ARTS AND CULTURE

Artistic activity in Afghanistan can be traced back as early as 1800 BC. For centuries Afghanistan linked civilizations of Iran, India, and China. In the Islamic era, the Ghaznavid rulers of the 10th to 12th centuries and the Ghorids fostered artistic development amd continued through the Timurid dynasty. Afghanistan’s culture prospered and flourished through the rulers’ high regard for men of learning and artists. The descendants of Timur turned the city of Herat into a center of multi cultural activity enticing artists such as Abdul Rahman Jami, Abdulhay, and Kamal al-Din Bihzad to create finely illustrated books and exquisite buildings.

AFGHAN LITERATURE

Afghanistan has a rich literary tradition. During the medieval period literature was written in Dari, Pashto, Turkic and Arabic. The royal courts of regional empires such as the Samanids, the Ghaznavids, the Timurids, and the Mughals, were great patrons of Persian literature supporting geniuses like Rumi, Rudaki, Abdullah Ansari, Ferdowsi, Jami.

One of the most important works of this period was the Dari epic poem Shah Nameh (The Book of Kings), completed in 1010 by Firdawsi and comprising 60,000 rhyming couplets. Another famous poets are Jalalaluddin Rumi Balkhi (1207-1273, also known as Rumi) and the Pashtu poet Rahman Baba, are considered two of the greatest Sufi poets. Much of Balkhi’s writings, however, have been translated from Farsi into English

While Afghan literature can be split into Pashto, Persian, and Turkic, there is a shared tradition and heritage that unites the consciousness of all Afghans and is reflected in the literature. For example, a tradition of military prowess and invincibility presents itself in the literature of almost all Afghan poets.

In the 20th century, Kabul became the center of publication. Mahmud Tarzi (1865-1933), a reformist and editor of Kabul’s first literary publication, Seraj ul-Akhbar, was instrumental in developing a modern literary community. Afghanistan has produced several literary figures including Mohammad Osman Pashtun, the founder of Literary Association, which later evolved into Pashtu Tolana, Olfath, Benawa, Majrooh, Abdul Hai Habibi, Ustad Betab, Ustad Khalillulah Khalili and many more.