“Afghan Warlords” A Study of Their Roles, Relationships, and Power in Pre- and Post-2001 Governance Processes in Afghanistan

Research on post-conflict state-building is grounded in the important theoretical and empirical question of which institutions offer the best opportunities for building effective states in societies emerging from conflict and violence. This thesis examines whether informal institutions, often criticised in academic discourse, can contribute to governance processes for state-building in post-conflict societies. It explores the claims of both supporters and critics regarding the role of informal institutions and identifies substantial conceptual and empirical evidence that informal institutions – Afghan warlords in this case – hold significant potential, both formally and informally, in supporting governance processes for state-building.
The study first examines the role, position, and power of Afghan warlords during the pre-2001 period (1919–2001) before analysing their involvement in post-2001 governance processes (2001–2021). It finds that Afghan warlords, who often dominated large geographic areas and maintained strong social roots through patronage networks and service delivery functions, exercised considerable influence over security, governance, and political decision-making. Throughout Afghanistan’s modern history, warlords remained a complex and influential feature of the political landscape. Although their roles evolved over time, their influence continued to shape Afghanistan’s political trajectory and state-building processes.