Challenge: Afghanistan, Cradle of Empire

The challenge here is to create a situation in which Afghanistan, rather than being seen as a high-water mark for massive empires (Macedonian, Soviet, etc.) is better known as a base for starting such conquests.
 
Well, for a very long time it was part of the Persian empire, and even today I believe there is considerable linguistic and cultural overlap between Afghanistan and Iran.

So I guess you would need a Persian-wank really.

Or if you want to really cut the timing fine, and make it a modern country with a reasonably stable government, find a way to not kill off Mohamad Daoud and butterfly away the more radical Communist factions (you would then also need to figure out how to better handle the ethnic and tribal differences in that country).

Kind of getting away from the original purpose though. If you can add Afghanistan to a stable Graeco-Bactrian empire or a stable Persian empire I think you are set.
 
The challenge here is to create a situation in which Afghanistan, rather than being seen as a high-water mark for massive empires (Macedonian, Soviet, etc.) is better known as a base for starting such conquests.

Well, it was the base for several large empires in OTL, such as the aforementioned Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Indo-Scythian Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, and the Mughal Empire (though the Mughals later lost their Afghan territories).

EDIT: Also the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Saffarids, Samanids, and to a lesser extent, the Tahirids.
 
They had a good thing going IRL with Durrani Empire.

Indeed. I don't know much of the history of the area, but perhaps better relations with the Sikhs and more competent rulers following Ahmad Shah might have done wonders for this Afghan Empire. War with Britain, however, was probably inevitable.
 
The challenge here is to create a situation in which Afghanistan, rather than being seen as a high-water mark for massive empires (Macedonian, Soviet, etc.) is better known as a base for starting such conquests.

OTL I think the Mughals started out there.
 
Well, it was the base for several large empires in OTL, such as the aforementioned Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, the Indo-Scythian Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, and the Mughal Empire (though the Mughals later lost their Afghan territories).

EDIT: Also the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Saffarids, Samanids, and to a lesser extent, the Tahirids.
This. Have a PoD that has people having a better knowledge of history, or a less sensationalist media, and you have a reputation for Afghanistan being a cradle of empires. But that would be ASB, especially the media bit.
 
The problem is it seems Afghanistan was a poor country since ages, and so, the dynasties end up moving into better lands like Persia or India...
 
The problem is it seems Afghanistan was a poor country since ages, and so, the dynasties end up moving into better lands like Persia or India...

Afghanistan has fairly fertile lands in the east and the north which can be easily converted into agricultural land with the use of Qanats.
 
Afghanistan has fairly fertile lands in the east and the north which can be easily converted into agricultural land with the use of Qanats.

Yes, but it is not Persia or India.
Also, the irresistible attraction of such big cultures... It's like choosing between hum... Rule over Oklahoma, and New York...
 
Yes, but it is not Persia or India.

Well, you see, the problem is that a polity based in Afghanistan will look towards the rather delicious and politically unstable lands of India-perfect for conquest. Once they conquer it, India's culture generally overwhelms the conqueror and they gradually become more Indian, moving their power center towards India.
 
Well, you see, the problem is that a polity based in Afghanistan will look towards the rather delicious and politically unstable lands of India-perfect for conquest. Once they conquer it, India's culture generally overwhelms the conqueror and they gradually become more Indian, moving their power center towards India.

It's my point. And if not India, Persia - a major culture of islamic world, a pôwer.
 
Well, you see, the problem is that a polity based in Afghanistan will look towards the rather delicious and politically unstable lands of India-perfect for conquest. Once they conquer it, India's culture generally overwhelms the conqueror and they gradually become more Indian, moving their power center towards India.

I have to wonder if that would have happened to Alexander's empire if he kept on conquering.
 
I have to wonder if that would have happened to Alexander's empire if he kept on conquering.

Same thing as OTL; he would have stopped conquering, his empire would fall apart, and he would have spread Hellenic culture only a little bit further.
 
AND HOTHAKI EMPIRE?


persia1725s.gif

In 1709 Mir Wais Hotak no longer recognized Safavid sovereignty, thus establishing the Hotaki Dynasty which ruled over parts of modern Afghanistan with the capital Kandahar. In the following years, Safavid Persia launched campaign after campaign against Kandahar, but failed to take it.
In 1722 Mir Mahmud Shah, successor of Mir Wais Hotak, launched a counterattack, which succeeded in taking the Safavid capital of Isfahan, inj effect ending the Safavid Dynasty. The Hotaki Dynasty held on to Persia until 1729, to Afghanistan until 1738, when they were ousted and the country conquered by Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid Dynasty.

Historical Atlas : Iran Page, Western Central Asia Page, Western Asia Page
List of Wars : Iran


Students' Papers : Kim, Sun Hoo, History of Food and Nutrition in West Asia (2009)
 

persia1725s.gif

In 1709 Mir Wais Hotak no longer recognized Safavid sovereignty, thus establishing the Hotaki Dynasty which ruled over parts of modern Afghanistan with the capital Kandahar. In the following years, Safavid Persia launched campaign after campaign against Kandahar, but failed to take it.
In 1722 Mir Mahmud Shah, successor of Mir Wais Hotak, launched a counterattack, which succeeded in taking the Safavid capital of Isfahan, inj effect ending the Safavid Dynasty. The Hotaki Dynasty held on to Persia until 1729, to Afghanistan until 1738, when they were ousted and the country conquered by Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid Dynasty.

Historical Atlas : Iran Page, Western Central Asia Page, Western Asia Page
List of Wars : Iran


Students' Papers : Kim, Sun Hoo, History of Food and Nutrition in West Asia (2009)

....And the POD maybe suppose AFSHARIDS don't make it....The result maybe a OTTOMAN Persia (or at least a Persia recognizing Ottoman Caliph SUZERAINITY)!
 
The closet to a true Afghan Empire was the Durrani dynasty. Still small compared to others it did what no other Empire that started in Afghanistan did. It managed to consolidate. The modern day Afghanistan is what's left of the Durrani empire. The problem post Ahmad Shah was that his sons weren't competent enough to keep the empire running. Another was that it was very isolationist.

A more powerful, larger Afghanistan in present day would need the backing of European Powers. Specifically the British. Any empire that could threaten their Indian holdings had to be dealt with. If in the Great Game The Durrani Empire was still around and sided with the British they could potentially make large gains into central Russia.

 
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