SENZIL K. NAWID, Religious Response to Social Change in Afghanistan, 1919–1929: King Aman-Allah and the Afghan Ulama (Costa Mesa, Calif.: Mazda Publishers, 1999). Pp. 299. $45.00 cloth.

Extract

This book deals with the relationship between the Islamic clergy, or ulema, and the Durrani monarch Amanullah who ruled in Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929. The author characterizes Amanullah as a devout Muslim who repelled British influence in Afghanistan and espoused a far-reaching modernization agenda for the country. The narrative is designed to explain why Amanullah lost the support of the ulema who initially backed his reforms but then led a rebellion that ended his reign. He argues that high-ranking clergy in Kabul supported Amanullah and his policies, but lower-ranking clergy active in the tribal hinterland did not. Nawid brings new data to bear on a long-standing and prominent debate about Amanullah's ill-fated reform program.