Talk:Graveyard of empires

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Afghanistan Low‑importance

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The weather perhaps

Amusingly, the Afghan people are never mentioned in the article. It must have been the air that kicked the colonialists' arses. 2001:B07:646B:4D36:5D4C:2478:EE6E:9C6D (talk) 10:20, 17 April 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Alternative Meaning?

At this point, this is nothing more than casual musings that could lead to original research, captured here in case it should one day lead to material appropriate for updating the article. For many of the reasons already noted in the article, the understanding that the term, "Graveyard of Empires" stems from various empires who failed to accomplish their political/military objectives in the regions seems off-target. Whether referencing The British, the Russians, the U.S., or the Greeks, it's clearly a stretch to equate their failures in Afghanistan with the "deaths" of those empires. As such, describing the region as the place where empires fail, and by extension meet their end (their graveyard) feels a bit contrived.

As an alternative, I suggest viewing this from a slightly more straightforward interpretation. It is very well supported from historical evidence that these same empires who failed in their efforts to exert control or influence in Afghanistan, but didn't necessarily come to an end as a direct result, none the less suffered heavy casualties in terms of human suffering and death in that region. By focusing on those deaths, the concept of a graveyard makes a bit more sense in that Afghanistan is rather literally the place where multiple empires have sent their soldiers to die, and at least in centuries past, to be buried. British casualties alone likely exceed 15,000 deaths. Very few of those bodies were returned to Britain for burial. They remain buried in Afghanistan, the graveyard of numerous empires.

Conjecture, I know, but putting it out there as I find that explanation a bit more satisfying. Perhaps additional evidence can be found to support or refute that perspective. ShoneBrooks (talk) 18:33, 31 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I think there is a layer missing in this article. if you read history a few 100 years back. Afghanistan's recovery from the Mongol invasion was a long and complex process, influenced by a variety of factors including subsequent rulers, internal dynamics, and continuous external pressures. The initial devastation wrought by the Mongol conquests in the 13th century left profound marks on the region's demographic, economic, and cultural landscape. However, over time, Afghanistan did experience periods of recovery and even flourished under certain rulers and during certain periods. The time marked the end of the Khwarazmian Empire, and as the part of the empire that took most of the fighing. All major cities were destroyed. After the initial Mongol invasion period, the region that encompasses modern-day Afghanistan became part of the Timurid Empire in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Timurid era is often remembered for a renaissance in arts, architecture, and learning, centered in cities like Herat. Herat, in particular, became a leading city in the Islamic world for scholarship, poetry, and art under the patronage of Sultan Husayn Bayqara and the influence of the poet Jami and the artist Behzad. The successors to the Mongols, including the Timurids and later the Mughals, contributed to the stabilization of the region through the establishment of administrative frameworks and patronage of infrastructure projects that helped to restore agricultural productivity and trade routes. It's important to note that the recovery was uneven and faced numerous challenges over the centuries. The region's strategic location meant it was often caught in the crossfire of competing empires and faced repeated invasions and periods of instability, which affected its ability to fully recover and maintain sustained periods of peace and prosperity. In conclusion, while Afghanistan did experience recovery and periods of cultural and economic flourishing after the Mongol invasions, the process was gradual and faced setbacks due to internal and external factors. The legacy of the Mongol invasion is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the region's people and cultures through the centuries. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.204.244.123 (talk) 17:07, 13 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

"The British Empire was not destroyed after the Third Anglo-Afghan War"

But all expanisons were halted after the Third Anglo-Afghan War 122.187.117.179 (talk) 16:23, 31 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Third Anglo-Afghan War (3 May – 8 August 1919)

World War I (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) LZ5369 (talk) 15:41, 16 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]