Before Taliban

Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad

David B. Edwards

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English

California Uni Pr Trade
02 April 2002

Biography: general; Regional studies; History; Asian history; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Political leaders & leadership

In this powerful book, David B. Edwards traces the lives of three recent Afghan leaders in Afghanistan's history--Nur Muhammad Taraki, Samiullah Safi, and Qazi Amin Waqad--to explain how the promise of progress and prosperity that animated Afghanistan in the 1960s crumbled and became the present tragedy of discord, destruction, and despair. Before Taliban builds on the foundation that Edwards laid in his previous book, Heroes of the Age, in which he examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century--a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state.

In the mid twentieth century, Afghans believed their nation could be a model of economic and social development that would inspire the world. Instead, political conflict, foreign invasion, and civil war have left the country impoverished and politically dysfunctional. Each of the men Edwards profiles were engaged in the political struggles of the country's recent history. They hoped to see Afghanistan become a more just and democratic nation. But their visions for their country were radically different, and in the end, all three failed and were killed or exiled. Now, Afghanistan is associated with international terrorism, drug trafficking, and repression. Before Taliban tells these men's stories and provides a thorough analysis of why their dreams for a progressive nation lie in ruins while the Taliban has succeeded. In Edwards's able hands, this culturally informed biography provides a mesmerizing and revealing look into the social and cultural contexts of political change.

By: David B. Edwards
Imprint: California Uni Pr Trade
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 590g
ISBN: 9780520228610
ISBN 10: 0520228618
Pages: 376
Publication Date: 02 April 2002
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations Significant Persons and Parties Preface 1. Introduction: Into Forbidden Afghanistan Part One: The Saur Revolution 2. Lives of the Party 3. The Armature of Khalqi Power Coda: The Death of a President Part Two: The Pech Uprising 4. A Son of Safi 5. Anatomy of a Tribal Uprising Coda: The Death of a Safi Daughter Part Three: The Islamic Jihad 6. The Muslim Youth 7. Fault Lines in the Afghan Jihad Coda: The Death of Majrooh Epilogue: Topakan and Taliban Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

David B. Edwards is Professor of Anthropology at Williams College. He is the author of Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines on the Afghan Frontier (California, 1996).

Reviews for Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad

Powerful explanation of how the promise of progress and prosperity that animated Afghanistan in the 1960s crumbled and became a tragedy of discord, destruction and despair. --Banner