People / group

Afghans

Also known as Afghan

The Afghans, historically often meaning the Pashtun tribes, are the peoples of the region of present-day Afghanistan and adjoining areas. Afghan warriors and dynasties played major roles in South Asian and Iranian history, including in the Delhi Sultanate's Lodi period. An Afghan invasion toppled the Safavid Empire in 1722, Afghan forces later served and opposed the Afsharid Empire, and the Durrani Afghans were the principal rivals of the Sikh Empire.

Mentioned in 7 profiles

Afsharid EmpireFoundation, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclineDelhi SultanateSocioeconomy, Military, Governance, DeclineSafavid EmpireDeclineSikh EmpireFoundation, Military, ImpactZand EmpireFoundationGhaznavid EmpireMilitaryBengal SultanateMilitary, Decline

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Hotak dynastyDemocratic Republic of Afghanistan

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Afghans. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/afghans
MLA
“Afghans.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/afghans. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Afghans.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/afghans.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Afghans’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/afghans (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻