Moderization of Afghanistan during the Rule of Amanullah: Reasons for Failure

The reforms of Amanullah, whose reign fell on 1919—1929, became the first and most radical attempt to modernize the socio-political system of Afghanistan. The article analyzes these reforms and the reasons for their failure from a modern perspective. To understand the events related to the reforms, the author considers the domestic political situation that preceded Amanullah’s reign, the circumstances of Amanullah’s coming to power, and his foreign policy. The key events that impacted the reforms are considered in detail, including the 1924 mutiny in Khost province, the emir’s foreign trip, and other important events. When analyzing the reform policy of Amanullah’s government, 5 groups of factors were identified (financial factor, factor of discontent among a number of socio-political groups, factor of elite split, factor of geopolitical competition between Russia and Great Britain, factor of the emir’s personality), which had a negative impact on the course of reforms. As a result of the study, the author suggested that Afghan society was more likely to accept gradual progress rather than forced and radical modernization. Author comes to the conclusion that Amanullah's reforms could have been successful if it had been possible to neutralize the formation and impact of at least some of the above factors.