Amanullah Khan
He secured Afghanistan's full sovereignty in 1919, then mandated Western dress and secular education, triggering a tribal revolt that ended his reign.
1892–1960 (age 68)·Leader of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929·Birthday: June 1·The Lost Generation
Biography
Amanullah Khan launched the Third Anglo-Afghan War on May 3, 1919, just three months after his accession. The month-long conflict concluded with the Treaty of Rawalpindi, which removed Britain's control over Afghan foreign policy for the first time since 1879. Emboldened by this success, he embarked on a seven-year modernization campaign modeled on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Turkey. He instituted a secular legal code, opened co-educational schools, banned the burqa in urban centers, and required Western suits for government officials. A 1927-28 tour of Europe and Turkey yielded grand architectural plans for a new capital, Darulaman. His reforms, funded by increased taxes, alienated the tribal and religious establishment. In late 1928, the Shinwari tribe rebelled. A Tajik brigand, Habibullah Kalakani, seized Kabul in January 1929. Amanullah abdicated and fled to Italy in May. His attempt to impose a centralized, secular state from the top down failed to account for the power of rural and religious networks. The civil war his policies ignited set a precedent for future conflicts between modernist elites and traditional forces in Afghanistan.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Amanullah was born in 1892, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amanullah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1892
Amanullah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1892Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1897Started school
President: William McKinley
1905Became a teenager
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could drive
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Could vote
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1913Turned 21
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 30
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1932Turned 40
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 50
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 60
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Died at 68
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
Key Achievements
- Established Afghanistan's first constitution in 1923, creating a constitutional monarchy.
- Founded the country's first air force with purchased Soviet and German aircraft.
- Opened the first public high school for girls in Kabul and sent the first cohort of female students abroad.
Did You Know?
He personally drove a Rolls-Royce on the streets of Kabul to promote modernization.
During his European tour, he was photographed at the opera in Vienna wearing a top hat and tails.
He spent his final 30 years in exile near Rome, gardening and writing unsuccessful plans for a return.
“I recognize no power above that of the Afghan nation.”
