Most of the population continues to be engaged in agriculture, though the destruction caused by war has been a force for urbanization by driving many from the countryside.
Public and private investment in productive enterprises was rare. The Bahá'i Faith was introduced to Afghanistan in 1919 and Bahá'í have been living there since the 1880s. Agricultural production declined, food shortages were reported, and industrial output stagnated—with the exception of natural gas production and some other industries considered essential by the Soviet Union.
Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 0.3% follow other minority religions. Although there is a tiny minority Sunnis among them, the Hazaras are predominately and overwhelmngy Shia, mostly of the Twelver branch with some smaller groups who practice the Ismailism branch. The Arabs exerted considerable efforts toward propagating Islam amongst the locals. By the late 1990s Afghanistan had become the world’s largest producer of opium and was thought to be the main source of heroin exported to Europe, North America, and elsewhere. A balanced budget was achieved with revenue derived principally from the sale of natural gas and from foreign loans and grants. During the late 1980s some 6 million people—probably one-third of the Afghan population at the time—were refugees, especially due to the Afghan War. The revival of the opium trade enriched both corrupt government officials and the Taliban insurgency, which was believed to collect tens of millions of dollars a year from the industry. By the middle of the 6th century BCE, the Achaemenids overthrew the Medes and incorporated Arachosia, Aria, and Bactria within its eastern boundaries. [2][3] Ancient Eastern Iranian languages may have been spoken in the region around the time of the rise of Zoroastrianism. [16], According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, 2,000 Afghans identified as Zoroastrians in 1970. Notwithstanding a recent decline, Afghanistan is considered one of the oldest centers of Hindu civilization and was once home to a thriving Hindu population. Almost every Afghan has at one time during his youth studied at a mosque school; for some this is the only formal education they receive. By 2016 there were more than 2.5 million refugees registered abroad, and more than 1 million people were internally displaced. Afghanistan’s population is mainly rural; nearly half the population is under 15 years of age. Since the 9th century, Islam has dominated the country's religious landscape. As much as 90% of the population follow Sunni Islam. Hindu or Vedic history in Afghanistan dates back thousands of years with some of the earliest settlements of people now identified as Hindus. Afghanistan is an Islamic republic, in which most citizens follow Islam. But that part of trade—encompassing a massive smuggling of duty-free goods—had crippled local industry and revenue collections and created temporary food shortages, inflation, and increased corruption in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. Roads, dams, power plants, and factories were constructed, irrigation projects carried out, and education broadened. Islamic leaders have entered the political sphere at various times of crisis, but rarely exercised secular authority for long. The 1979 Soviet invasion in support of a communist government triggered a major intervention of religion into Afghan political conflict, and Islam united the multi-ethnic political opposition. The "atheistic" and "infidel" communist PDPA imprisoned, tortured and murdered many members of the religious establishment. However low the Afghan economy had sunk during the period of communist rule, it was to decline even more under subsequent mujahideen and Taliban governments.
When the Talibans were in power, the Buddha statues were destroyed. There formerly had been a mixed pattern of small, medium, and large landholdings, but this system underwent drastic change, particularly after 1978. Kabul has grown to encompass almost half the urban population of the country. The first mention of a Hindu in Afghanistan appears in the 982 AD Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam, where it speaks of a king in "Ninhar" (), who shows a public display of conversion to Islam, even though he had over 30 wives, which are described as "Muslim, Afghan, and Hindu" wives. A large number of the inhabitants of the region of northern Afghanistan accepted Islam through Umayyad missionary efforts, particularly under the reigns of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (caliph from 723 to 733) and Umar ibn AbdulAziz (caliph from 717 to 720). [27] It is thought that there are between 500–1,000 secret Jews in Afghanistan who were forced to convert to Islam after the Taliban took control of the country. Thus the region is also considered as a "second fatherland for Zoroastrianism".[5]. The road system is similarly damaged, and domestic energy sources need to be developed for both export income and domestic use. Historical beginnings (to the 7th century, Civil war, mujahideen-Taliban phase (1992–2001), U.S.-led invasion and toppling of the Taliban, The Hamid Karzai presidency, NATO takeover, and Taliban resurgence, The Ashraf Ghani presidency, NATO withdrawal, and pursuit of peace, Jewish Virtual Library - Afghanistan Virtual Jewish History Tour, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Afghanistan, National Public Radio - Photos From Afghanistan: Natural Beauty, Not War, Afghanistan - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Afghanistan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Get kids back-to-school ready with Expedition: Learn!
However, the drug economy did provide essential revenues that enabled the Taliban to pursue its war effort. The idea of Iran. The socialist government was committed to developing a mixed, guided economy. The country was at a much lower stage of economic development than most of its neighbours.
[17], There are about 1,000 Afghan Sikhs[18][19] and a little over 1,000 Hindus[20] living in different cities but mostly in Kabul, Jalalabad, and Ghazni. Some 3.5 million were living in Pakistan, and perhaps another 2 million were in Iran. Taliban soldiers used rockets and guns to destroy them. The Shias make up between 7%[1] to 20%[12] of the total population of Afghanistan.
The Mauryans brought Buddhism from India and controlled parts of southern and eastern Afghanistan until about 185 BC when they were overthrown.