Early History

Afghanistan is located at the crossroads of several great civilizations and religions. Northern Afghanistan is one of the likely birthplaces of Zoroaster, and the religion he founded, Zoroastrianism, had a significant influence in the region for many centuries. In the 6th century BCE, the Achaemenid Persian Empire conquered the territory. In 330 BCE, the Macedonian armies of Alexander the Great captured the region, which became home for a significant number of Greek colonists and a center of Hellenism in Central Asia. Shortly afterward, the Maurya Empire, based in India, conquered much of southern Afghanistan and introduced Buddhism. In the 2nd century BCE, the Kushans established an empire based in Afghanistan that lasted almost 400 years; their religious toleration led to the flourishing of various traditions, particularly Mahayana Buddhism. The Kushan Empire entered a prolonged decline after 300 CE, as various other Indo-European peoples established control over the area. Muslim armies arrived in the 7th century, and once again established Afghanistan as a center for learning and culture. Turkic migrations disrupted the region after the 10th century, but it was the arrival of Mongol armies under Genghis Khan that shattered the political structure of the region. During the following centuries, various dynasties struggled for control of Afghanistan. By the 16th century, the main contenders were the Mughal Empire in India and the Safavids in Iran. By exploiting the rivalry between these two powers, local Pashtun tribes were eventually able to achieve some measure of independence.