Cultural imperialism on £10 a day: The short, tumultuous history of the British Institute of Afghan Studies 1972–1982

The British Institute of Afghan Studies in Kabul existed for only ten years, but during that period endured violent changes of government, rapid turnover of its senior staff, and the arrest and imprisonment of its director. Yet it also sponsored important archaeological work that became fundamental to an understanding of the linkages among Western Asia, Iran, the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia. This paper examines the Institute's foundation, the philosophical frame within which it was conceived, its work, and its fate.