Over the last five centuries, Mughals, British, Soviets, and Americans won many conventional campaigns in Afghanistan but were not very successful in the unconventional ones. Taking a comprehensive view of the troubled history of the region, and with a narrative revolving around three interrelated concepts?weak state, great power rivalry, and counter-insurgency?this book provides a political and military account of war in Afghanistan, both conventional and unconventional, from the sixteenth century to present times.