to stabilize the region.
In August 2021, the Taliban recaptured Kandahar as part of their swift takeover of Afghanistan. The city once again serves as a political and ideological center for the regime. But life under Taliban 2.0 is far from stable—economic collapse, drought, and international isolation have left Kandahar’s people struggling.
Kandahar remains a major hub for opium production, fueling both the local economy and global narcotics networks. The Taliban, despite pledging to eradicate drugs, have quietly profited from the trade, leaving Western nations grappling with the fallout.
Under Taliban rule, Kandahar’s women face severe restrictions—banned from education, work, and public life without a male guardian. The international community watches with concern, but so far, diplomatic pressure has done little to change the regime’s policies.
Kandahar’s history is a cycle of conquest and resistance. Today, the city stands at another crossroads—will it remain a bastion of extremism, or can it reclaim its legacy as a center of trade and culture? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Kandahar’s story is far from over.