Habibullah Ghazi
Encyclopedia
Habībullāh Kalakānī (حبیبالله کلکانی) also known as Habībullāh Ghāzī, was Emir of Afghanistan from January to October 1929 after deposing Amānullāh Khān
with the help of various Ghilzai
tribes who opposed modernization of Afghanistan. After gaining power, he named himself Habībullāh Khādem-e Dīn-e Rasūlallāh ("The servant of the religion of the messenger of God"). He was himself overthrown and executed on 3 November 1929 by the army of Mohammed Nadir Khan with help of the Afghan tribes from around the country.
in 1890s, which is north of Kabul
. His father was a water carrier, therefore he was called "Bache Saqqaw" (Son of a watercarrier) who sent him to a local madrasa to study the Qur'an.
During his adolescence, Habībullāh ventured out of his village and traveled to Kabul and later to Jalalabad
and Peshawar
, where he performed odd jobs to sustain himself. In the South, he ran into an old Sufi who told him that he would become Amir
one day and then handed him an amulet to keep for good luck.
In 1919, he returned to Kabul and joined the Afghan National Army
. Due to his lack of professional qualification Habībullāh became disillusioned by his income from the army, and compounded with his disobedience and unwillingness to follow orders, he decided to return back to his village in Kalakān an had soon become head of a bandit robber band.
, the Queen of Afghanistan, in western attire upset the ultra-conservative Shinwari
tribe and they called for the banishment of the King and the Queen from Afghanistan.
A revolt broke out in Laghman
, as Habībullāh having been granted strong support used Tajik and Ghilzai gurrellas fighters. With a change of plans, he decided to resist the government officials in the north and, thus, a $10,000 bounty was placed on him.
With Amanullah's army engulfed in severe battle in Laghman and Jalalabad, Habībullāh began to attack Kabul from the north. The revolt caught steam and by then the country was in full civil war. Kabul was surrounded by the FATA
tribes in the south and Habībullāh's militias to the north.
In the middle of the night, on 14 January 1929, Amanullah Khan handed over his Kingdom to his brother Amir Inayatullah Khan
and escaped from Kabul towards Kandahar
in the south.
On 16 January 1929, with the King gone, Habībullāh wrote a letter to Amir Inayatullah Khan to either surrender or prepare to fight. Inayatullah Khan's response was that he had never sought nor wished to be king and agreed to abdicate and proclaim Habībullāh as the Emir on 17 January.
Furthermore, Nadir Khan furnished with troops consisting of thousands of young people from tribal Waziristan
and southern parts of Afghanistan. The troops fast approached Kabul and slowly began defeating the forces loyal to Kalakani.
The only man whom Habībullāh feared, was coming for him. By October 1929, Kabul was surrounded by Nadir Khan's forces. Kalakani escaped from Kabul towards his village as a fugitive fearing for his life.
Habībullāh again gathered his supporters. He displayed the Quran and Nadir Khan's letter to them and waited to hear their reply. Their answer was negative because they did not trust Nadir Khan, whom they considered to be a smart leader.
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
with the help of various Ghilzai
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
tribes who opposed modernization of Afghanistan. After gaining power, he named himself Habībullāh Khādem-e Dīn-e Rasūlallāh ("The servant of the religion of the messenger of God"). He was himself overthrown and executed on 3 November 1929 by the army of Mohammed Nadir Khan with help of the Afghan tribes from around the country.
Early years
Habībullāh Kalakānī, an ethnic Tajik, was born in the village of KalakānKalakan
Kalakan is a village located at at 1,610 m altitude. It is center of Kalakan District, Kabul Province, Afghanistan....
in 1890s, which is north of Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. His father was a water carrier, therefore he was called "Bache Saqqaw" (Son of a watercarrier) who sent him to a local madrasa to study the Qur'an.
During his adolescence, Habībullāh ventured out of his village and traveled to Kabul and later to Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
and Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, where he performed odd jobs to sustain himself. In the South, he ran into an old Sufi who told him that he would become Amir
Emir
Emir , meaning "commander", "general", or "prince"; also transliterated as Amir, Aamir or Ameer) is a title of high office, used throughout the Muslim world...
one day and then handed him an amulet to keep for good luck.
In 1919, he returned to Kabul and joined the Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
. Due to his lack of professional qualification Habībullāh became disillusioned by his income from the army, and compounded with his disobedience and unwillingness to follow orders, he decided to return back to his village in Kalakān an had soon become head of a bandit robber band.
Revolt
By 1928, Amanullah Khan had returned from Europe and brought with him vast social and cultural changes. This act, as well as pictures of Soraya TarziSoraya Tarzi
Soraya Tarzi, known mostly as Queen Soraya, was the Queen of Afghanistan in the early 20th century and the wife of King Amanullah Khan. She is the only woman to appear on the list of rulers in Afghanistan, although wife of King Amanullah Khan...
, the Queen of Afghanistan, in western attire upset the ultra-conservative Shinwari
Shinwari
The Shinwari are an ethnic Pashtun tribe of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan.In Pakistan, this tribe is active in trade, commerce, poetry, administrators and politicians within the Pakistani government; the majority are based in the Landi Kotal region of the Federally Administered Tribal...
tribe and they called for the banishment of the King and the Queen from Afghanistan.
A revolt broke out in Laghman
Laghman
Laghman can refer to:* Laghman Province in Afghanistan* Laghman, a place in Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan* Lamian and variants thereof as soup...
, as Habībullāh having been granted strong support used Tajik and Ghilzai gurrellas fighters. With a change of plans, he decided to resist the government officials in the north and, thus, a $10,000 bounty was placed on him.
With Amanullah's army engulfed in severe battle in Laghman and Jalalabad, Habībullāh began to attack Kabul from the north. The revolt caught steam and by then the country was in full civil war. Kabul was surrounded by the FATA
Fata
The FATA or FC-ATA is a type of computer hard disk drive. FATA is simply the low cost ATA or SATA disk drive equipped with a small external converter, that changes the interface to Fibre Channel...
tribes in the south and Habībullāh's militias to the north.
In the middle of the night, on 14 January 1929, Amanullah Khan handed over his Kingdom to his brother Amir Inayatullah Khan
Inayatullah Khan
Inayatullah Khan Seraj was the King of Afghanistan from 14 January 1929 to 17 January 1929. He was the son of former Afghan King, Habibullah Khan...
and escaped from Kabul towards Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in the south.
On 16 January 1929, with the King gone, Habībullāh wrote a letter to Amir Inayatullah Khan to either surrender or prepare to fight. Inayatullah Khan's response was that he had never sought nor wished to be king and agreed to abdicate and proclaim Habībullāh as the Emir on 17 January.
Kingship and overthrow
Kalakani's first order was to change the western attire back to traditional clothing and to remove all the flowers from the presidential grounds and plant vegetables instead. He closed down women schools and all western education centres. By September 1929, Amanullah Khan had stopped in Kandahar to regroup his followers and recalled his top general, Nadir Khan, from Europe. General Nadir Khan's army breezed through the west and southern Afghanistan. They had weapons and the support of the people as many volunteers joined the army.Furthermore, Nadir Khan furnished with troops consisting of thousands of young people from tribal Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
and southern parts of Afghanistan. The troops fast approached Kabul and slowly began defeating the forces loyal to Kalakani.
The only man whom Habībullāh feared, was coming for him. By October 1929, Kabul was surrounded by Nadir Khan's forces. Kalakani escaped from Kabul towards his village as a fugitive fearing for his life.
Habībullāh again gathered his supporters. He displayed the Quran and Nadir Khan's letter to them and waited to hear their reply. Their answer was negative because they did not trust Nadir Khan, whom they considered to be a smart leader.