ETHNOPOLITICS AND PASHTUNIZATION IN AFGHANISTAN DURING THE REIGN OF AMIR ABDUR RAHMAN KHAN

Abstract

This article examines the ethnopolitical strategies and state-building policies implemented during the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan (r. 1880–1901) in Afghanistan. Drawing on both primary sources—such as the Amir’s autobiography (Rahman, 1900)—and secondary historical analyses (Kakar, 1979; Barfield, 2010; Omrani, 2014), the study analyzes the mechanisms through which Abdur Rahman consolidated his power, established a centralized authoritarian regime, and pursued a policy of Pashtunization. The findings reveal that the Amir employed differential policies toward Sunni and Shia Pashtuns, used marriage diplomacy to control tribal elites, created a disciplined national army to suppress uprisings, and strategically elevated or marginalized various ethnic and religious groups. While he allowed certain minorities, such as Hindus and Jews, to freely practice their religion, others—such as the population of Kafiristan—were subjected to forced conversion. These policies not only ensured the Amir’s personal dominance but also laid the institutional and ethnopolitical foundations for the modern Afghan state. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection between tribal politics, religion, and state centralization in late 19th-century Afghanistan.