تحلیل محتوایی کتاب «افغانستان در مسیر تاریخ» و جایگاه آن در مطالعات تاریخ افغانستان

Abstract

This study focuses on analyzing the content of the work «Afghanistan in the

Course of History» by Mir Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar, aiming to evaluate the

significance of this book in Afghan historiography and its contribution to

historical research. In this regard, the political life of the author and the content

of the work have been examined separately under distinct headings.

Afghanistan, as a country with a strategic position in Asia, entered a new phase

of historical and political transformation following the establishment of the

Durrani state by Ahmad Shah Abdali in the eighteenth century. This period was

marked by the formation of a central government, the consolidation of territorial

boundaries, and efforts to maintain independence against regional and global

powers. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Afghanistan, due

to its geopolitical position, became of rivalry between major powers such as

Britain and Tsarist Russia; a competition that left profound impacts on the

country’s political, military, and administrative structures. In his work, Ghobar,

adopting a critical and document-based approach, highlights the

interconnection between geography, politics, and the history of Afghanistan,

and analyzes the role of the country’s strategic location in shaping its political

and social transformations. Relying on this work, the present study seeks to

clarify Afghanistan’s position within regional interactions and to assess the

book’s contribution to the scholarly understanding of contemporary Afghan

history. The research employs a descriptive-analytical method, with data

primarily derived from documentary sources. Furthermore, it examines

Ghobar’s intellectual role as one of the influential thinkers in the formation of

the nation-state concept in modern Afghanistan. Ultimately, the findings

indicate that this work is among the most significant sources for understanding

Afghanistan’s historical developments and can serve as a foundation for further

in-depth studies in the country’s contemporary history.