| This study investigates the political history of nineteenth-century Afghanistan on the basis of works by Afghan historians and hitherto largely unpublished British documents. Apart from establishing a chronological framework for the period prior to 1863, it explores the internal circumstances within the country at the time of the first Muhammadzai ruler, Amir dost Muhammad Khan both from the perspectives of the center and the periphery. The final chapter is devoted to a discussion of the structure and scope of the Amir's government.; My analysis of the events at Kabul depicts the strategies Dost Muhammad Khan resorted to in order to gain royal authority and to defend it against the competing interests of his relatives and the former state-supporting elite. In the context of the Amir's extension of power into Lesser Turkistan, I discuss the origins of the Uzbek leadership and assess how it was affected by the imposition of the Muhammadzai administration. The chapter concerning the political position of the Pashtun tribes traces some of the ecological, economic and historical factors shaping a variety of tribal settings. The prevalent patterns of organization allow the conclusion that the degree of hierarchization within a tribe was directly linked to the intensity of its contact with the state. The groups located at a distance from the seats of government displayed a dispersion of power approximating the ideal type of segmentary lineage organization as elaborated by Gellner. The tribes controlling the major trade routes, on the other hand, were represented by an entrenched leadership which was shaped by Mugha/Safawid and Sadozai court patronage. Given their traditional linkage to the court, the powerful Durrani and Ghilzai khans were less interested in evading government interference than using it to maintain hereditary privileges. While Dost Muhammad Khan attempted to alter the decentralized system of government instituted by the Sadozais, he was unable to undermine the position of the tribal khans. His administration was beset by a constant lack of revenues and manpower, and the need to strike a balance between control and conciliation became a more precarious undertaking than during the Sadozai era. |
