Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights the importance of local leaders and their organizational ties to border stability and, ultimately, state security along the borderlands of Badakhshan. It provides the conceptual framework and outlines the historical background that influences group dynamics in Badakhshan. The book discusses local foundational myths through fieldwork and other materials. It discusses the social organization of Khorog, Tajikistan, through the lens of local leaders and organizations. The book focuses on the institutions at the border, including the cross-border bazaars, customs, and the border infrastructure. It describes how addiction and trafficking impact local security and stability in Shughnan, Ishkashem, and the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan. The book provides implications, findings, and suggestions for future avenues of research on border stability within the context of the local leaders and organizations.