Historical Flags (Afghanistan)

Last modified: 2007-10-28 by ian macdonald
Keywords: afghanistan | historical |
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• Introduction
• 1901-1919
• 1919-1921
• 1921-1926 or 1928
• 1926 or 1928 - June or September 1928
• June or September 1928 - January 1929
• January 1929 - October 1929
• October 1929 - 1931
• 1931-1973
• 1973-1974
• May 1974 - April 1978
• April 1978 - October 1978
• October 1978 - April 1980
• April 1980 - November 1987
• November 1987 - April 1992
• April 1992 - December 1992
• December 1992 - September 1996
• September 1996 - November 2001 (Taliban regime)
• Flags used November-December 2001
• January 2002 - January 2004
• Since January 2004

• A comprehensive political and vexillological history of Afghanistan, by Jaume Ollé (Spanish text only):
  • I : Pre-1901 period
  • II : Emirate
  • III : Kingdom
  • IV : Republic
  • V : Democratic Republic
  • VI : Islamic State
  • VII : Islamic Emirate
• Flags of Afghanistan at the Afghanland.com website

Afghanistan has been deemed the winner of "the most frequent flag changes in the twentieth century" contest:

• 1901-1919 Black field with central white emblem of mosque, flags and wreath.
• 1919-1928 Same, except central emblem surrounded by eight pointed sunburst.
• 1928-Sep.1928 Similar to 1901.
• Sep.1928-Jan.1929 Vertical black, red, green. Central white emblem of mountains, sun, wreath, topped by a star.
• Jan.1929-Oct.1929 Similar to 1919-1928.
• Oct.1929-1930 Same three-striped field, but using earlier emblem surrounded by sunburst.
• 1930-1973 Same three-striped field, central white emblem of mosque, flags, and wreath.
• 1973-1974 Same as the previous one, without the date in the emblem.
• May 1974-Apr.1978 Horizontal field, lower half green, upper half is black over red. Emblem in upper hoist of eagle, pulpit, wreath, sunburst.
• Apr.1978-Oct.1978 Same as previous, no emblem.
• Oct.1978-Apr.1980 Red Field with gold emblem in upper hoist consisting of script characters (I believe it says Flag Party) wreath, and star.
• Apr.1980-Nov.1987 Three equal horizontal stripes of black over red over green. Multicolor emblem in upper hoist of pulpit, book, wreath, sunburst, topped by cogwheel and red star.
• Nov.1987-Apr.1992 Same as previous, but emblem lacks book and red star. Also the cogwheel was relocated to the bottom and the green "horizon" below the sunburst is now curved.
• Apr.1992-Dec.1992 Three equal horizontal stripes of green, white, black with white text on green stripe and black text on white stripe.
• Dec.1992- September 1996 Same three stripes, but golden emblem centered on the flag.
• September 1996 - November 2001 White flag, at times with the Shahada in black
• January 2002 - January 2004 Black-red-green vertical stripes, with coat of arms on red stripe, date on flag 1348.
• Since January 2004 Black-red-green vertical stripes, with coat of arms on red stripe, date on flag 1298.

Nick Artimovich, 19 March 1996, augmented by editor.

It seems to me that a large number of these are relatively insignificant variations on the same design. Considering the country involved and the improbability that any official records exist for the time period concerned, I can't help wondering if some of these don't simply reflect either errors in observation by contemporary (non-vexillologically oriented) observers or irregularities in production.
Joe McMillan, 12 August 2005

• Afghanistan
• Afghanistan: Index of all pages