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Mohammad Zahir Shah

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"Zahir Shah" redirects here. For the Pakistani film actor, see Zahir Shah (actor). For the Pakistani squash player, see Zahir Shah (squash player).
Not to be confused with Muhammad Zahir Shah.

Mohammad Zahir Shah (Pashto/Dari: محمد ظاهر شاه‎; 15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning from 8 November 1933 until he was deposed on 17 July 1973.[2] Ruling for 40 years, Zahir Shah was the longest-serving ruler of Afghanistan since the foundation of the Durrani Empire in the 18th century.

Mohammad Zahir Shah
King Zahir Shah in 1963
King of Afghanistan
Reign8 November 1933 – 17 July 1973
Installation8 November 1933
PredecessorMohammad Nadir Shah
SuccessorMonarchy abolished (Daoud Khan as President of Afghanistan)
Head of House of Barakzai
Tenure17 July 1978 – 23 July 2007
PredecessorPrince Daoud
(as President of Afghanistan)
SuccessorPrince Ahmad Shah
Born15 October 1914[1]
Kabul, Emirate of Afghanistan
Died23 July 2007(2007-07-23) (aged 92)
Kabul, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Burial
Maranjan Hill, Kabul
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1931; died 2002)​
IssuePrincess Bilqis Begum
Prince Muhammed Akbar Khan
Crown Prince Ahmad Shah Khan
Princess Maryam Begum
Prince Muhammed Nadir Khan
Prince Shah Mahmoud Khan
Prince Muhammed Daoud Pashtunyar Khan
Prince Mirwais Khan
Pashtoمحمد ظاهر شاه
HouseBarakzai
FatherMohammad Nadir Shah
MotherMah Parwar Begum
ReligionSunni Islam
SignatureMohammad Zahir Shah's signature

He expanded Afghanistan's diplomatic relations with many countries, including with both sides of the Cold War.[3] In the 1950s, Zahir Shah began modernizing the country, culminating in the creation of a new constitution and a constitutional monarchy system. Demonstrating nonpartisanism,[4] his long reign was marked by peace in the country which was lost afterwards with the onset of the Afghan conflict.[5]

In 1973, while Zahir Shah was undergoing medical treatment in Italy,[6] his regime was overthrown in a coup d'état by his cousin and former prime minister, Mohammad Daoud Khan, who established a single-party republic, ending more than 225 years of continuous monarchical government.[7] He remained in exile near Rome until 2002, returning to Afghanistan after the end of the Taliban government. He was given the title Father of the Nation, which he held until his death in 2007.[1]

Family background and early life

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Zahir Shah was born on 15 October 1914, in a city quarter called Deh Afghanan in Kabul, Afghanistan to a Barakzai Pashtun family.[1] He was the son of Mohammad Nadir Shah (1883–1933) a senior member of the Mohammadzai Royal family. and commander in chief of the Royal Afghan Army for former king Amanullah Khan, and of Begum Mah Parwar Begum (d. 1941), a Pashtun tribe woman. Nadir Shah assumed the throne after the execution of the self-proclaimed ruler of Afghanistan Habibullah Kalakani on 1 November 1929.[8] Mohammad Zahir's father, son of Sardar Mohammad Yusuf Khan, was born in Dehradun, British India, his family having been exiled after the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Nadir Shah was a descendant of Sardar Sultan Mohammad Khan Telai, half-brother of Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. His grandfather Mohammad Yahya Khan (father in law of Emir Yaqub Khan) was in charge of the negotiations with the British resulting in the Treaty of Gandamak. After the British invasion after the killing of Sir Louis Cavagnari during 1879, Yaqub Khan, Yahya Khan and his sons Princes Mohammad Yusuf Khan and Mohammad Asef Khan were taken captive by the British and transferred to the British Raj, where they remained forcibly until the two princes were invited back to Afghanistan by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan during the last year of his reign (1901). During the reign of Amir Habibullah they received the title of Companions of the King (Musahiban).

Zahir Shah was educated in a special class for princes at Elementary Primary, built in 1904 by the United Kingdom, and Habibia High School, where many subjects were taught in English. For his secondary education, he went to the Amaniya High School (built during the reign of King Amanullah by France, where many subjects were taught in French. This school was renamed by Nadir Shah as Esteqlal High School)[9] after the fall of King Amanullah. Zahir Shah studied at the Infanterie Military School in the winter (school year in Kabul, 21 March to November). He was then sent to France for further training.[10] He continued his education in France where his father had served as a diplomatic envoy, studying at the Pasteur Institute and the University of Montpellier.[11] When he returned to Afghanistan he helped his father and uncles restore order and reassert government control during a period of lawlessness in the country.[12] He was later enrolled at an Infantry School and appointed a privy counsellor. Zahir Shah served in the government positions of deputy war minister and minister of education.[10]

Reign

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Studio photograph of Zahir Shah in military uniform, seated in a heavy, carved armchair (1930s)

Zahir Khan was proclaimed king (shah) on 8 November 1933 at the age of 19, after the assassination of his father Mohammad Nadir Shah. After his ascension to the throne he was given the regnal title, "He who puts his trust in God, follower of the firm religion of Islam".[10] For the first 20 years, he did not effectively rule, instead ceding power to his paternal uncles, Mohammad Hashim Khan and Shah Mahmud Khan, who both served as Prime Ministers.[13] This period fostered a growth in Afghanistan's relations with the international community as during 1934, Afghanistan joined the League of Nations while also receiving formal recognition from the United States.[14] By the end of the 1930s, agreements on foreign assistance and trade had been reached with many countries, most notably with the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan.[15]

Zahir Shah provided aid, weapons, and Afghan fighters to the Uighur and Kirghiz Muslim rebels who had established the First East Turkestan Republic. The aid was not capable of saving the First East Turkestan Republic, as the Afghan, Uighur, and Kirghiz forces were defeated in 1934 by the Kuomintang Chinese Muslim New 36th Division of the National Revolutionary Army, commanded by General Ma Zhancang at the Battle of Kashgar and Battle of Yarkand. All the Afghan volunteers were killed by the Chinese Muslim troops, who then abolished the First East Turkestan Republic, and reestablished Chinese government control over the area.[16]

 
Dinner in honour of King Mohammad Zahir Shah of Afghanistan hosted by President John F. Kennedy (1963)

Despite close relations to the Axis powers, Zahir Shah and his governments refused to take sides during World War II and Afghanistan remained one of the few countries in the world to remain neutral. From 1944 to 1947, Afghanistan experienced a series of revolts by various tribes.[17] After the end of World War II, Zahir Shah recognised the need for the modernisation of Afghanistan and recruited a number of foreign advisers to assist with the process.[18] During this period Afghanistan's first modern university was founded.[18] During his reign a number of potential advances and reforms were derailed as a result of factionalism and political infighting.[19] He also requested financial aid from both the United States and the Soviet Union, and Afghanistan was one of few countries in the world to receive aid from both Cold War adversaries.[20] In a 1969 interview, Zahir Shah said that he is "not a capitalist. But I also don't want socialism. I don't want socialism that would bring about the kind of situation [that exists] in Czechoslovakia. I don't want us to become the servants of Russia or China or the servant of any other place."[21]

 
Mohammad Zahir Shah and Marshal Tito in 1968

He was considered a relatively lenient leader compared to previous kings; Zahir Shah had never signed a warrant for the execution of anyone for political reasons during his reign. He also used his power several times to commute capital punishment sentences given to some convicted criminals.[4] At Zahir Shah's behest the new 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan was introduced which made Afghanistan a modern democratic state by introducing free elections, a parliament, civil and political rights, women's rights, and universal suffrage.[18]

The video captures Chief Guest King Zahir Shah arriving at PAF Station Mauripur, followed by Iskandar and Nahid Mirza. They are greeted by C-in-C of the PAF Asghar Khan, Nur Khan, and chiefs from the Iraqi, Turkish, and Iranian Air Forces. General Ayub Khan, C-in-C of the Pakistan Army, also appears. The World record loop, performed in his honor, is showcased at the end of the video. (1958)

At least five Afghani Pul coins during his reign bore the Arabic title: المتوكل على الله محمد ظاهر شاه,[22] "AlMutawakkil 'ala Allah Muhammad Zhahir Shah" which means "The leaner on God, Muhammad Zhahir Shah". The title "AlMutawakkil 'ala Allah", "The leaner on God" is taken from Quran 8:61.

By the time he returned to Afghanistan in 2002, Zahir Shah's rule was characterized as a lengthy era of peace.[23]

Exile

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See also: 1973 Afghan coup d'état

In 1973, while Zahir Shah was abroad in Italy, his cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan staged a coup d'état and established an autocratic republican government.[1] As a former Prime Minister, Daoud Khan had been forced to resign by Zahir Shah a decade earlier[23] and felt that Zahir Shah lacked leadership and that the parliamentary system prevented real progressivism.[24] In August 1973,[25][23] Zahir Shah sent a letter from Rome to Khan in Kabul declaring his abdication, saying he respected "the will of my compatriots" after realizing the people of Afghanistan "with absolute majority welcomed a Republican regime".[26]

Zahir Shah lived in exile in Italy for 29 years alongside his wife Queen Humaira Begum and other royal family members. Initially, they lived in a three‐room apartment on Rome's Via Cassia. Relatives of the 1920s King Amanullah Khan, of the same house of Barakzai, also lived in Rome. President Daoud Khan continued to send money to them in Italy consisting of income from property and estates of the former royal family. After the Saur Revolution, the leftist Khalq government cut all funds to Italy.[27]

Zahir Shah eventually lived in a villa in the affluent community of Olgiata on Via Cassia, north of Rome, where he spent his time playing golf and chess, as well as tending to his garden.[12][28][29] He was financially supported by the Shah of Iran since the new Afghan government failed to provide him a monthly salary. The Shah also supported his two sons who were studying in the United States and Canada.[30] He was prohibited from returning to Afghanistan during the late 1970s by the Soviet-assisted Communist government. In 1983 during the Soviet–Afghan War, Zahir Shah was cautiously involved with plans to develop a government in exile. Ultimately these plans failed because he could not reach a consensus with powerful Islamist factions.[10] It has also been reported that Afghanistan, the Soviet Union, and India had all tried to persuade Zahir Shah to return as chief of a neutral, possibly interim, administration in Kabul.[31] Both the Soviet Union and the United States sent representatives to meet him, and President Mohammad Najibullah supported Zahir Shah to play a role in a possible interim government in the quest for peace.[32] In May 1990, Zahir Shah issued a long statement through Voice of America and the BBC calling for unity and peace among Afghans, and offering his services. This reportedly led to a spark of interest and approval among the Kabul populace. However, the idea of a revived political role for Zahir Shah was met with hostility by some, notably radical Islamist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.[33]

In 1991, Zahir Shah survived an attempt on his life by a knife-wielding assassin masquerading as a Portuguese journalist[23] who later revealed that the attempted assassination was ordered by Osama bin Laden. The assassin stated “Now I must kill you”, before stabbing Zahir Shah in his breast-pocket, the former king’s life being saved by a tin of Café Crème cigarillos. The assassin then stabbed Zahir Shah in the neck several times, before being overpowered by former General Abdul Wali. Zahir Shah was rushed to hospital and later recovered, with the assassin being sentenced to 10 years in a high-security prison in Rebibbia.[34] After the fall of the pro-Soviet government, Zahir Shah was favored by many to return and restore the monarchy to unify the country as he was acceptable to most factions. However, these efforts were blocked mostly by Pakistan's ISI, who feared his stance on the Durand Line issue.[35] In June 1995, Zahir Shah's former envoy Sardar Wali announced at talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, that Zahir Shah was willing to participate in peace talks to end the Afghan Civil War,[36] but no consensus was ever reached.

Return to Afghanistan

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Zahir Shah is seated at the far right during the oath ceremony of Hamid Karzai on 7 December 2004.

On 18 April 2002, at the age of 87 and four months after the end of Taliban rule, Zahir Shah returned to Afghanistan, flown in on an Italian military plane, and welcomed at Kabul's airport by Hamid Karzai and other officials.[37] His return was widely welcomed by Afghans, and he was liked by all ethnic groups.[38][39] There were proposals for a return to the monarchy –[23] Zahir Shah himself let it be known that he would accept whatever responsibility was given him by the Loya Jirga,[40] which he initiated in June 2002.[40] However he was obliged to publicly renounce monarchical leadership at the behest of the United States. As Pakistan would not accept Zahir as king due to fears regarding his stance on the Durand Line issue; the American government knew allowing him to be restored could result in Pakistan feeling threatened to the point they may cease cooperating with the international coalition and potentially even resume their support for the Taliban. At the time, most delegates to the Loya Jirga were prepared to vote for Zahir Shah and block the U.S.-backed leader of the Northern Alliance, Hamid Karzai.[40] While he was prepared to become chief of state Zahir made it known that it would not necessarily be as monarch: "I will accept the responsibility of head of state if that is what the Loya Jirga demands of me, but I have no intention to restore the monarchy. I do not care about the title of king. The people call me Baba and I prefer this title."[23] Karzai called Zahir Shah a "symbol of unity, a very kind man" and a "fatherly figure."[39]

Zahir Shah visited his father's tomb soon after arriving in Kabul and reportedly gasped after witnessing rocket holes and gunfire damage on the tomb caused by the civil war.[41]

Hamid Karzai, who was favored by Zahir Shah, became president of Afghanistan after the Loya Jirga.[42] Karzai, from the Pashtun Popalzai clan, provided Zahir Shah's relatives with major jobs in the transitional government.[43] Following the Loya Jirga he was given the title "Father of the Nation" by Karzai,[44] symbolizing his role in Afghanistan's history as a symbol of national unity. This title ended with his death.[45] In August 2002 he relocated back to the Arg, his old palace, after 29 years.[42]

In an October 2002 visit to France, Zahir Shah slipped in a bathroom, bruising his ribs, and on 21 June 2003, while in France for a medical check-up, he broke his femur.

On 3 February 2004, Zahir Shah was flown from Kabul to New Delhi, India, for medical treatment after complaining of an intestinal problem. He was hospitalized for two weeks and remained in New Delhi under observation. On 18 May 2004, he was brought to a hospital in the United Arab Emirates because of nose bleeding caused by heat.

Zahir Shah attended the 7 December 2004 swearing-in of Hamid Karzai as President of Afghanistan. During his final years, he was frail and required a microphone pinned to his collar so that his faint voice could be heard.[23] In January 2007, Zahir was reported to be seriously ill and bedridden.

Death

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Tomb of Zahir Shah

On 23 July 2007, Zahir Shah died in the compound of the presidential palace in Kabul at the age of 92 after a long illness – 74 years after he ascended the throne and 34 years after his abdication. His death was announced on national television by President Karzai,[23][46] who said "He was the servant of his people, the friend of his people, he was a very kind person, kind hearted. He believed in the rule of the people and in human rights."[47] His funeral was held on 24 July. It began on the premises of the presidential palace, where politicians and dignitaries paid their respects; his coffin was then taken to a mosque before being moved to the royal mausoleum on Maranjan Hill in eastern Kabul.[48]

5 Afghan afghani (1961)
 
Obverse: Portrait of Mohammad Zahir Shah with lettering "* محمد ظاهر * دافغانستان" (Mohammad Zahir Afghanistan) on top and "۱۳۴۰-۱۳۸۱" (1340–1381) at bottom. Reverse: Wheat ear flank on the side and denomination in the centre. Lettering "پنج" (five), "۵" (5) and "افغانی" (Afghanis).
Afghani coin from reign of Shah minted in c. 1962 corresponding to 1340 and 1381 in Lunar and Solar Hijri years respectively.
 
Postage stamp, 1971

Personal life

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Zahir Shah was reportedly shy, modest and "soft-spoken". He liked photography, chess, and smoking cigars.[20][49][50][51]

Zahir Shah was fluent in Pashto,[52] Dari (his mother tongue), and could also speak English and perfect French.[28]

To Afghan people, he was known as Baba.[53]

Family

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He married his first cousin Humaira Begum (1918–2002) on 7 November 1931 in Kabul. They had six sons and two daughters:

Name Birth Death Marriage Their children
Date Spouse
Princess Bilqis Begum (1932-04-17) 17 April 1932 (age 92) 1951 Abdul Wali Khan Princess Humaira Begum
Princess Wana Begum
Princess Mayana Khanum
Crown Prince Muhammed Akbar Khan 4 August 1933 26 November 1942(1942-11-26) (aged 9) — — —
Crown Prince Ahmad Shah Khan (1934-09-23)23 September 1934 5 June 2024(2024-06-05) (aged 89) 1961 Khatul Begum Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan
Prince Muhammad Emel Khan
Princess Hawa Khanum
Princess Maryam Begum (1936-11-02)2 November 1936 25 December 2021(2021-12-25) (aged 85)[54] 1960 Sardar Muhammad Aziz Khan Naim Sardar Nadir Khan Naim
Prince Muhammed Nadir Khan (1941-05-21)21 May 1941 3 April 2022(2022-04-03) (aged 80)[55] 6 February 1964 Lailuma Begum Prince Mustapha Zahir Khan
Prince Muhammad Daud Jan
Prince Shah Mahmoud Khan 15 November 1946 7 December 2002(2002-12-07) (aged 56) 18 April 1966 Safura Begum Princess Bilqis Khanum
Princess Ariane Khanum
Prince Muhammed Daoud Pashtunyar Khan (1949-04-14) 14 April 1949 (age 75) 2 February 1973 Fatima Begum Prince Duran Daud Khan
Princess Noal Khanum
Prince Mirwais Khan 7 January 1957 29 September 2023(2023-09-29) (aged 66)[56] Farkhudna Begum Princess Safya Zaher

In January 2009, an article by Ahmad Majidyar of the American Enterprise Institute included one of his grandsons, Mustafa Zahir, on a list of fifteen possible candidates in the 2009 Afghan presidential election.[57] However, Mustafa did not become a candidate. His granddaughter, Princess Noal of Afghanistan, is the wife of Muhammad Ali, Prince of the Sa'id, the heir apparent to the abolished thrones of Egypt and Sudan.

Titles and styles

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Styles of
Mohammad Zahir Shah of Afghanistan
 
Reference styleHis Majesty
Spoken styleYour Majesty
Royal Standard
 
 
Royal Standard of Mohammad Zahir Shah (obverse and reverse)

During his reign, His Majesty Mohammad Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan.[58]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Encyclopædia Britannica, "Mohammad Zahir Shah"
  2. ^ "Profile: Ex-king Zahir Shah". 1 October 2001 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ^ C-SPAN: Afghan King & Queen 1963 Visit to U.S. Reel America Preview (official U.S. government video; public domain).
  4. ^ a b "Afghanistan". publishing.cdlib.org. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  5. ^ Judah, Tim (23 September 2001). "Profile: Mohamed Zahir Shah". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. ^ Bearak, Barry (24 July 2007). "Mohammad Zahir Shah, Last Afghan King, Dies at 92". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  7. ^ "State funeral for Afghanistan's former President". UNAMA. 19 March 2009.
  8. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Afghanistan Mohammad Nader Shah (1929–33)"
  9. ^ "Lycee Esteqlal". World News.
  10. ^ a b c d "The King of Afghanistan". The Daily Telegraph. 24 July 2007. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
  11. ^ "Mohammad Zahir Shah, 92, Last King of Afghanistan". The New York Sun.
  12. ^ a b Judah, Tim (23 September 2001). "Profile: Mohamed Zahir Shah". The Observer. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
  13. ^ Chesterman, Simon; Michael Ignatieff; Ramesh Chandra Thakur (2005). Making States Work: State Failure and the Crisis of Governance. United Nations University Press. p. 400. ISBN 92-808-1107-X.
  14. ^ Jentleson, Bruce W.; Paterson, Thomas G. (1997). "Encyclopedia of U.S. foreign relations". The American Journal of International Law. Oxford University Press: 24. ISBN 0-19-511055-2.
  15. ^ Dupree, Louis: Afghanistan, pp. 477–478. Princeton University Press, 1980 [ISBN missing]
  16. ^ Andrew D. W. Forbes (1986). Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: a political history of Republican Sinkiang 1911–1949. Cambridge, England: CUP Archive. pp. 123, 303. ISBN 0-521-25514-7. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  17. ^ Giustozzi, Antonio (November 2008). "Afghanistan: transition without end" (PDF). Crisis States Working Papers. p. 13. S2CID 54592886.
  18. ^ a b c "Profile: Ex-king Zahir Shah". BBC. 1 October 2001. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
  19. ^ Judah, Tim (23 September 2001). "Profile: Mohamed Zahir Shah". The Observer. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
  20. ^ a b Steyn, Mark (6 October 2001). "The man who would be king, if you don't mind". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Before Taliban". publishing.cdlib.org. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Gilad Zuckerman Coins Collection – Kimpulan Mata-Mata Uang – مسكوكات – אוסף מטבעות גלעד צוקרמן". giladzuckerman.webs.com. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h Barry Bearak, "Former King of Afghanistan Dies at 92", The New York Times, 23 July 2007.
  24. ^ Mohammad Hashim Kamali (1985). Law in Afghanistan: A Study of the Constitutions, Matrimonial Law and the Judiciary. Brill. ISBN 90-04-07128-8.[page needed]
  25. ^ "Mohammed Zahir Shah". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  26. ^ Afghan Data
  27. ^ "Afghan King, in Rome Exile, Tightens Belt". The New York Times. 29 April 1979.
  28. ^ a b McCarthy, Michael (24 September 2001). "War on Terrorism: Opposition – Exiled king declares himself ready to return". The Independent. London: Look Smart: Find Articles. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2007.
  29. ^ Gall, Sandy (23 July 2007). "Mohammad Zahir Shah". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
  30. ^ Memoirs of Asadollah Alam[full citation needed]
  31. ^ Crossette, Barbara (7 March 1989). "India to Provide Aid to Government in Afghanistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  32. ^ Weymouth, Lally (17 January 1988). "Tough Talk From Najibullah" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  33. ^ Burns, John F. (3 June 1990). "King of Afghanistan, After 17 Years in Exile, Is on the People's Minds Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  34. ^ "Bin Laden 'tried to kill king'". The Telegraph. 14 April 2002. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  35. ^ US-Pakistan Relations: Pakistan's Strategic Choices in the 1990s by Nasra Talat Farooq
  36. ^ "Justice" (PDF). justice.gov. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  37. ^ "April 18, 2002: Zahir Shah returns to Afghanistan after 29-year exile". Gulf News. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  38. ^ Krushelnycky, Askold (9 April 2008). "Afghanistan: Afghans Welcome Former King's Return". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  39. ^ a b "No ordinary homecoming". BBC News. 17 April 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  40. ^ a b c Dorronsoro, Gilles (2005). "The Return to Political Fragmentation". Afghanistan: Revolution Unending, 1979–2002. C. Hurst & Co. p. 330. ISBN 1-85065-683-5.
  41. ^ "Former Afghan King Returns to Kabul". Associated Press.
  42. ^ a b "Former Afghan king returns to palace". BBC. 4 August 2002. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  43. ^ Anderson, Jon Lee (30 May 2005). "The Man in the Palace". The New Yorker. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  44. ^ Ltd, Allied Newspapers (5 August 2002). "Former Afghan king moves into his old palace". The Times. Malta. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  45. ^ "The late King was always fondly referred to by all Afghans, cutting across ethnic boundaries, as "Baba-e-Millat" or 'Father of the Nation', a position given to him in the country's Constitution promulgated in January 2004, about two years after the collapse of Taliban rule. The title of the 'Father of the Nation' dissolves with his death." "Last King of Afghanistan dies at 92". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  46. ^ Bearak, Barry (24 July 2007). "Mohammad Zahir Shah, Last Afghan King, Dies at 92". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  47. ^ AP Archive (21 July 2015). "President Karzai announcing death of King Zahir Shah". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2019 – via YouTube.
  48. ^ "Afghanistan's King Mohammad Zahir Shah Laid to Rest", Associated Press (Fox News), 24 July 2007.
  49. ^ Suro, Roberto (15 November 1987). "In Afghan King, a Soft Voice for a Soviet Pullout". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  50. ^ Hoodbhoy, Nafisa (11 November 2001). "A Future Veiled in False Hopes" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  51. ^ "Leaving Afghanistan: is it finally time to be positive about this blighted nation?". New Statesman. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  52. ^ Feroz, Emran (26 April 2021). "When Afghanistan Almost Worked". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  53. ^ Arabian Royal Agency
  54. ^ "شاهدخت افغانستان در کابل درگذشت – Dw – ۱۴۰۰/۱۰/۵". Deutsche Welle Dari. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  55. ^ "د افغانستان د پخواني پاچا ظاهر شاه زوی 'محمد نادر ظاهر' وفات شو". BBC Pashto. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  56. ^ "Prince Mirwais Zahir, Youngest Son of Afghanistan's Former King, Has Died". TOLOnews. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  57. ^ Ahmad Majidyar (January 2009). "Afghanistan's Presidential Election" (PDF). American Enterprise Institute. Archived from the original on 8 September 2009. Zaher is the grandson of the late King Muhammad Zaher Shah. He is currently head of Afghanistan's environment preservation department and a member of the UNF. There has been speculation that the UNF will nominate Zaher as its candidate for the upcoming election. Despite being an heir to the royal family, he lacks a popular base.
  58. ^ "Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1934, Europe, Near East and Africa, Volume II – Office of the Historian". history.state.gov.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mohammed Zahir Shah.
Mohammad Zahir Shah
Born: 16 October 1914 Died: 23 July 2007
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Afghanistan
8 November 1933 – 17 July 1973 		Succeeded by
Republic declared
Titles in pretence
Loss of title
 — TITULAR —
King of Afghanistan
17 July 1973 – 23 July 2007 		Succeeded by
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