36 Facts About Amanullah Khan

Ghazi Amanullah Khan was the sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emir and after 1926 as King, until his abdication in 1929.

Amanullah Khan's rule was marked by dramatic political and social change, including attempts to modernise Afghanistan along Western lines.

Amanullah Khan did not fully succeed in achieving this objective due to an uprising by Habibullah Kalakani and his followers.

On 14 January 1929, Amanullah abdicated and fled to neighbouring British India as the Afghan Civil War began to escalate.

Amanullah Khan's body was brought to Afghanistan and buried in Jalalabad near his father Habibullah Khan's tomb.

Amanullah Khan was born on 1 June 1892, in Paghman near Kabul, Afghanistan to a Pashtun family.

Amanullah Khan was the favoured and the third son of the Emir Habibullah Khan from his second wife.

Amanullah Khan was installed as the governor of Kabul, and was in control of the army and the treasury.

Amanullah Khan gained the allegiance of most of the tribal leaders.

In February 1919, Emir Habibullah Amanullah Khan went on a hunting trip to Afghanistan's Laghman Province.

Amanullah Khan took control of Kabul and the central government, declaring war against Nasrullah.

Amanullah Khan told Amanullah that he could have the kingdom, and he would go into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Amanullah Khan swore upon the Quran that no harm would come to Nasrullah if he returned to Kabul and then he could do as he pleased.

On 13 April 1919, Amanullah Khan held a Durbar in Kabul which inquired into the death of Habibullah.

Nasrullah was sentenced to life imprisonment but Amanullah Khan had him assassinated approximately one year later while being held in the royal jail.

Amanullah Khan recognized the opportunity to use the situation to gain Afghanistan's independence over its foreign affairs.

Amanullah Khan led a surprise attack against the British in India on 3 May 1919, beginning the Third Anglo-Afghan war.

Amanullah Khan conceptualized a modernist constitution that incorporated equal rights and individual freedoms, with the guidance of his father-in-law and Foreign Minister Mahmud Tarzi.

Amanullah Khan enjoyed early popularity within Afghanistan and he used his influence to modernise the country.

Amanullah Khan created new more cosmopolitan schools for both boys and girls in the regions and overturned centuries-old traditions such as strict dress codes for women.

Later, courses for teaching religious subjects and modern sciences were developed, with Amanullah Khan himself teaching some of them.

Amanullah Khan travelled to Great Britain as guests of King George V and Queen Mary.

Finally Amanullah Khan visited the first Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on 20 May 1928 which at the time was the first state visit by a foreign Head of State to Turkey.

Amanullah Khan ordered people to replace their traditional Afghan attire with new western clothes and to tip their hats when greeting others like in Western countries.

Amanullah Khan launched another attack on 7 January 1929 and successfully took Kabul.

On 14 January 1929 Amanullah abdicated and went into temporary exile in then British India passing the monarchy to his half brother Inayatullah Khan who became the next king of Afghanistan until surrendering the Arg four days later on 18 January 1929 to Kalakani who proclaimed himself as Amir of Afghanistan.

Around 22 March 1929, Amanullah Khan returned to Afghanistan assembling forces in Kandahar to reach Kabul and to dispose of Kalakani.

Amanullah Khan attempted to return to Afghanistan, but he had little support from the people.

Nevertheless, Amanullah Khan still had a group of staunch supporters in Afghanistan.

Amidst all the negotiations, Amanullah Khan remained in exile in Rome and never directly spoke to German or Soviet officials.

Amanullah Khan survived the war unharmed but appears to have lived a life of poverty in his exile, at least during and post World War II.

Amanullah Khan died on 26 April 1960 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Amanullah Khan's body was brought to Afghanistan and buried in the eastern city of Jalalabad near the tomb of his father Haibullah Khan.

Amanullah Khan left behind his widowed wife and four sons and five daughters, including Princess India of Afghanistan.

Amanullah Khan died in 1912 during childbirth while giving birth to their son, Hedayatullah.

Amanullah Khan married Vanda, with whom he had two sons.