How Did Afghani's Send Mail Under The Taliban?

Just wondering if anyone knew how or by what method mail was sent during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan?

I know that the Banking System as well as the Postal System were shut down from I think 1989 through 2001.

How did they send mail?

That's an interesting question. Looking in my 2003 Scott's I see they continued to issue stamp. Lots of cuddly kitties, butterflies and flowers.
A note in the catalogue at the end of 1989 says,
"Mavlavi Allahdad Balkhi, President of Post of the Afghanistan Postal Administration, has declared that 'the stamps which have been printed after year 1989 are false stamps.'"
Scott's continues, "The status of the issues of 1996 to date (2003) will be reviewed once more information is available"

Stamps listed in Scotts after that have no values. My guess is they didn't see much postal use.

Interestingly in March of 1989 a stamp honouring International Women's Day was issued. Bet that one didn't see much use.

Ah, this is what Mavlavi is referring to. "In the late 80s/early 90s, the country was devastated by civil war, led by Taliban forces. It is at this point where many unofficial stamps were printed and distributed. The Afghanistan postal service has disavowed these stamps."


http://www.stampsofdistinction.com/...anistan.html

From what I've read even today the newly reformed Afghan postal system uses a wide variety of older stamps that may date back to the 1930's. Distribution of new issues is sparse hence the use of older issues.

I looked on ebay and Delcampe and couldn't find any used covers from the 1989-2001 except one postcard from 1992 that used an Iranian stamp. It appears dubious at best.

I'm guessing that wasn't much of a need for a postal system under the Taliban. Women were not taught how to read or write thus about 50% or more of the population wasn't getting any mail. The vast bulk of the population was simply removed from any social construct that require any form of mail. Life was very rural and still is for most people.

Ok this falls into the realm of Central Asia a primary region I collect.

Yes, stamps before 1989 have questionable value. However, this does not mean that these stamps have been printed for the collectors market considering how little market there is for Central Asia as a whole and I would presume Afghanistan is a minuscule percentage of that market.

In any case I would assume they would not be considered "legal" due to the regime who was controlling Afghanistan at the time, the Taliban. With only 3 countries recognizing their rule it would be easy to declare the stamps printed under them as "illegal". Similarly if one was (suppose for examples sake) use Nazi stamps today on German mail would they consider it a "legal" stamp? I wouldn't think so.

There was a need since they claimed to be a government. There were departments and I would assume that there would be inter-office mail going back and forth. The question of women being literate or not has no bearing on this discussion.

As for the 1989-2001 issues, it would be interesting to find out who were the printers of the stamps and what relation did they have if any to the Taliban government. If I was a betting man, I would say none and therefore, they are illegal issues. The Taliban don't come across as a puppy and kitten (on stamps) loving kind of group. The whole concept of a picture on a stamp was probably taboo under their regime.

I would think literacy rates would have a huge bearing on the need for mail. Same goes for poverty rates which go hand in hand with literacy rates. Intergovernment mail between departments could be sent via government messenger without any form of franking.

I have quite a few of the "illegal" issues and their designs pretty much scream bogus. I think you are right Battlestamps - And based on these letters, probably printed privately for collectors.

Note that there are 2 letters here. One sent in 2000 under the Taliban regime, and one later in 2003 by the new government.

http://www.pwmo.org/Illegals/illega...hanistan.htm

This quote is interesting from 2000:




And from 2003:






I still wonder though... Between 89 and 2001, how did one send a package, or letter, from one city to another? Was everything possibly private courier?

This article from the Christian Science Monitor might have a clue as to how mail was sent under the Taliban

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia...ice-delivers

"Sending a letter usually meant having to find someone traveling in the direction of the recipient willing to carry a note and hoping for the best."

Sidenote: I read another article from the BBC about the difficulties facing the Afghan postal system as even town like Kabul didn't even have street names or numbers. I read elsewhere that surnames are not really common either so that would make it even more difficult although some places there use their tribal name, place of birth or profession as a surname (which I guess is not really much different the origins of many surnames that we have today - most of us are just really far removed from our origins).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14806350

Thanks Battlestamps - Good info