Qawm: Tribe-State Relations in Afghanistan from Darius to Karzai

142 Pages·2014·2.3 MB·English

Qawm: Tribe-State Relations in
Afghanistan from Darius to Karzai
Author: Alexander Charles Guittard
Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1975
This work is posted on eScholarship@BC,
Boston College University Libraries.
Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2011
Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted.
BOSTON COLLEGE

QAWM:
TRIBE-STATE RELATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
FROM DARIUS TO KARZAI

A Senior Thesis

Submitted to

The College of Arts and Sciences

Islamic Civilizations and Societies Program

By

ALEXANDER GUITTARD

11 May 2011
© ALEXANDER CHARLES GUITTARD
2011
“All politics is local”

Thomas Phillip “Tip” O’Neill, ’36
Table of Contents

List of Figures iii

Acknowledgements iv

Maps v

1 Questions in Kabul:
An Introduction to the Political Geography of Afghanistan 1

2 The State-Society Balance of Power:
Theoretical Approaches to Tribe-State Relations in Afghanistan 10

3 Foreign Invaders and Tribal Confederacies:
Tribe-State Relations from Prehistory to the Nineteenth Century 21

4 “A beautiful monument without a foundation”:
State Building in Afghanistan from 1880 to 1978 45

5 Invasion, Civil War, and Extremism:
The Collapse of Central Power in Afghanistan from 1978 to 2001 73

Tribal Democracy:
Contemporary Developments and a New Approach to Governance 102

Glossary 118

Bibliography 123

ii
List of Figures

Provinces of Afghanistan v

Map of Nuristan vi

Map of Panjsher vii

Macro Distribution of Ethnicities of Afghanistan 4

Strong Societies and Weak States 16

The Durrani Dynasty (1747-1973) 39

Fusion and Fission in Modern Afghanistan 104

Estimates of Taliban Strength (2002-2006) 113

iii
Acknowledgements

This thesis is the product of almost two years of research, interviews, and
drafts compiled in the midst of completing my undergraduate coursework and Army
officer training. Though the errors are mine alone, this work could not have been
completed without the friendship, support and council of many. My academic
advisor, Dr. Ali Banuazizi, provided invaluable guidance and motivation throughout
my research and writing. Without his assistance, this thesis would not have been
completed. Dr. Kathleen Bailey similarly offered important direction and editorial
advice that was essential to the completion of this work.
My research trips to Afghanistan, which were supported financially by Boston
College, owed their success to the hardworking and professional staff of the
American Institute of Afghanistan Studies in Kabul. Dr. Omar Sharifi provided
insight and introductions, set up interviews, and made his staff, Zafar, Rouallah, and
Wali, available to support my research. Whether by providing a letter of introduction
to a government official or guiding me through the book bazaar, I would not have
made it far from my hotel without the help of the AIAS in Kabul.
The interviews and primary document research conducted for this thesis could
not have been completed without the patient and skilled language instruction of Dr.
Franck Salameh, Dr. Sassan Tabatabai, Dr. Atef Ghrobrial, and Dr. Louissa
Abdelghany. My theoretical approach to tribe-state relations was developed during
research with Dr. Robert Ross, Boston College’s resident realist. Dr. Donald Hafner,
Dr. Kenji Hayo, Dr. Marc Landy, Dr. Hiroshi Nakazato, and Dr. David DiPasquale
were also mentors to whom I owe the development of my analytical and research
skills.
My superior officers also contributed to the completion of this thesis by
allowing me to lighten my workload over the past semester. Some were more helpful
than others, but I am grateful for the consideration I received.
Most importantly, my family and close friends provided me with much needed
encouragement and support throughout this project. This thesis, and indeed my entire
education, would not have been completed without the support of my family. They
tolerated my extended trips overseas and weekends in my office and did not object
when I commandeered the dining room table because my desk was too small. My
girlfriend, Lisette Garcia, was a constant source of motivation and support, bringing
me late-night dinners and assisting with the editing and proof reading of the final
drafts.
Finally, this thesis was completed in spite of the best attempts of my
roommates and close friends, all of whom engaged in a concerted effort to distract me
from this project by their constant invitations to carouse around Cleveland Circle.

iv
Provinces of Afghanistan

1. Herat 18. Kunduz
2. Farah 19. Baghlan
3. Nimruz 20. Parwan
4. Badghis 21. Wardak

5. Faryab 22. Kabul
6. Ghor 23. Logar

7. Helmand 24. Paktia
8. Jowzjan 25. Paktika

9. Sar-e Pol 26. Khost
10. Daykundi 27. Takhar

11. Oruzgan 28. Panjshir
12. Qandahar 29. Kapisa

13. Balkh 30. Badakhshan
14. Samangan 31. Nuristan

15. Bamyan 32. Laghman
16. Ghazni 33. Nangarhar

17. Zabul 34. Kunar
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