Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Afghan sovereigns flee

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December 17, 1928 

 The King and Queen of Afghanistan have taken refuge in a fort, as the army has turned against them. King Amanullah and Queen Souriyah have been described in the western media as progressive and western, but the westernization of Afghanistan may have proved to be their downfall. The rebels, who are now in control of parts of Kabul and other areas, have not approved of the king's reforms or the queen's "desire to abolish Purdah or the seclusion of women." 

The queen has also spoken out against polygamy. King Amanullah began to institute western reforms after a successful European tour earlier this year. Afghanistan holds an "important strategic position" on the Indian frontier and its tranquility is "particularly desirable to the British." The west awaits news from Moscow about this rebellion as the Soviets "from time to time have evinced strong interest in Afghanistan."

 However, the Russian airmen and the Turkish military officers who are now in the service of the king are the targets of "popular hatred" by the rebels. The Soviet Union is not popular among "old-fashioned Moslems." 

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The King's reforms, which were similar to reforms recently introduced in Turkey, another Moslem country, have not gone down well with the people, especially the Mullahs. Apart from the "special irritation" of the new codes and taxes, the hill people and their religious leaders were particularly offended at the proposal that women "should doff the veil" and emerge from seclusion. 


The mullahs and other conservative Muslims are also offended by the proposal to create co-education programs, where boys and girls share educational facilities.

  
 Although the king was advised by British friends to slow the pace, his directives were fast and furious. In September, government officials were no longer allowed to practice polygamy. A month later, came the order to adopt the Western dress, even though few tailors in the country could cut the European trousers, and "suitable cloth" had to be imported from India "at great expense." This was an unpopular decree on several levels, including economic. 

Western dress also has meant adopting western habits. Chairs had to be bought because it is largely impossible to sit cross-legged on the floor, and "wearers of Western sleeves could no longer plunge their right hands and wrists into a dish, but must buy knives and forks." 

The Shinwaris and their mullahs are against the Western reforms and the Kabulis are protesting the "sartorial reform a la Turque." The British will not interfere with this rebellion because of the anger against the western reforms.

[King Amanullah Khan (1892-1960) was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1919 until 1926 when he became King of Afghanistan.   On January 14, 1920, he abdicated and fled to British India.   He and his consort, Soraya Tarzi (1899-1968).  They married in 1913.  Queen Soraya was Amanullah's only wife,  She was the first Muslim consort to appear in public with her husband.

Soraya supported women's rights including education. By the late 1920s, she was considered one of the most influential women in the world, a major achievement for an Islamic king's consort.   The queen's father, Mahmud Tarzi, was an important figure in modern Afghanistan's history.  He shared many ideas with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who established a secular Turkey.  

Tarzi was very much opposed to religious fundamentalism and worked toward a modern Afghanistan.  His son-in-law embraced his ideas, but unfortunately for King Amanullah, Afghanistan was not ready to embrace secularism and western ideas.

The king and queen supported equal rights, a modern constitution, and established schools for girls and boys.  During his reign, women were no longer required to wear traditional clothing.

Afghanistan's move toward modernization led to several uprisings including the Khost rebellion in 1925.  This uprising did not succeed, but the king's ideas were not embraced by the entire country, especially the conservative religious leaders.   

Amanullah's foreign policy focused on the two countries, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, that wanted to control Afghanistan and other parts of the region.  

Civil war raged throughout the country.  The king relinquished  his throne in favor of his brother, Inayatullah Khan Seraj, who reigned for three days before the leader 

The King and Queen and their family settled in Rome, where they lived for many years. He died in Switzerland on April 25, 1960.

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