Following the Afghan War from 1978 to 1992, the new government in Afghanistan struggled to restore civil order, leaving a large portion of the nation vulnerable to violence and extortion by regional warlords and militias outside of Kabul. In the midst of widespread relocation resulting from the conflict, many Afghans found solace in the Islamic discourse of the mujahideen struggle. In 1994, a group of ex-combatants affiliated with a madrasah in the province of Kandahr captured a local warlord and began pacifying the surrounding districts. This pivotal event marked the emergence of the Taliban, which eventually gained control of Afghanistan in the late 1990s.