15 Facts About Habibullah Khan

Habibullah Khan was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1901 until his assassination in 1919 by Shuja-ud-Daula Ghourbandi.

Habibullah Khan was the eldest son of the Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, whom he succeeded by right of primogeniture in October 1901.

Habibullah Khan had a younger brother, born on December 7,1874, Nasrullah Khan.

Habibullah Khan was a relatively reform-minded ruler who attempted to modernize his country.

In 1901, Habibullah Khan passed a law forcing Hindu men to wear yellow turbans and women to wear a yellow veil in public in order to distinguish them from Muslims and to discriminate against.

In 1903, Habibullah Khan founded the Habibia school as well as a military academy.

Habibullah Khan worked to put in place progressive reforms in his country.

Habibullah Khan instituted various legal reforms and repealed many of the harshest criminal penalties.

In May 1912, Habibullah faced the only crisis in his career when a rebellion, known as the Khost rebellion, erupted in Khost led by Jehandad Khan, a rival claimant to the Afghan throne.

Habibullah Khan maintained the country's neutrality in World War I, despite strenuous efforts by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a German military mission to enlist Afghanistan on its side.

Habibullah Khan greatly reduced tensions with British India, signing a treaty of friendship in 1905 and paying an official state visit in 1907.

Habibullah requested Mustufi Husain Khan to find the assailants, and utilized this attempt to remove political dissenters and reformers against his government.

Mustufi Husain identified the Habibullah's son, Amanullah Khan as being involved.

In January 1919, Habibullah Khan embarked on a hunt, and arrived in Kalagosh, an area in the province of Laghman.

Habibullah's brother Nasrullah Khan briefly succeeded him as Emir and held power for a week between 21 and 28 February 1919 before being ousted and imprisoned by Amanullah Khan, Habibullah's third son.