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Overblown native defence

Something interesting to consider with the “graveyard of empires” rhetoric re:Afghanistan is that for a massive swath of its medieval history, it was ruled by Turkic rulers. Turk-Shahis, Ghazni, Ghor, Khilji, even Babur.

Abdali was significant as a first native Pashtun ruler. This is what makes Ahmed Shah Abdali so honored in modern Afghanistan, as “Baba”, father of the nation; a native king who was able to unite his people to throw off prolonged foreign occupation of centuries.

Depiction

Ofc many such dynasties had been settled in Afghanistan for a period of time, but it’s not quite what you’d expect with the rhetoric of Afghanistan being a timeless tribal society where the natives successfully fought off all who invade. From the Indian context, also interesting as many of these Turkic invaders who made Afghanistan as their base before attacking India are rendered as native Afghanis. Even their depiction in media is overwhelmingly with Pashtun ethnic features/culture (see Khilji in Padmavaat).