ABSTRACT
Afghanistan lies at the historical crossroads of Central Asia, where before the Colonial Period the trade route into South Asia connected with the inter-urban trade route from the Mediterranean to China. In Afghanistan, although Persian has never been the first language of the majority, it has been and continues to be the main language of public affairs, and the preferred second language of non-native speakers. Language began to become a policy issue in Afghanistan towards the end of the 19th century. In Pashto-speaking areas, Pashto remained the medium of instruction, but students were required to study Persian as a second language. The new constitution was approved by the newly constituted representative assembly, and the conflicting demands for a national language seemed to be settled. In Pashto-speaking regions, Pashto is the medium of instruction, but students are required to study Dari, as one of the two official languages of Afghanistan.
