Mohammad Gul Khan Momand

Mohammad Gul Khan Momand (Pashto: محمد ګل خان مومند) (born 1885 - died 1964), also spelled as Mohmand, was both a literary figure and a well-known politician in Afghanistan.

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Early life and education

Gul Khan Momand was born in 1885 in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, the son of Khurshid Khan. After completing his primary and secondary studies, Mohammad Gul Khan Momand entered the military school in 1909. Apart from Pashto and Dari, Mohammad Gul Khan had command of the Turkish and Russian languages as well.[1]

Political & military career

Soon after completing the military school, Gul Khan Momand joined the Royal Guards and became a Unit Commander and an instructor for some units. After serving as the principal of the Military School, he later became deputy commander-in-chief and then commander of the Royal Guards.

In 1919, Gul Khan Momand was a member of the delegation, which visited Europe to announce the sovereignty of Afghanistan under King Amanullah Khan.

In 1924 he served as civil and military governor of Pakthia and, in 1927, as Chairman of the inspection team of Mazar-e-Sharif and then civil and military governor of Ningarhar.

In 1930, he was appointed as a minister in the government.[2]

Momand and Pashtunization

Mohmand has been as a fierce Pashtun nationalist.[3][4] Mohmand enforced a central government policy of political and cultural discrimination against non-Pashtuns.[5] He was also assigned as "special envoy to northern Afghanistan"[5] where he pushed for Pashtunization of the region (i.e. settling Pashtuns, often by force, in the north).[6] Other schemes of Pashtunization included changing the lingua franca of the region from Persian to Pashto.[7]

Death

Gul Khan Momand died on August 18, 1964, at the age of 79. His funeral was attended by the then Prime Minister of Afghanistan, Sardar Dawoud Khan, and Zahir Shah.[8]

Further reading

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.khyber.org/people/literary/MuhammadGulKhanMohmand.shtml
  2. ^ http://www.pashtoonkhwa.com/?page=pashtoonkhwa&id=148
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Tapper, Nancy (1991). Bartered Brides: Politics, Gender and Marriage in an Afghan Tribal Society. United States: Cambridge University Press. pp. 331. ISBN 0521381584. http://books.google.com/books?id=TE5yLXd_iCIC.  "Despite fiercely pro-Pashtun sentiments, Muhammad Gul Khan refused to countenance the oppression perpetuated by the Khans. He balanced the domination of Durrani from Kandahar by introducing many more eastern Pashtuns to the area (especially as landowners between Aqcha and Balkh), and he appears to have dealt fairly with petitions against the Nazarzai brought by Uzbeks and Aymaks from throughout the Saripul region and its hinterland." p. 34
  5. ^ a b Necipoglu, Gulru (2002). Muqarnas: An Annual on the Visual Culture of the Islamic World. BRILL. ISBN 9004125930. http://books.google.com/books?id=UJc2u33fCKQC.  p. 87
  6. ^ Hamayoun Baha's article on the Pashtunist policies during Nadir and Zahir Shah's rule
  7. ^ Byron, Robert (1982). The Road to Oxiana. United States: Oxford University Press. pp. 320. ISBN 0195030672. http://books.google.com/books?id=2TUWgCWjjvoC. 
  8. ^ http://www.hewad.com/mohammadgul/index.htm