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Zahir Shah gained control of Afghanistan and Baba is born
Amir states, "In 1933, the year Baba was born and the year Zahir Shah begane his forty-year reign of Afghanistan..."(24). Baba was born in the hub of political change. This may have affected his upbringing and political views. This shah ruled the majority of Baba's life and decided how Baba's generation was going to live. Baba's strong opinions were also probably influenced by the king. -
Amir looks over his families' connections with the Shah
As he looks over old pictures, Amir says, "Inside sat framed family pictures, and King Nadir Shah taken in 1931, two yeras before the king's assasintation"(5). Amir's families political connections are revealed through this image. It can be infered that much of Baba's power may have come from his father's political ties. Political power has been important to Amir's family from generations. -
The President replaces the Shah
As Assef speaks to Amir, he says, "'Have you heard the news, boy?...The king is gone. Good riddance. Long live the President! My father knows Daoud Khan, did you know that, Amir?'"(39). Assef tries to demonstrate his power by telling of his personal connection to the new President. This reveals the significance of peronsal connections with people in power at the time. -
Overthrow of communist government in Afghanistan
Amir says that everything changed in "... the offical end would come first on April 1978 with the communist coup d'etat..."(36). 1978 was the begining of the republic in which Afghans would begin with an entirely new government. This marked end of life as the people of Baba's generation knew. -
Russian's Invade Afghanistan
Amir says that their way of life ended "...in December 1979 when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets where Hassan and [Amir] played, brining the death of the Afghanistan [he] knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting"(36). Amir lived through a very violent, corruption-filled time in Afghanistan. This would have been one of the reasons he felt compelled to leave and travel to America, leaving his past behind. -
The Soviets begin to block the roads in Kabul
Baba finally arrives home, hours late, saying, "'They blocked all the roads and the telephone didn't work. I was so worried!'"(36). Amir describes, "We let him wrap us in his ar,s and, for a brief moment, i was glad about whatever had happended that night"(36). Baba, a usually strong unemotional man, revelas his concern and fear to Amir. Experiences like these bring Amir and Baba closer as they seek comfort from each other. -
Soviet Trops Parachute into Kabul
The Soviet control began when "The first soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on Dec 27, 1979..."(New York Times 2) -
Assef teases Hassan for being Pashtun
Assef lashes out at Hassan, saying, "'Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here'"(40). Assef uses the ethnicity he happend to be born with to give himself social power. During this time being a Pashtun could give you social advanatges and give you an excuse for harassing another Afghan, as long as they were a Hazara, or memer of the minority group in Afghanistan. -
Soviet Troops Leave Afganistan
After fighting for 10 years, the "Soviet Troops left Afganistan in Febuary 1989..."(New York Times 2) -
Mujahedin forces shoot rockets at Kabul
As Amir and Farid drive westward in Afghanistan, Amir describes, "Just north of us was...the Shirdar mountain range, the same mountains from which the Mujahedin forces had showered Kabul between 1992 and 1996"(245). Amir labels the mountain range as once being the location of extreme violence. Amir casually observes is remebring his past, often filled with fear. This is something only someone who grew up in such a violent-filled environment could do. -
Power Divides among warlords and individual fiefdoms
During the "... summer of 1994, power was anarchically divided among competeing war lords and individual fiefdoms"(New York Times 2). -
Mullah Omar gains 12000 followers
By "...1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12000 followers"(New York Times 2). -
Taliban gain control
After years of civil war, "...the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group... seized control in 1996"(New York Times 1). -
The Tabliban first arive in Kabul
When Amir asks an old man when he first saw a Talib, the man answers, "'I remember the first time I saw them rolling into Kabul. What a joyus day that was!..An end to all the killing!'"(249). The mans excitement reveals the power of the Taliban. Their heroic appearance and strength against the Soviets gained them respect from many of the people. -
Amir notices how people openly supported the Talibans with public displays
Amir gauges the landscape, and describes it, saying, "We passed... a wall with the words ZENDA BAD TALIBAN! (Long live the Taliban!) sprayed in black"(251). The people of Afghanistan's hatred of the Soviets really became apparent through their strong support of the group fighting the Soviets, the Taliban. Many Afghans hoped for a new future with the Taliban government and were eager to end Soviet presence. -
Amir speaks to the old man in Kabul
The old man tells Amir, "'I taught Hafez, Kayyam, Rumi, Beydel, Jami, Saadi. Once I even gave a lecture in Tehran, 1971 that was. I remember how they all stood and clapped...But you saw those young men in the truck. What value do they see in Sufism?'"(249). The man identifies the lack of intrest in Islamic mystics the current public has. Their intrests have changesd and strayed from traditional Islamic beliefs. -
Amir remenises on his past in Kabul
As Amir travels through Kabul, he passes the "Bala Hissar Fort-- the ancient citadel that the warlord Dostum had occupied in 1992"(244). Amir recognizes one of the many locations that is no longer used for the same purpose as it once did. The past tense that Amir uses during his recognition of certain places in Kabul expresses his recognition of the amount of change Afghanistan has gone through during Amir's absence. -
Amir remebers Topeh chasht and realizes the differnce between his old and new life
As Amir drives through past the Shirdarwaza mountain range, he narates, "It was from those mountains that I remember the first firing of the Topeh chasht, the 'noon cannon'. It went off everyday to announce noontime"(245). Afganistan people relied on the Topeh chasht to sound and alert them of noon so they could keep track of the time of the day. This reveals how many people lacked access to modern clocks and technology that people in otehr countries use in their daily life. -
Amir notices changes as he drives through Afghanistan
Amir says, "We were driving westbound toward the Karteh-Seh district on what I remembered as a major thoroughfare in the seventies: Jadeh Maywand"(245). Amir realizes how much change Afghanistan went through during the time he was away by little things such as road changes. This contributes to why he feels out of place in his own homeland, making him uncomfotable and vaunerable. -
Amir learns about modern Afghanistan from the orphanage owner
When asked why there were so many ophans, he orphanage owner explains, "'...Many of them have lost their fathers in war and can't feed them because the Taliban don't allow them to work'"(253). The Taliban restricted women from working. This angered a frustrated many people because it meant that many people were unable to feed their families because they lacked income from the female head of their family, and in many cases the only source of possibel income due to a fathers' death due to war. -
9/11 Terrorist Attack
The US has been fighting Afrganistan since"...2001, when it led an invasion after the Sept. 11 attacks by Al Qaeda"(New York Times 1) -
Taliban's driven out of major cities
After the 9/11 tragedy, "..Bush gave the Talbin an ultimatum to hand over Mr. Bin Laden...[and began] and air and ground campaigjn that drove the Taliban out of the major Afgan cities by the end of the year"(New York Times 3). -
Hamid Karzi gains powerr
The Karzi government begins in "...December 2001, Hamid Karzi...[becomes the] leader of the country"(New York Times 3). -
Hamid Karzi elected to be 5 year President
After pr9omising to sefcure peace, "Mr. Karzi was elected to a five-year term as President in 2004"(New Yrok Times 3). -
Obama decides to send 30,000 additonalk troops into Afganistan
In a speech in 2009, "Mr. Obama announce3d his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops"(New York Times 4).