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3. Case Study 1-The Monarchy of King Amanullah Khan: 1919-1929 ------20 3.1 1. PAGE OF APPROVAL i ii 2. DECLARATION I hereby declare that the dissertation I have presented for examination for the PhD degree of University of Ferrara of the Humanities and Social Studies, is solely my own personal effort other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others. The copyright of this dissertation rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This dissertation may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. Mohammad Attar Abkenar iii 3. ABSTRACT This study has examined two epochs of reform and resistance to the government in Afghanistan’s modern history. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the internal and external factors that terminated the government’s efforts in consolidating the central authority and modernizing the country in failure which consequently resulted in the long lasting civil war and anti-western tendencies in Afghanistan. The first selected regime is the monarchy of King Amanullah Khan (1919-1929) and the second one is the communist regime of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (the PDPA), under the Soviet hegemony (1978-1989). This study has provided a conceptual model, which hypothesizes the functions of different social, political, and religious factors in the process of consolidating the central power and conducting the reform programme. In this regard, the Afghan governments’ inappropriate social, political, and economic policies, which provoked several reactions from tribal and religious forces, are identified as the internal factors. Furthermore, the colonial competitions between Russians and the British, the Great Game, and the tension between the Soviet Union and the West, the Cold War, are indicated as external elements. The study demonstrates how King Amanullah initially was able to attain legitimacy from religious elites, and attract the public support to attain Afghanistan’s complete independence from Britain and successfully implement initial stage of his reform programme while the PDPA in consequence of its military coup from the beginning was involved in the legitimacy crisis. According to comparative analysis of two selected regimes, this study has concluded several significant findings regarding the factors that were supposed to be under the Afghan government’s special consideration and also the characters of the several resistances that occurred throughout the two regimes. Keywords: Afghanistan, modern history, government, reform, resistance, King Amanullah, the PDPA. iv 4. RIASSUNTO Questo studio ha esaminato, nella storia moderna dell'Afghanistan, due epoche di riforma e resistenza al governo, di fornire un'analisi completa dei fattori interni ed esterni, che si è conclusa con gli sforzi di quest’ultimo di consolidare il proprio potere centrale e modernizzare il paese. Come causa del fallimento è scaturita una guerra civile che si è protratta per un lungo periodo di tempo con tendenze anti-occidentali. Il primo regime selezionato è stata la monarchia di re Amanullah Khan (1919-1929) e il secondo è stato il regime comunista del Partito popolare democratico dell'Afghanistan (il PDPA), sotto l'egemonia Sovietica (1978-1989). Questo studio ha fornito un modello concettuale che ipotizza le funzioni dei diversi fattori sociali, politici e religiosi nel processo di consolidamento del potere centrale e nella realizzazione del programma di riforme. A questo proposito i governi Afghani, inappropriati sotto il punto di vista sociale, politico ed economico, hanno causato numerose reazioni da parte delle forze tribali e religiose. Questi fattori sono identificati come “fattori interni”. Inoltre, la competizione coloniale tra Russi e Inglesi, chiamata come il Grande gioco e la tensione tra l'Unione Sovietica e l'Occidente, definita come la Guerra fredda, sono elencati come “elementi esterni”. Lo studio dimostra come il re Amanullah è stato inizialmente in grado di raggiungere la legittimità delle élite religiose e di attrarre il sostegno del pubblico per accedere alla completa indipendenza dell'Afghanistan dalla Gran Bretagna, impostando con successo la fase iniziale di attuazione del suo programma di riforme; contrariamente il PDPA ha avuto sin dall’inizio, come risultato del suo Colpo di Stato militare, una crisi di legittimità. Secondo l'analisi comparativa dei due regimi selezionati, questo studio ha trovato diverse importanti e significative conclusioni: una su i fattori pricipali essenziali ma non considerati dal governo Afgano, l’altra su i caratteri delle diverse resistenze che si sono svolte durante i due regimi. Parole chiave: Afghanistan, storia moderna, il governo, la riforma, la resistenza, il re Amanullah, il PDPA. v 5. DEDICATION To my beloved country, IRAN vi 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you! This dissertation could not have been completed without the great support that I have received from so many people over the years. I wish to offer my most heartfelt thanks to the following people. To my supervisor, Professor Andrea Baravelli, who continuously supported me not only with my dissertation, but also with my studies in general. Thank you. To our coordinator, Professor Angela Maria Andrisano. You have been an ever present beacon of support, encouragement, and advice. Thank you for keeping your office door open and available for all the times when I needed it. To Professor Giovanni Focardi from University of Padova, Professor Stefano Pellò from University of Ferrara, Professor Alberto Castelli from University of Venice, Professor Mario del Pero from University of Bologna, for their time and collaboration. To library of New York University (Afghanistan Digital Library), the National Library of Afghanistan (Kabul), Consulate General of Afghanistan in Bonn, the National Library and Archives of the Islamic Republic of Iran (NLAI), interlibrary services of university of Ferrara, centres such as “Dickinson Bologna Centre” which is a Centre for Global Study and Engagement and University Library of Bologna and National Central Library of Rome, for their kind collaboration, understanding and support throughout this research. To my professors, Dr Hasan Kohansal, Dr Soleyman Aminzadeh and Dr Javad Sakha. I am very grateful for and appreciative of their collaborations and conversations we have had. Thank you. To the Doctoral School Office, and IUSS-Ferrara 1391, for their kind collaboration, and support. To my friends in the residence college for their encouragement and brilliant friendship. Thank you. To my friend Dr. Houda Oudouche. From the day I started PhD programme, you have become one of my best friends. We have seen and helped each other through both good vii times and bad. I will always remember the preferable conversations we had over dinner, and I know that we will break bread together many more times. To my friend Dr. Leila Bagheri. Thank you for your help throughout this research and also thank you for your honest friendship with me. To my friend Dr. Parviz Holakooei. You always encouraged me in all aspects of my life; I will never forget your helps. To my family. They endured my absence for the whole time especially my mother. I wish to express my love and my appreciation to them. To anyone that may I have forgotten. I apologize. Thank you as well. Mohammad Attar Abkenar, Ferrara, January 2015 viii 7. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PAGE OF APPROVAL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i 2. DECLARATION -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iii 3. ABSTRACT-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv 4. RIASSUNTO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- v 5. DEDICATION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vi 6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- vii 7. TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ix 8. LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ----------------------------------------------------------------------- xii 9. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- xiii 10. LIST OF GLOSSARY OF TERMS --------------------------------------------------------------------- xiv 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1.1. Background and Context to the Study ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 1.2. Aims of the Study ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.3. Significance of the Study ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 1.4. Research Methodology --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 1.5. Case Selection -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 1.5.1. Case One: the Monarchy of King Amanullah Khan: 1919-1929 ------------------------------------------- 11 1.5.2. Case Two: People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, under the Soviet Hegemony: 1978-1989 11 1.6. Structure of Thesis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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