ABSTRACT
Throughout its history, Afghanistan has consistently exerted an impact on international security that is significantly out of proportion to the population and geographic size of the state. It has been fought over by the great empires and has caused the demise of empires and world powers. Armies have traversed over Afghan territory on their way to conquest in Asia and have come in the opposite direction from Central and South Asia. For instance, Alexander the Great led his armies through the Khyber pass, while the later Mughal Empire would invade from India. British efforts to gain control of Afghanistan would lead to the collapse of governments as imperial forces faced defeat at the hands of the Afghan tribes.
