The Making of the Taliban: Historical and Political Factors Behind Their Ascent

Abstract

The Taliban, a militant outfit and the Afghan de facto rulers, are said to have emerged in 1994. However, there is a difference of opinion over their emergence, with some analysts being of the view that the Taliban were the remnants of the Mujahedin (1980s), while some call them a new proxy force. This article explores when and how the Taliban emerged. The Afghan Taliban, accompanied by regional and global powers, Al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban (the banned TTP) and several other militant outfits, emerged and rose to power even more than one’s expectations and imagination.  The Taliban are considered to be the protégés of Pakistan; however, it was not only Pakistan that helped them quickly rise into power. The article also enquires about the factors that helped the Taliban become a strong militia and quickly rise to power in Afghanistan in 1996. Being logistically and financially supported by the U.S and the then U.S.-allied countries, the Taliban successfully occupied a major area of Afghanistan in 1996 and began ruling over with the name of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan while appointing Mulla Muhammad Omar as their Ameer (leader). They maintained their rule over Afghanistan until they were overthrown by the same regional and global powers which helped them come into power and hold it for almost six years. The study, based on both primary and secondary sources, will also delve into how the Taliban disappointed both regional and global powers, and why the U.S started the War on Terror, particularly against the Afghan Taliban.