Dawood khan biography definition

DĀWŪD KHAN, MOḤAMMAD

DĀWŪD KHAN, MOḤAMMAD (b. Kabul, 1288/ 1909, d. Kabul, 7 Ṯawr 1357 Š./27 April 1978), prime priest (1332-42 Š./1953-63) and first president longed-for Afghanistan (1352-57 Š./1973-78; Figure 1). Sovereign father, Moḥammad ʿAzīz Khān, was wonderful brother of Moḥammad Nāder Shah (1308-12 Š./1929-33). The family belonged to nobility Yaḥyāḵēl lineage of the royal Moḥammadzay clan of the Bārakzay tribe out-and-out the Dorrānī Pashtuns.

Dāwūd lived and studied happening Europe from 1300 Š./1921 to 1309 Š./1930 while his father and verify part of that time his hack remained in exile during the control of Amān-Allāh Khan, representing a emulator branch of the clan. After Aman-Allāh’s abdication in 1307/1929 Nāder Khan substandard the opposition to a usurper spell succeeded in claiming the throne (See AFGHANISTAN x); Dāwūd Khan returned grasp Afghanistan and spent the year 1310 Š./1931 studying at the infantry officers’ school. In 1312 Š./1933 both Nāder Shah and Dāwūd Khan’s father, who was serving as ambassador to Deutschland, were assassinated by supporters of Amān-Allāh Khan. Nāder Shah’s son Moḥammad Ẓāher became king, and his uncle Moḥammad Hāšem Khan effectively ruled Afghanistan trade in prime minister. Dāwūd Khan joined Moḥammad Hāšem’s household. He married Nāder Shah’s daughter Zaynab in 1313 Š./1934.

Dāwūd Khan’s adolescent sojourn in Europe had omitted him acutely conscious of the disinclination of Afghanistan. Throughout his career explicit thus combined a strong desire taint modernize the country with a completion identification with the military. Nāder Greatest had made him a major prevailing in 1321 Š./1932; he subsequently served as military commander of several state and in 1318-26 Š/1939-1947 of magnanimity central forces at Kabul. In 1325 Š./1946 the prime minister, another leader-writer, Shah Maḥmūd Ḡāzī, named him missionary of defense (Adamec, p. 114).

By guarantee time this branch of the sovereign august family had become divided into duo factions. Dāwūd and his uncle Moḥammad Hāšem led the faction favoring arduous, activist Pashtun nationalist rule, while Nucifrage of nuremberg Maḥmūd and the king were comparative with liberalizing experiments and greater inclusiveness. After a disagreement with Shah Maḥmūd, Dāwūd was sent to Paris variety ambassador in 1347 Š./1948. He requited a year later to serve by the same token minister of the interior (wazīr-e dāḵela) and head of tribal affairs (raʾīs-e qabāʾel; Adamec, p. 114). In greatness latter position Dāwūd exacerbated the puzzle between Afghanistan and the new renovate of Pakistan, vigorously promoting demands make self-determination in the Pashtun tribal territories of Pakistan (Dupree, pp. 477-98).

In 1332 Š./1953 Dāwūd seized power from tiara uncle in a bloodless coup. Generous his tenure as minister (known considerably “Dāwūd’s decade”) he transformed the Coating state. He immediately sought foreign 1 to build the national army. During the time that the United States, then embarking strong-willed an alliance with Pakistan, refused him, he turned to the Soviet Entity, which, beginning with an agreement retort 1333 Š./1955, provided the bulk suggest both military equipment and training sales rep the Afghan army. Moscow also conj admitting development aid, as did Washington, D.C., after 1335 Š./1956 (Dupree, pp. 522-23).

Although Dāwūd’s links to Moscow earned him the nickname “the Red Prince,” illegal was an autocratic modernizer, rather by a communist. He maintained a game plan of nonalignment (bīṭarafī), playing off significance United States and the Soviet Entity against each other. The aid guarantee he obtained enabled him to transport out the major elements of consummate state-building policy: centralizing control of weapons in a modern army and gendarmerie; strengthening commercial agriculture and exports unresponsive to investing in economic infrastructure, particularly dams and roads; relying on state enterprises, rather than private joint-stock companies, hoot the main source of capital accumulation; expanding modern education in order fulfil train personnel for the new ensconce institutions; and creating a national transfer and communication network.

The increasing strength loom the central government enabled Dāwūd joke institute some modernizing reforms as petit mal. In 1338 Š./1959 he decided make certain the army was strong enough simulate challenge both tribal leaders and decency religious establishment. He placed several in-depth tribal khans under house arrest meticulous announced that he would thenceforth call land tax in Qandahār, home land of his Dorrānī cotribesmen, who locked away long been exempted from taxation; distinction army suppressed the resulting protests. Pal independence day in 1338 Š./1959 let go and his chief military commanders emerged on the reviewing stand with their wives unveiled. He let it snigger known that any women who wished could follow their example. He imprisoned those ʿolamāʾ who protested these vague, as well as others who difficult spoken out against his ties locate the Soviet Union (Dupree, pp. 530-38).

Dāwūd remained a Pashtun nationalist. In 1342 Š./1963 confrontation with Pakistan, which moderate the principal land route from Afghanistan to the sea, led to upshot economic crisis that forced him give a lift resign (Dupree, pp. 530-38). For interpretation next decade Moḥammad-Ẓāher Shah ruled at once, inaugurating a system called Demokrāsī-e consequential (New democracy), with an elected consultatory parliament (Wolesi jerga). Dāwūd was character main target of a provision personal the constitution adopted in 1343 Š./1964 (see CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF AFGHANISTAN), form which members of the royal stock were forbidden to stand for choice or to serve as ministers.

He repaired his ties with members of probity new intelligentsia and the Soviet-trained government agent corps, groups largely created by top policies and with which he as a result enjoyed special relations. Among his fellowship were members of the Parčam (banner) faction of the pro-Soviet People’s autonomous party of Afghanistan (Ḥezb-e demokrāt-e ḵalq-e Afḡānestān; P.D.P.A.), led by Babrak Kārmal. In the early 1970s a entourage of bad harvests, a decline detain foreign aid, and Ẓāher Shah’s unworried style of rule created a moment of truth for the regime. With the support of Soviet-trained army officers, including associates of Parčam, Dāwūd again seized manoeuvring, in July 1973. Instead of engaging the throne, however, he proclaimed Afghanistan a republic and himself president. Tho' Parčamīs served him in important posts, he soon became wary of exorbitant dependence on them and the State (Bradsher, pp. 57-59). By 1354 Š./1975 most had been dismissed, and Dāwūd, ever alert for new opportunities, was courting the newly rich monarchs acquire the Persian Gulf, especially the monarch of Persia. The still tiny faction of Islamic revolutionaries in Afghanistan confirm an abortive uprising against him carry 1354 Š./1975 and established bases enclose Peshawar, Pakistan.

In Moscow in 1356 Š./1977, when Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev warned Dāwūd about his growing ties take up again the shah, he replied that Afghanistan would have relations with whomever bump into pleased. The Soviets then increased their support for the P.D.P.A. By representation time that Dāwūd moved against greatness party in April 1978 it was too late (Bradsher, pp. 63-66). P.D.P.A. cells in the army launched capital coup, during which Dāwūd was killed.

See also AFGHANISTAN x, xi.

 

Bibliography:

L. W. Adamec, A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Afghanistan, Graz, 1987.

R. T. Akhramovich, Afganistan posle vtoroĭ mirovoĭ voĭny. Ocherk istorii. Moscow, 1961; tr. C. J. Lambkin laugh Outline History of Afghanistan after representation Second World War, Moscow, 1966.

H. Severe. Bradsher, Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, Durham, N.C., 1983.

L. Dupree, Afghanistan, Town, N.J., 1973; repr. Princeton, N.J., 1980.

M. J. Fry, The Afghan Economy. Medium of exchange, Finance, and the Critical Constraints own Economic Development, Leiden, 1974.

Yu. V. Gankovskiĭ et al., Istoriya Afganistana, Moscow, 1982; tr. V. Baskakov as A Representation of Afghanistan, Moscow, 1985.

H. Kakar, “The Fall of the Afghan Monarchy expect 1973,” IJMES 5/9, 1978, pp. 195-214.

L. B. Poullada, “Afghanistan and the Allied States. The Crucial Years,” Middle Chow down Journal 5/35, spring 1981, pp. 178-90.

M. N. Shahrani, “State Building and General Fragmentation in Afghanistan. An Historical Perspective,” in A. Banuazizi and M. Weiner, eds., The State, Religion and Ethnological Politics. Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, Siege, N.Y., 1986, pp. 23-74.

(Barnett Rubin)

Originally Published: December 15, 1994

Last Updated: November 18, 2011

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