afghanistanthe Soviet-Afghan Treaty, the ussr provided only token amounts of aid
and military hardware.
On his way back to Afghanistan ’Aman Allah Khan passed through
Turkey and Iran. In Istanbul he met with President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
and signed a treaty of friendship, which provided for ‘judicial, scientific and
military experts’ to assist Afghanistan’s ‘intellectual and military progress’. 45
During a banquet held in his honour, ’Aman Allah Khan reiter ated his
intention to modernize Afghanistan, but failed to make any reference to the
role of Islam in this process. Indeed, it seems ’Aman Allah Khan’s meeting
with Mustafa Kemal reinforced his determination to force Afghanistan
down the same path as Turkey, despite the bruising he had received
over the Constitution and marriage laws. Even when British intelligence
managed to foil a plot by Nur al-Mashayekh to depose the king while he
was abroad, the king failed to heed the warning.
’Aman Allah Khan’s final port of call was Iran, another country that
had recently experienced major constitutional and dynastic upheavals, for
some three years earlier King Reza Shah had deposed the last of the Qajar
kings and inaugurated his own programme of rapid Europeanization.
’Aman Allah Khan, not to be outdone, boasted to Iranian officials that
he planned to effect a similar revolution in Afghanistan within a decade.
His listeners were so astonished they concluded the King had taken leave
of his senses.
During his Grand Tour ’Aman Allah Khan had rubbed shoulders with
the world’s most powerful figures and had been showered with honours,
awards and honorary degrees. For many Europeans he had put Afghanistan
on the political map and managed to convince at least some nations that
investment in his country was good business. ’Aman Allah Khan’s affability
and graciousness had made him popular with the common people while
the stunningly beautiful Queen Soraya was the sensation of the Season.
Tragically, his tour also turned ’Aman Allah Khan’s head and the techno-
logical marvels he saw everywhere only revealed the vast gap that existed
between Afghanistan and Europe. This sense of inferiority was reinforced
by the popular press constantly referring to Afghanistan and its people as
‘backward’, ‘unruly’ and ‘primitive’. Roland Wild, the Daily Mail special
correspondent, even mocked ’Aman Allah Khan by claiming he believed
that: ‘You cannot rule by law and order, by precept and principle, if you
dress in the style of the jungle and the hills.’ 46 By the time ’Aman Allah
Khan crossed the Afghan–Iranian frontier, he seems to have become deter-
mined to pursue reform whatever the consequences. As Wild observed,
‘it could not reasonably be expected that Amanullah would be infected