Burhanuddin Rabbani - Definition and Overview

Burhanuddin Rabbani (born 1940), an ethnic Tajik, is the political leader of the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan.

In 1992 he became President of the Islamic Council of Afghanistan (and thus effective ruler of the country), until Kabul was captured by the Taliban in 1996. He set up headquarters in the northern Afghan town of Faizabad and led, with support from Iran and Russia, one of the five anti-Taliban factions.

He was still recognised as ruler of Afghanistan by the United Nations and most other countries during the Taliban regime. When the United States and its allies deposed the Taliban in 2001, Rabbani retook the capital and proclaimed himself to be Afghanistan's legitimate Head of State. He formally handed over power to an interim government headed by Hamid Karzai on December 22, 2001.

In 2004 he attended Karzai's formal inauguration as Afghanistan's first elected president.