Ahmad Shah Abdali's Invasions, the Fall of Mughal Dynasty, and Its Influence on the Future of the Region and Afghanistan

Simultaneous with rapid industrial developments of European powers in 18th century, signs of weakness and decline became obvious in Muslim Empires. Muslim Empires could not cope with Europeans interference in their affairs; moreover, they were unable to resolve problems caused by western civilization on Islamic domains. Also Indian Mughal, the third biggest Muslim Empire, was not an exemption, and it was on the verge of decline. In addition to numerous domestic and foreign factors, the invasion of Ahmad Shah Abdali to India hastened the fall of Mughal dynasty and led to certain events in the region. Therefore, the main question of the present paper is: Considering the invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali which led to the fall of Mughal dynasty, what is the role of these invasions in the future of the region and Afghanistan? It is assumed, without considering these invasions, analyzing the current situation of Afghanistan would be tough. The present paper applied a descriptive - analytic research method. The main goal of the paper is: Illustrating the relationship between political - social fate of Muslims and employing it in similar occasions. Also one of the main results of the paper is: Emphasizing on applying historical approach in analyzing current events of Afghanistan.