This is a timeline of Afghan history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Afghanistan and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Afghanistan. See also the list of heads of state of Afghanistan and the list of years in Afghanistan.
Prehistory Year Date Event50,000 BCEFirst known evidences of humans living in Afghanistan, and that farming communities of the region were among the earliest in the world.3300–2350 BCEThe Bronze Age Helmand culture in the middle and lower valley of the Helmand River, in southern Afghanistan (Kandahar, Helmand and Nimruz province) and eastern Iran (Sistan and Baluchestan province). 2400-1700 BCE The Bronze Age Oxus civilization in present-day northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan.
16th century BCE Year Date Event 1500 BCE The earliest textual mention of Gandhara civilization, in ancient Indian manuscripts the Rigveda and the Zoroastrian Avesta.
6th century BCE Year Date Event 550 BCE Cyrus II captures Kabul, which becomes a center of learning for Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. 516 BCE Darius I invades Afghanistan, makes it part of the Achaemenid Empire.
4th century BCE Year Date Event 330-327 BCE Alexander III of Macedon conquers Afghanistan. 312 BCE Afghanistan becomes part of the Seleucid Empire after the death of Alexander III and breakup of the Macedonian Empire. 305-303 BCE The Hindu Kush, Gandhara, Arachosia (centered around ancient Kandahar) and areas south of Bagram become part of the Maurya Empire after Chandragupta Maurya defeats Seleucus I in the Seleucid–Mauryan war. Introduction of Buddhism to the region which becomes a major religion alongside Zoroastrianism and ancient Hinduism.
1st century BCE Year Date Event 15 BCE Buddhist Apracharajas dynasty with territory covering Swat, Gandhara, Taxila, and parts of eastern Afghanistan. (till 50 CE)
1st century CE Year Date Event 19 CE Suren kingdom founded by Gondophares with capitals in Kabul and Taxila, and territory covering southern Afghanistan, eastern Iran and northwest regions of the Indian subcontinent. (till 226 CE) 30 CE 27 January Kushan Empire founded by Kujula Kadphises in the Arghandab River valley.Osmund Bopearachchi, 2007, Some observations on the chronology of the early Kushans (till 375 CE)
2nd century Year Date Event 120 Kanishka becomes emperor of the Kushan Empire. He extends his empire from present-day southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, north of the Amu Darya (Oxus) in the north west to Northern India, as far as Pataliputra in the Gangetic Plains. A follower of Buddhism, he encourages Buddhist teachings, art and architecture. 151 Kanishka Stupa is built. Reported by modern archeologists and ancient Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang to have had a diameter of 87 metres, height of 180–210 metres and covered with jewels.Dobbins (1971). 191 Vasudeva I becomes emperor of the Kushan Empire. His reign lasts till 232 CE.
4th century Year Date Event 320 Kidara Huns kingdom established, lasts till about 467.
5th century Year Date Event 440 Hephthalite (White Huns) empire established with its capital at Kunduz. Buddhism, Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism were their major religions.
6th century Year Date Event 570 The smaller of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, known as the "Eastern Buddha" built (approximate year based on carbon dating), during Hephthalite rule.
7th century Year Date Event 618 The larger of the Buddhas of Bamiyan, known as the "Western Buddha" built (approximate year based on carbon dating) during Hephthalite rule. 630 Chinese monk, scholar and traveler Xuanzang visits Balkh, reports about a 100 Buddhist convents, 30,000 monks, large number of stupas and other religious monuments. The most remarkable stupa was the Navbahara, which possessed a gigantic statue of the Buddha. 665 Establishment of the Buddhist Turk Shahi dynasty, with its capital in Kapisi near the present-day town of Bagram. 680 Establishment of the Zunbil dynasty in present southern Afghanistan region, with its capital in Ghazni. 683 Turk Shahi king routs the Arab army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by Yazid ibn Ziyad, who is killed in battle and an Arab invasion is decisively repulsed. 698 Zunbil king defeats an Arab 'Army of Destruction' led by Ubayd Allah b. Abi Bakra, who is forced to offer a large tribute, give hostages including three of his sons and take an oath not to invade Zunbil again. Twenty five thousand of the thirty thousand strong Arab army killed.
9th century Year Date Event 815 Defeat of the Turk Shahis by the Arab Abbasid Caliphate. The Turk Shah is forced to convert to Islam and pay an annual tribute. 850 Overthrow of the unpopular Turk Shah Lagaturman by his minister Kallar and establishment of the Hindu Shahi dynasty.
10th century Year Date Event 964 Jayapala of the Hindu Shahi dynasty conducts a number of invasions of Ghazni, the capital city of the Ghaznavids.
11th century Year Date Event 1001 27 November Mahmud of Ghazni's army defeats the Hindu Shahi army of Jayapala in the Battle of Peshawar (1001)
13th century Year Date Event 1219-1221 Mongol invasion of Afghanistan as part of the Mongol conquest of the Khwarazmian Empire, resulting in thousands killed in the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad. 1221 In pursuit of the fleeing Khwarazmian king Jalal al-Din Mangburni, Genghis Khan massacres the entire population of Bamiyan after his favorite grandson Mutukan is killed in the Siege of Bamyan, but leaves the Buddhas of Bamiyan unharmed. 1259 Division of the Mongol Empire after Genghis's death. Afghanistan become part of the Chagatai Khanate.
14th century Year Date Event 1383-1385 Invasion of Afghanistan by Timur, leader of neighboring Transoxiana (roughly modern-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and adjacent areas), becomes a part of the Timurid Empire.
16th century Year Date Event 1504 Babur, deposed ruler of Fergana and Samarkand captures Kabul (Siege of Kabul (1504)).
18th century Year Date Event 1709 21 April Mirwais Hotak, an influential Afghan tribal chief, gained independence at Kandahar after a successful revolution against the Persian Safavid dynasty. 1709–1713 The Persian government sent two large armies to regain Kandahar Province but suffered defeat by the Afghans. 1715 November Mirwais died of a natural cause and his brother Abdul Aziz inherited the throne until he was killed by Mahmud Hotaki, son of Mirwais. 1722 Battle of Gulnabad: Led by Mahmud, the Afghan army captured the Safavid capital of Isfahan and Mahmad was declared Shah of Persia. 1725 22 April Mahmud was murdered by his cousin Ashraf, son of Abdul Aziz, and succeeded him as Shah of Persia. 1729 29 September Battle of Damghan: Afsharid forces led by Nader Shah defeated Ashraf and his forces. 1738 Nader invaded and destroyed Kandahar, and restored the Abdali ethnic Pashtus to political prominence. 1747 19 June Ahmad Shah Durrani of the Abdali Pashtun confederacy declared the establishment of an independent Afghanistan, with its capital at Kandahar.
19th century Year Date Event 1809 Durrani signed a treaty of alliance with the United Kingdom. 1819 July Battle of Shopian: Sikh Khalsa Army of Ranjit Singh defeated the Durrani force led by governor Jabbar Khan, annexing Kashmir into the Sikh Empire. 1823 Dost Mohammad Khan took the throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself emir. March Battle of Nowshera: Sikh Khalsa Army of Ranjit Singh defeated a Durrani force led by Azim Khan, capturing the Peshawar Valley. 1837 November Siege of Herat: A Persian force attempts to capture Herat but are defeated and leave in 1838. 1839 March First Anglo-Afghan War: A British expeditionary force captured Quetta. 23 July British capture Ghazni in the Battle of Ghazni and install Shuja Shah Durrani as the puppet ruler of Afghanistan. 1841 November First Anglo-Afghan War: A mob killed the British envoy to Afghanistan. 1842 January Massacre of Elphinstone's army: A retreating British With mostly Indian regiment force of sixteen thousand was massacred by the Afghans. 1857 Afghanistan declared war on Persia. Afghan forces re-captured Herat. 1878 January Second Anglo-Afghan War: Afghanistan refused a British diplomatic mission, provoking a second Anglo-Afghan war. 1879 May Second Anglo-Afghan War: To prevent British occupation of a large part of the country, the Afghan government ceded much power to the United Kingdom in the Treaty of Gandamak. 1880 22 July Abdur Rahman Khan was officially recognized as emir of Afghanistan. 1893 12 November Abdur Rahman and British Raj representative Mortimer Durand signed an agreement establishing the Durand Line.
20th century