1948: Afghanistan
Tribal and religious relationships starred the
little news emerging from Afghanistan in 1948. Developments in
Kashmir and in Waziristan, as well as in Hyderabad, affected
Afghanistan's policies. The death of Pakistan's Mohamed Ali Jinnah
was a blow to this Mohammedan country. Palestine developments and
the kaleidoscopic alterations in the Arab League called for good
statesmanship by Afghanistan.
Internal Conditions.
It remained one of the least-known countries
in the world, all but isolated by the Hindu Kush ranges with India
on its east, the Soviet Union on its north, and Iran on its west and
south. In all of its 250,000 sq. mi., Afghanistan in 1948 still had
no railroads and less than 300 mi. of motor roads. Practically all
transport was still carried on camel or pony back along the seven
important trade routes, chief of which is eastward through the
Khyber Pass to India. Along the frontier are warlike and independent
tribes of Pathans. Afghanistan's languages are Pushtu and Iranian.
Its population of about 10,000,000 still knows the 200-year
dominance of the Durani over the Tajiks, the aborigines. The capital
is Kabul (population about 120,000); other chief cities are Kandahar,
Herat, and Mazar-i-Sharif. The predominant religion is Islam.Despite
the mountainous nature of most of the country, fruit, vegetables,
and cereals are produced in the irrigated valleys. Raising of the
fat-tailed sheep, a native of Afghanistan, furnishes the principal
meat diet, a substitute for butter from the grease of the tail, and
wool and skins. Persian lambskins and cotton are exported. Though
iron, silver, copper, lead, coal, gold, and petroleum and raw
asbestos are known, most of the mineral resources in the country
remained undeveloped in 1948. Small factories manufacture some
matches, buttons, leather, boots, marble-ware, furniture, and small
arms and ammunition. In 1948 hydroelectric stations were under
construction or planned under the supervision of the government,
which also controlled commerce.Money is based on silver, the chief
unit being the afghani. The National Bank, with branches in Asia,
Europe, and America, was established in May 1938; in 1948 it had a
capital of over 300,000,000 afghani. The government is a
constitutional monarchy; the laws and customs are those of Islam.
Elementary schools exist throughout the country, but secondary
schools are found only in Kabul and provincial capitals; elementary
and secondary education is free. In 1948 there were two training
schools for teachers; some technical, art, commercial, and medical
schools also existed. The Kabul University, founded in 1932, had
four faculties of law, science, medicine, and arts. The reigning
king was Mohammed Zahir Shah.
Associations with Pakistan.
As Afghanistan saw India divided between
Pakistan and India, its ministers approached the British minister in
Kabul with the information that tribesmen of the North-West Frontier
Province desired to disassociate themselves from India. Presumably
these were the tribes in the territory between the 1893-demarcated
Durand Line (which marks the frontier between India and Afghanistan)
and the areas commonly referred to as the "settled districts," which
would include the bulk of the tribes in Waziristan as well as
others. This region is divided into five political agencies;
Malakand (Dir, Swat, and Chitral), Khyber, Kurram, North Waziristan,
and South Waziristan. There are further areas known as tribal areas
under the political control of the six districts of the North-West
Frontier Province.The tribes always had a large measure of
independence. They have crossed easily any of the frontiers, both
for friendly visits and for purposes of escape. There are no
intrinsic differences between the tribes of Afghanistan and those of
the North-West Frontier Province. All are Pathans.In a referendum in
the North-West Frontier Province of India, those voting representing
only about one-half of the electorate, a majority of the votes were
cast in favor of Pakistan. As for those not voting, their abstention
could be laid to indifference or ignorance. However, a further
consideration must be given to the fact that Abdul Ghaffar Khan,
leader in the North-West Frontier Province of the Redshirts (who are
supporters of the Indian Congress Party), called on his followers to
boycott the referendum, and at the same time he was urging the
establishment of a new regime to be called "Pathanistan." There was
a possibility, if he continued, of this movement jeopardizing the
peace and security of the frontier.
The influence of Abdul Ghaffar Khan in
Afghanistan was difficult to assess. Tribal leaders are jealous of
their position and will not be too ready to accept any overlordship.
This was seen in 1929 in the tribal uprising which led to the
expulsion of King Amanullah and which enabled the ruling Afghanistan
dynasty to come to power. The stability of the ruling house has been
entirely dependent on tribal goodwill, and in the past there was
trouble with pretenders and agitators, who usually made their
appearance in the independent tribal territory of Waziristan. In
1936 the whole of Waziristan was roused on religious issues by the
Faqir of Ipi. In 1948 he was still in an obscure spot near the
Afghanistan frontier and considered himself the supreme leader in
tribal affairs in Waziristan and beyond.
At the close of 1948 this situation offered
little hope of permanent stability. It could entice any nation which
would like to set some elements of a population against other
elements in order to intrude its influence and in the confusion
achieve power.
Relations Affecting the
Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union is an important element in
the minds of Afghans. About September an Associated Press dispatch
from London announced that the joint Soviet-Afghanistan border
commission had completed a two-year job of demarcating the border
with an agreement signed in Tashkent, U.S.S.R. On September 30 an
Associated Press dispatch from Paris reported that Afghanistan was
scheduled to meet along with 11 countries from three continents for
the formation of a regional defense bloc. These nations are situated
on or near the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa, and generally
they oppose Soviet policies. In addition to Afghanistan, the nations
were listed as Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan, Turkey, and Yemen. The plan was
said to have been cleared by a meeting between Greek Foreign
Minister Constantin Tsaldaris and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed
Khashaba Pasha. The attention of Greece to this proposed bloc was
significant to the whole Mediterranean and south European region,
for Greece has been a pivot for Anglo-American policies.
Action on Palestine.
The stirrings in the Islam world were not
ignored in Kabul. Palestine, the chief locale of efforts among
Mohammedans to achieve a political and religious harmony despite
tribal differences, found Afghanistan taking sides. On October 31 it
was reported to have recognized the Provisional Arab Government of
Palestine set up at Gaza.
Social Unrest.
In 1948 unrest was evident among the many
native contractors and workers and former members of the Afghan
armed forces who had left their country during World War II either
to work or fight.
Archaeological Excavations.
Afghanistan made the news in October through its ancient history. It
was reported that the Danish Central Asiatic Expedition, led by
Professor Henning Haslund-Christensen, had discovered ruins of the
ancient city of Lashgari Sarai. This lost metropolis, once inhabited
by tens of thousands of people and surrounded by formal gardens, was
discovered in a desert region of Afghanistan, the ruins covered by
sands. The expedition at the close of 1948 hoped to come upon clues
to the lost civilization of the region
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