Description: Original research using Afghan language sources rather than imposing Western interpretations
Review Quotes: "Afghan History Through Afghan Eyes is a much-needed corrective to the recent historiography of Afghanistan. Rather than relying on colonial narratives, this volume's essays draw on the indigenous voices of Afghanistan's rich tapestry of peoples. A vivid picture of how Afghans have thought about their own past emerges. This is an extremely sophisticated volume, the scholarly depth of which is equaled by its topical breadth." -- Benjamin D. Hopkins, Associate Professor of History and International Affairs, Boston University; author of Fragments of the Afghan Frontier and co-editor of Beyond Swat: History, Society and Economy Along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Frontier
"This excellent volume on Afghan historiography will make Afghan historians and their indigenous sources better known to the outside world. It traces the changing uses of history in Afghanistan, from justifying and glorifying dynastic rulers to buttressing Afghanistan as a nation state. This ambitious book is the first to take on this topic." -- Thomas Barfield, Professor of Anthropology at Boston University, and author of Afghanistan: A Political and Cultural History"The past in the present constrains and enables our visions of ourselves as inheritors and makers of history and identity. Afghan History Through Afghan Eyes, drawing on Afghan discourse and texts, provides a much needed corrective to the Great Game paradigm of history. It is a very welcome contribution to the understanding of our past and the foundation for a new paradigm of analysis." -- Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan