History glossary
Taliban
the Islamist movement that ruled Afghanistan before 2001 and returned to power in 2021.
- Category
- Political and armed movement
- Region
- Afghanistan
- Date range
- from 1990s
What it means
The Taliban is an Islamist movement that emerged in Afghanistan in the 1990s, ruled most of the country before 2001, sheltered al-Qaeda leaders, and was overthrown by the U.S.-led invasion. It regrouped as an insurgency and returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The World After The Cold War
From the fall of the Soviet Union to the rise of China and global terrorism, this story traces the turbulent reshaping of the international order after 1991.
The United States After 9/11
After 9/11, the United States launched the War on Terror, invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, expanded surveillance and homeland security, and entered a long era of costly war and deep political division.
