Sub-Nationalism and Nationalism: The Dilemma of Power and Ethnicity in Afghanistan

Abstract

Afghanistan is a multinational country with a weak nationalism. The fragility of nationalism and nations often has been due to races, religion, and stereotypes; however, in Afghanistan, the centralization of power has created fragility and significant rifts among ethnicities which the outcome is sub-nationalism. Sub-nationalism could be harmless in a decentralized political system, however, not definitely in a centralized political system. Throughout history, the centrality of authority strengthened ethnic cleavages, rivalries of ethnics overpower, single-ethnic hegemony, weak governance, and significantly disrupted the unity of ethnics. The big hurdle of Afghanistan for being a nation-state has been the centralization of power. Most authors and pamphlets advise concentration of power versus decentralized system in the country to preserve the unity of ethnicities. At the same time, Afghanistan experienced that such a system did not trigger unity of the nationalities.