The study of modern state core elements in contemporary Afghanistan

Within the last hundred years, political structure of Afghanistan has undergone several dramatic changes. Numerous subsequent Coup d’états and decades of wars, both civil wars and foreign invasions, put serious doubt on the effectivity or even the mere existence of any political structure in this country. To this one should add strong family and ethnical structure as a powerful tradition in the society. Therefore, the question presented by this paper is that whether among succession of various ideologies and political structures, one can find core elements of modern state in contemporary Afghanistan? This includes sustainability of political structures, dominance in territory, the existence and proper function of
permanent and impersonal organs, consensus over the necessity of the existence of an ultimate authority to take final and imperative decisions, and the recognition of loyalty to the power. The targeted time period starts by the independence of Afghanistan from British colonialism. The study covers the structural analysis of political powers in addition to the form and effectiveness of exercise of control over different parts of the country. It also studies political dialogue among major political activists and investigates their relation to traditional structure like family and tribe.