Zahir Shah
(b. 1914), king of Afghanistan. Zahir Shah was the king of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973. Born in Kabul, he received his initial schooling at the Habibia and Istiqlal schools. Later, Zahir studied in France when his father, Mohammad Nadir Khan, moved there as a result of political pressure following a falling-out with King Amanullah. Zahir's father returned to Afghanistan soon after Amanullah was deposed and took the throne on 15 October 1929, establishing the Musahiban dynasty. One year later, Zahir returned to Kabul and enrolled in the Infantry Officers School. At a young age, Zahir held several government positions, such as assistant minister of war and minister of education, before assuming the throne on 8 November 1933 following his father's assassination. Although Zahir was king, two uncles and a cousin actually wielded power as prime ministers during much of his reign. When his cousin resigned after a disagreement, Zahir in 1963 appointed, for the first time, a non–family member as prime minister. For the next ten years, Zahir instituted an experimental program called Demokrasy-I Now (New Democracy), which allowed free elections and promoted democratic ideals such as a free press and freedom of association in addition to a constitution. Zahir was overthrown in 1973 by his cousin, Daud Khan, and witnessed Afghanistan's shift to communism, a Soviet invasion, and the Afghan civil war. He is currently in exile in Italy. Although some support his return to power, Zahir Shah has made no major overtures in that direction.
Further Reading
Adamec, Ludwig W. (1997) Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan. 2d ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow.
Edwards, David B. (1996) Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines on the Afghan Frontier. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
This is the complete article, containing 284 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
