State
The Afghan view of the state as an authority
What is seen with suspicion due to the history of abuse, overreach, and forced reform
Group that seized power on the basis of good governance principles and advocated for loyalty to religion before the state as well as the purification of religion to rid it of customary practices. They quickly turned to violence to maintain their power
the Taliban
conclusion of Murtazashvili in regards to how the presence of customary governance affects how citizens view the state
improves support for democracy and the central government
Government that filtered foreign support for anti-Soviet Afghan insurgency to Islamist groups they selected
Pakistan
traditional gives idea that the system is stuck in time and not adapting to current circumstances
Prime minister who advocated for military strength and economic development to keep up with their modernizing neighbors
Who is Daud
"grand council" of tribe members, elders, and other notables
Loya Jirga
methodology behind Murtazashvili's findings
analysis of qualitative data, statistical analysis of nationally representative survey data, interviews, and focus group discussions
Self governance definition
perspective that without an effective state, individuals will solve collective action problems and devise solutions to better their situation
The king who worked to institute a set of progressive, state-centric reforms that were unpopular due to their contrast with traditional and religious beliefs
Who is Amanullah Khan
Difference between informal institutions, formal institutions, and organizations
informal - social shared rules enforced outside of officially sanctioned channels
formal - those established by states (laws and constitutions)
organizations - groups of individuals bound by a common purpose and deriving some authority from the state
Murtazashvili's observation on the efficacy of donor aid in promoting government legitimacy
Donor projects were aimed at village level solutions to gain support rather than areas where communities failed to cooperate. In contrast, customary authorities were able to work together to tailor their public good provision to needs within and between communities.
The importance of polycentric governance as a label in Afghanistan
what are multiple power sources whose overlap constrains the reach of individual power holders
Ruler whose gradualism and flexibility with customary leaders and with restraint when it came to state building resulted in a long and mostly peaceful reign
Who is Zahir Shah
Evolution of the Loya Jirga
bestowed legitimacy on Ahmad Shah as leader but by the time of Amanullah, was used in an attempt to rubber stamp his reforms to gain popular support
Pros and cons of centralized taxation in for Daud Afghanistan
with centralized taxation, leaders have financial ability to implement reforms but the higher taxes were unpopular
without centralized taxation, weak social contract between state and citizens but peaceful
The difference between indirect and direct rule in Afghanistan
when state imposed its authority on rural areas without consulting customary authorities vs whencustomary authorities had power in their communities and maintained autonomy
Formal Afgan names for village representatives, village councils, and religious arbiters
what are maliks, shuras/jirgas, mullahs
Importance of tribe as a shorthand used by US soldiers for customary order
Tribes are lineage based social structure but this shorthand referred to political organizations at village levels. Since the soldiers were referring to orders based on customs rather than tribes, this suggests that customary institutions transcend tribal affiliations--these networks can weaken without undermining customary authorities
Who was the PDPA
Soviet-backed group that began the Saur revolution that assassinated Daud, pursued land reform, canceled debts owed by farmers (land was already well distributed so PDPA diagnosis was not accurate reflection of affairs), targeted customary governance that they viewed as an obstacle to centralization and imposed violence on citizens