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Muhammad
Zaher Shah bin Muhammad Nader Shah bin Serdar Muhammad Yusuf bin
Serdar Yehia Khan bin Sultan Muhammad Khan is a descendent of the
Muhammad Zay family, of the Abdaly tribe from which the founder of
the Modern Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdaly descended. This tribe
with its different dynasties ruled from 1747 to 28 April 1978
after the downfall of its last rulers, Zahir Shah’s cousin,
Serdar Muhammad Dawoud Khan, who was assassinated together with
his brother Muhammad Na’aim and members of their families at the
hands of Communist in the 1978 coup d'état.
The
Fighter Father
To
know Zahir Shah, one must start with a background review of his
father. Muhammad Nader Shah was born in the year 1883 in the Dirah
Don region which was under the sovereignty of British India, now
part of Pakistan, since his father was exiled by the order of
Prince Abdur-Rahman Khan, ruler of Afghanistan at that time.
Muhammad Nader Shah excelled in English and Urdu languages.
Muhammad
Nader Shah returned to Afghanistan after the death of Prince
Abdur-Rahman Khan as his son Habib Allah Khan came to reign. Nader
Shah enrolled in the Afghani army to reach the rank of Sabehsalar
(then the highest rank in the army) due to his outstanding success
in crushing a rebellion against the government in the Paktiya
province in 1913. He did so with peaceful means and without
losses.
He
was appointed as a general leader of the Afghani forces at the
Southern Front, for he led the people and the army in 1918 to
totally defeat the British. Thus Britain had to recognize the
independence of Afghanistan in 1919 in the aftermath of the
so-called war of independence.
Sabehsalar
Muhammad Nader Shah was appointed as a defense minister during the
rule of Prince Aman Allah Khan, then as an ambassador in France.
Some Western countries like France, Germany and Britain had
growing apprehensions of Prince Aman Allah Khan’s complete
submission to the Russians. To limit the communist expansion, they
exploited Muhammad Nader Shah in entering Afghanistan through the
province of Baktya with an army of Putshu tribes mostly from the
southern provinces. He reached Kabul on 25 October 1929 to
keep things under control, with British assistance, to rule
Afghanistan so as to restrain the return of the proponents of the
Soviet Union. Yet, on the 18 November 1933, Muhammad Nader Shah
was killed by Abdul Khaleq, a student at Najat School.
The
Son From Parisian Streets to the Ministry of Defense
Muhammad
Zahir Shah was born on 15 October 1914 in Kabul. He went to
Habibiat primary school in 1920. Then, he traveled with his father
to Paris in 1924 when he was appointed as an ambassador of
Afghanistan. He continued his study there, but returned to
Afghanistan on 15 October 1929 when his father became a King of
Afghanistan.
Muhammad
Zahir Shah was married in 1930 to the Queen Humira’a, the
daughter of al-Serdar Ahmed Shah, one of his father’s ministers.
He had the following children in order: Balqis, Muhammad Akbar,
Ahmed Shah, Maryam, Muhammad Nader Shah, Mahmoud, Muhammad Dawoud
Bishtoniar, and Mirowis.
His
daughters studied in Malaly School, the only school for girls at
Kabul at that time. His sons studied at Istiqlal School, which
carried a Francophonic tendency. His son Ahmed Shah graduated from
the College of Military Sciences, the Afghani Military Academy in
Kabul.
How
did He come to Power?
When
Zahir Shah returned to Afghanistan from France, his father tried
to train him to rule. He appointed him as Charge d’affaires of
the Minister of Defense in 1931, and then Guarantor of the
Ministry of Education in early 1932.
When
the father was assassinated in 1933, Muhammad Zahir Shah, came to
rule Afghanistan. Shiekh Fadl Omar al-Mejdidy, known as Hadrit
Shor Bazar (one of the renown religious scholars in Afghanistan at
that time) put the royal crown on his head. His uncle, Shah
Mahmoud, Minister of Defense in his father’s period, was the
first to pledge allegiance to him.
Zahir
Shah was fortunate that his other uncle, Muhammad Hashem Khan, a
prime minister at his father’s rule, was outside Kabul in a
visit to the northern provinces; if he were in Kabul, it would be
difficult for Zahir Shah to seize power. King Zahir Shah remained
in power until 25 June 1973 when he was ousted to Europe by a coup
led by his cousin with the assistance of some communist officers
in the Afghani army.
Zahir
Shah Ruling Policy
The
King in the fundamental law of Afghanistan at that time was above
accountability or even entirely above law. Article 16 of the
charter states: “The King is not responsible and is dutifully
respected…”
His
policy throughout his long period of rule was characterized by
boosting relations with the Soviet Union, while despising
relations with the Islamic and Arab countries, and especially
neighboring ones like Pakistan. He even made firm relations with
India, the archenemy of Pakistan. The communists were given full
opportunity to spread their ideas. The government overlooked their
establishment of a political party while banning the Islamists
from forming parties.
He
insistently challenged to disseminate Western lifestyle. For the
first time, women appeared unveiled in public gatherings during
the period of his premier Muhammad Dawoud. Religious scholars were
humiliated to the extent that they were beaten by the police and
exiled in remote areas. This happened in the large Boly Khashety
mosque in Kabul, as a large group of scholars gathered in protest
of the Government’s support for the communists.
During
his long span of rule, Afghanistan did not progress an inch, in
spite of its location in a region where countries rivaled in
progress, endeavoring to leap to the better for their peoples. As
a matter of fact, the adjacent states to Afghanistan progressed
substantially to the extent that they manufactured the nuclear
bomb, while Afghanistan was in backwardness and civilizational
retreat.
One
of the causes of chaos in his era were some manners and protocols
of the royal sphere. For instance, there was a custom called
Barayaby which means giving the honor to visit the King or any
member of the royal family. This honor was given to whoever the
royal family wish. In the beginning it was normal but later it
became a means for chaos and disorder. Whoever enjoyed visiting
the royal family was to make firm relations with them. In turn,
whoever had good relations with them considered themselves above
the law like them. Only the premier was charged for any
shortcomings that resulted in chaos and administrational problems.
All this underestimated the premier in the eyes of the people.
People
were killed without trial: particularly those who offend the royal
family, and they were made as a lesson to all people. A typical
example was after the assassination of Nader Shah and his allies.
They stood for trial before the court council. Although only two
were sentenced to death (Abdel Khaliq and his colleague Mahmoud)
fourteen persons were killed from the two families and some
students from the assassin’s school. The assassin of Nader Shah
was killed by cutting him off piece by piece until he died.
While
distancing himself from spotlight, international powers and the
states of the region agreed to let him return to Afghanistan as a
king once more. Although this seems uncertain due to the current
reality of Afghanistan after the expulsion of Zahir Shah. The
Afghans changed. They became more politically aware as they
learned considerably from the wars that they went through during
the two decades. They stopped being those peaceful people who
needed one policeman to put a whole village in order, as was the
case in the royal era.
Many
Afghans do not respect the dethroned King. He did not even pay one
visit to the refugee camps or console the people from the
afflictions they suffered in their severe struggle against the
Soviet forces. However, a group of the Afghani people supports his
return. They include some residents of Kabul and other cities who
were used to a certain way of life under the communist systems, as
their condition worsened under the Talibans. This group also
includes some tribal chiefdoms and ex-government employees who
enjoyed many privileges during the King’s era since he
considered them the pillars of his rule.
The
Weak King and His Corrupted Administration
Sabaheldeen
Kashkeky, a former minister in the royal reign in the ministry of
Muhammad Musa Shafik, thinks that the King had a weak personality
lacking willpower and determination. Under strong public pressure,
he allowed some political reforms, such as direct election of the
Shura Council, but he restrained from allowing in the party law a
charter for the formation of national and Islamic parties. Thus he
left the way clear for the clandestine communist and leftist
parties to do whatever they wanted. Actually, the communists
impeded the King’s certification of the party law through their
influence on his advisers, in order not have rival parties,
otherwise their relation to the Soviet Union would not have been
controlled by law.
His
weak personality was also apparent in his dealing with his family
members. General Abdel Waly, his son-in-law, who was the then head
of the arms forces, accompanied him to-date, while Serdar Muhammad
Dawoud Khan who was his cousin and his sister’s husband was the
one who overthrew him. The King feared confrontation, although he
knew that Muhammad Dawoud was looking after the communists, paving
the way for Soviet intervention in the domestic affairs of
Afghanistan. He eventually felt the danger posed to him as he was
too weak to face or oppose Muhammad Dawoud. He was warned about
the communist danger on the country and suggested to curb them,
but he said “No, no, Agha will not accept it.” Agha was the
family name of Muhammad Dawoud.
Those
who are close to him believe that he lacked the courage to return
to Afghanistan. However, his old age and deteriorating health
makes it difficult for him to assume the responsibility of
government. Analysts think that if he returns, he will be among an
inharmonious formation incapable of governing successfully.
The
Position of different Parties toward the King
The
name of the King Zahir Shah was sporadically proposed throughout
the Jihad period to come to rein Afghanistan. But some of the
Jihad parties such as the Islamic Party led by Hakimtiyar, the
Islamic Association led by Rabani, the Islamic Union by Seiaf, and
the Islamic Party led by Khalis completely objected to his return.
They considered him a partner in the crime of facilitating the
circumstances for disseminating the communist ideology. In
addition, his family was accused of moral corruption, as they
helped in spreading the Western style of life.
Some
Jihad personalities like Jilani, al-Mejdedy and al-Molowy Muhammad
Namby backed him. However, General Hamid Jel, the former head of
the Pakistani intelligence, said in an interview in the BBC,
“All the Jihad parties refused his return during the era of
General Muhammad Diaa al-Haq.”
From
this concise review, it seems that the Afghani chessboard can do
without the spoiled King forever. It dismissed him from its
political game by saying, “Checkmate”. The hands that tried to
control this game will only fail, for it seems that the “pons”
who occupy the chessboard are bored from those who offerred them
cake when they are in dire need of bread.
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