A significant portion of historical and political literature in Afghanistan—particularly that produced by elites or authorized by royal patronage—has contributed to an enduring misunderstanding of the country’s institutional development and socio-political trajectory. Rather than offering critical or balanced analyses, much of this literature has served to protect the interests of ruling regimes by reinforcing official narratives, omitting internal contradictions, and simplifying the causes of national crises.
This intellectual tradition, particularly prevalent in texts covering the period from the late 19th century to the late 20th century, tends to downplay or ignore the role of domestic agency in shaping Afghanistan’s fate. Instead, it attributes national failures almost exclusively to external forces—such as colonial interference, foreign invasions, or international conspiracies. While such explanations may contain elements of truth, they often function as political tools: justifying the shortcomings of domestic leadership while diverting attention from internal structural weaknesses, policy failures, and resistance to reform.
This one-dimensional blame on foreign actors has produced deeper consequences. It has empowered religious orthodoxy to adopt a counter-narrative that equates modern institutions—particularly secular education—with foreign intrusion. By doing so, it has contributed to a long-standing distrust of scientific knowledge, modern pedagogy, and international cooperation. These intellectual legacies persist today, especially under the Taliban regime, which actively revives and enforces this anti-modernization discourse.
While many countries seek to expand access to global knowledge systems by promoting science, technology, and international exchange, Afghanistan—under Taliban rule—has reversed this trajectory. The regime has aggressively targeted modern education, dismantling internal academic institutions and banning access to foreign curricula. This regression is not accidental; it is a deliberate continuation of an anti-modern ideology that has historically been deeply rooted in Afghan intellectual and political thought, with its current extreme manifestations.
Critically, these outdated views continue to circulate as the dominant—and sometimes only—accessible sources of knowledge, further entrenching Afghanistan’s isolation from global educational and developmental advancements.