NEAMATOLLAH NOJUMI, who was raised in Afghanistan, was a participant in the Mujahideen fight against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A frequent speaker on the politics of Afghanistan, he has appeared on or consulted with major television news shows. He is currently at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, MA.

• Introduction Historical Background The Political Elements of Afghan Society The Theory of Mass Mobilization Mass Mobilization in Afghanistan Violence: A source for Authority Traditional Political System Modern Political Parties in Afghanistan The DRA's Social and Economic Reforms Violence, the Leading Element of Mobilization The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan The Phenomena of Civil War In Afghanistan Politicization of Ethnic Groups The PDPA & Ethnic Groups Centralism Against Individualism and Autonomy Zonal Division of Afghanistan The Afghan Mujahedin and Mass Mobilization The First Phase of Civil War The Formation of a Third Movement Missing the Only Chance The Rise of Taliban The Source of Taliban Forces in Afghanistan The Taliban Tactics and Strategies The Political Ideology of Taliban Taliban Advance Toward Mazr-e-Sharif Taliban Advance in The North The Road into the Future Fraction in the Taliban Leadership Afghanistan in the International System The Peace Efforts Conclusions Epilogue

'The Rise of the Taliban is indispensable reading for people wishing to understand Afghanistan's socio-economic landscape and bloody history since the 1979 Soviet invasion. Nojumi is ideally positioned to provide the context critical to understanding the obstacles and opportunities ahead in achieving peace for Afghanistan.' - Ambassador Peter Thomsen, former Special Envoy to the Afghan Resistance 'Woven into this history of abortive state-building is the constant of multifacted outside intervention...' - Foreign Affairs 'This book is essential reading for anyone curious about the Taliban's presence in Afghanistan.' - Toronto Globe & Mail '...an important contribution to our understanding of the globalization of terror, especially its roots in the Afghanistan experience.' - Asian Affairs '...timely and authentic...[with] details unavailable elsewhere...' - Choice 'The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan contains some valuable information and interpretations concerning recent events in Afghanistan.' - M. E. Yapp, Times Literary Supplement 'This book provides a comprehensive historical account and an interesting analysis of Afghanistan's political developments since the 1970s.' - ECPR Newsletter