Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Pasts and Anticipations

Anwesha Ghosh

Afghanistan under the Taliban: Pasts and Anticipations explores the country’s turbulent trajectory in the aftermath of the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Situating contemporary developments within Afghanistan’s long history of regime change, it examines the Taliban’s consolidation of power, their governance challenges, and the shifting dynamics of the region. The book provides a detailed analysis of Afghanistan’s relations with the neighbouring countries, highlighting the complex interplay of history, geopolitics, and security concerns. Combining historical reflection with assessments of present realities and future possibilities, it sheds light on the factors that may shape Afghanistan’s path ahead. As one of the first comprehensive studies of Afghanistan’s recent transformation authored by a regional scholar, it provides nuanced perspectives on the Taliban’s resurgence and its broader implications for Afghanistan and the region.

Anwesha Ghosh

Dr Anwesha Ghosh is currently a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi. Prior to joining ICWA, she served as a lecturer at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany. She holds both a Doctorate and a Post-Doctorate in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Erfurt. Dr Ghosh earned her MPhil from the Institute of Foreign Policy Studies in Kolkata and holds dual Master’s degrees—one in History from the University of Calcutta and another in Development Studies from the University of Rome, La Sapienza. She has been awarded several prestigious scholarships, including the DAAD—German Academic Exchange Service Scholarship—which supported her doctoral research in Germany. With over ten years of research experience, Dr Ghosh’s work primarily focuses on Afghanistan, with her areas of expertise spanning migration, diaspora, India’s foreign policy, and aid diplomacy. She is the author of multiple books, including A Leap Forward: Capacity Building, Education and India-Afghanistan Cooperation (KW Publishers, 2013), Afghan Women in Transition: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (KW Publishers, 2017), and Identity and Marginality in India: Settlement Experiences of Afghan Migrants (Routledge, 2020).

Contents

Maps of Afghanistan
Chronology of Key Events
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Tables, Figures and Maps

1. The ‘Crisis’ in Afghanistan: History Repeats Itself
2. US Withdrawal and the Disintegration of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
3. Return to Power: Three Years of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan
4. Afghanistan’s Neighbourly Relations since the Taliban’s Resurgence
5. Navigating Change: India-Afghanistan Relations after the Taliban’s Return
6. The Taliban’s Thrust on the Region
7. Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan and Its Neighbours: Factors Affecting Regional Ties
8. Echoes of the Past: Lessons from History that May Favour the Taliban Regime
9. The Future of Afghanistan: What Lies Ahead?

Select Bibliography

Index