Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires

As the current events in Kabul unfold, we’ve decided to shed light on the turbulent history of Afghanistan, a land often referred to as the “Graveyard of Empires.”

Landlocked and mountainous, Afghanistan lies at the very heart of Asia. It connects three major cultural and geopolitical regions: the Indian subcontinent to the southeast, Central Asia to the north, and the Iranian plateau to the west. This crossroads position has long made it both a strategic prize and a perilous challenge for empires and superpowers alike. But history has consistently proven one thing: while invading Afghanistan may be tempting, holding it is an entirely different story.

The British Empire, at the height of its power, fought three major wars in Afghanistan between 1839 and 1919 in an attempt to curb the growing influence of the Russian Empire in Central Asia. Each campaign was met with fierce resistance and ended in humiliating retreat. One of the most infamous examples was the First Anglo-Afghan War, where an entire British-Indian army was nearly wiped out during its retreat from Kabul in 1842 — a defining moment in colonial history.

The map above is a powerful symbol of the political rivalry that consumed the 19th and early 20th centuries — a period known as The Great Game. This geopolitical chess match between Britain and Russia saw Afghanistan used as a buffer state, caught between two empires fearful of each other’s advance. The map itself is the product of a rare collaboration: a joint Anglo-Russian Boundary Commission formed in the mid-1880s, which sought to define Afghanistan’s northern borders, particularly along the Amu Darya River. Despite the formalities, tensions remained high, and the fate of Afghanistan continued to be decided not just by its own people, but by outsiders vying for dominance.

But Afghanistan’s encounters with invading forces began long before the British or Russians. In 330 BC, Alexander the Great marched through the region during his campaign against the Persian Empire. The land proved difficult to tame, with fierce tribal resistance and rugged terrain. Nevertheless, traces of Alexander’s campaign remain to this day, in the form of cities he founded, such as Alexandria Arachosia — known today as Kandahar, derived from Iskandahar, the local form of Alexander.

Centuries later, during the 7th to 9th centuries, the region faced new conquests from the west — this time from the expanding Islamic Caliphate. Under the leadership of Caliph Umar and his successors, Afghanistan was gradually brought under Islamic rule. While military conquest played a role, it was also through trade, scholarship, and cultural exchange that Islam took root, eventually becoming a central part of Afghan identity.

Between the 13th and 20th centuries, wave after wave of empires tried their luck. The Mongols under Genghis Khan razed cities, but couldn’t hold them. The Mughals brought imperial splendor but failed to fully integrate the land. The Sikhs, briefly, sought to expand their empire westward. And in the 20th century, the Soviet Union, in one of the most infamous military quagmires of the modern era, spent a decade fighting a costly and ultimately futile war in Afghanistan — a conflict that contributed to its eventual collapse.

And now, as we witness history unfold once again in real time, it feels eerily familiar. Foreign powers retreat, local forces fill the vacuum, and Afghanistan enters another chapter in its long, complex, and painful story. Once again, it reaffirms its title as the Graveyard of Empires — not out of pride or glory, but as a testament to the resilience of its people and the heavy price paid by those who underestimate it.

We wish safety, peace, and security to all Afghans during these uncertain times. 🇦🇫