republic · Central Asia and the Steppe

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

2001 CE – 2021 CE · capital Kabul

The Western-backed Afghan state that followed the Taliban's fall in 2001, holding elections and expanding education before collapsing in 2021.

Origins

After the US-led invasion overthrew the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996-2001), the Bonn Agreement of December 2001 created an interim administration under Hamid Karzai. A loya jirga approved a new constitution in 2004, establishing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and Karzai was elected president.

Rule and society

The republic held presidential and parliamentary elections and expanded schools, healthcare and media, with millions of girls returning to school. It depended on foreign aid and NATO forces, including the ISAF mission. Corruption, disputed elections, opium production and a growing Taliban insurgency weakened it. Ashraf Ghani succeeded Karzai in 2014, sharing power with Abdullah Abdullah.

Decline and legacy

After the US-Taliban Doha agreement of 2020 and the withdrawal of foreign troops, the Taliban took provincial capitals rapidly. Ghani fled on 15 August 2021, Kabul fell, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021-present) was restored.

Lineage

Islamic State of Afghanistan 1992 CE – 2001 CEIslamic Republic of Afghanistan

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/islamic-republic-of-afghanistan
MLA
“Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/islamic-republic-of-afghanistan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/islamic-republic-of-afghanistan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/islamic-republic-of-afghanistan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻