Royal, civic and national ceremonySouth Asia
Afghan Independence Day
In its own language: د افغانستان د خپلواکۍ ورځ (Pashto); روز استقلال افغانستان (Dari)
Afghanistan's national day, kept on 19 August for the treaty of 1919
Afghanistan's national day, held each 19 August, recalls the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919, when British control of Afghan foreign affairs ended. It is kept at home, with flag ceremonies and official events in Kabul, in the black, red and green national colours.
When is Afghan Independence Day kept?
Afghan Independence Day is kept each year on 19 August, and in some places 20 August, which is 28 Asad in the Solar Hijri calendar.
Afghan Independence Day is Afghanistan's national day, kept on 19 August. It marks the 1919 treaty that ended British control of Afghan foreign affairs and left the country free to deal with other nations on its own terms. People remember the third Anglo-Afghan war, and Amanullah Khan, who proclaimed the country's liberation and then began a programme of modernisation.
What the day marks
The holiday points to the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919. Under it, British officials gave up their say over how Afghanistan dealt with the rest of the world, and the country's protected status came to an end. The treaty set out a neutral footing, and Afghans date their modern diplomacy from it. Amanullah Khan, the emir at the time, had proclaimed the end of foreign control, and the same years saw him press ahead with reforms meant to modernise the state. The first such day was marked in 1919, the year the treaty was concluded.
Three wars behind it
British and Afghan forces fought three times in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the first war, from 1839 to 1842, British troops took Kabul, but a retreat went badly wrong after mistakes by Elphinstone, and an Afghan force led by Akbar Khan destroyed the column on the road towards Jalalabad. British-Indian troops came back once to free prisoners and then left. The second war, 1878 to 1880, brought Abdur Rahman Khan to power as emir. He kept friendly terms with the British, who took charge of Afghan foreign affairs, and in return no British resident was posted to Kabul. A third war in 1919 ended that arrangement.
How it is kept
The day centres on official ceremony. An honour guard of the armed forces parades and is reviewed by the president, and the national flag in black, red and green is raised. In 2019 the hundredth anniversary was tied to the reopening of the Darul Aman Palace in Kabul after restoration work, and the official celebrations were held there. Several tall landmarks abroad, among them the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, hoisted the Afghan tricolour that year. In Paghman, the Taq-e Zafar arch was put up for the holiday in 1928.
Today and change
In 2021 the Taliban captured Kabul on 15 August and brought back the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Rallies for Independence Day followed on 18 and 19 August in Jalalabad and other cities. People took down Taliban flags and raised the tricolour instead; the Taliban killed three of them and injured more than a dozen others. Black, red and green have been the colours tied to the occasion. At home the day is also called Afghan Liberation Day.
How Afghan Independence Day is kept
The day centres on official ceremony. An honour guard of the armed forces parades and is reviewed by the president, and the national flag in black, red and green is raised. In 2019 the hundredth anniversary was tied to the reopening of the Darul Aman Palace in Kabul after restoration work, and the official celebrations were held there. Tall landmarks in other countries, among them the Burj Khalifa, flew the Afghan tricolour that year.
When and where
It falls on 19 August, and in some places on 20 August, which the Solar Hijri calendar gives as 28 Asad. The date is tied to the treaty of 1919 rather than to a moveable feast, so it comes round in the same month each year, in high summer.
Afghanistan is the country that keeps it, and Kabul is where the main ceremony has been held, including the centenary events at the Darul Aman Palace. Jalalabad saw large Independence Day rallies, and the victory arch at Paghman was built for the holiday. Afghan flags were also raised at landmarks abroad for the centenary, such as the Burj Khalifa.
What Afghan Independence Day means
The day stands for the moment Afghans took charge of their own dealings with the world. Earlier treaties had left Britain in control of Afghan foreign affairs, and the treaty of 1919 ended that arrangement. It also carries the memory of the wars fought against outside armies, and of Amanullah Khan, the emir who declared the country free and set about modernising it. The black, red and green tricolour holds that meaning in public.
Questions people ask about Afghan Independence Day
When is Afghan Independence Day kept?
Afghan Independence Day is kept each year on 19 August, and in some places 20 August, which is 28 Asad in the Solar Hijri calendar.
What is Afghan Independence Day?
It is Afghanistan's national holiday, held on 19 August. It marks the treaty of 1919, when British control over Afghan foreign affairs came to an end and the country's protected status was given up. Amanullah Khan, then the emir, had proclaimed Afghan liberation, and the first such day was kept in 1919.
Where are the main ceremonies?
In Kabul. Official events have been held there, and the centenary in 2019 was tied to the restored Darul Aman Palace. Rallies have also been held in Jalalabad, and the arch at Paghman was put up to mark the holiday.
Does it have other names?
It is known locally as Afghan Liberation Day. In Pashto it is called Də Afğānistān də Xpəlwākəy Wraź, and in Dari Rōz-i Istiqlāl-i Afğānistān. Both are used at home, while English speakers usually say Afghan Independence Day.
See also
JirgaA traditional consultative council of elders that settles disputes through consensus
NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnics
South Asian truck artThe craft of painting and adorning cargo trucks and buses across India and Pakistan.
Persian gardenAn ancient tradition of creating walled, geometric sanctuaries of shade and flowing waterGood reading and sources
- Shots fired at Afghan protest against Taliban, 2 reported deadAl Jazeera, Article
- Several reported killed as Taliban shoot at crowds waving Afghan flagThe Guardian, Article
- Shots fired at Afghan protest against Taliban, 2 reported deadAl Jazeera, Article
- Several reported killed as Taliban shoot at crowds waving Afghan flagThe Guardian, Article
- Afghan Independence Day on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Afghan Independence Day", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.
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