The journal Aman-e Afghan was first published in the Persian language in Kabul on 30 March 1920 under the editorship of Abdullah Dawi (1895-1982). Due to its association with the government of Amir Amanollah (1919-1929), this publication was regarded as a reformative harbinger among the press of its juncture.
News took up an important place in this publication. Aman-e Afghan had its own network of news reporters and domestic and foreign news were classified. Aman-e Afghan published the declarations, orders and speeches of the government and in its opinion articles it paid more attention to the important matters of the nation. It commented on the policy of the government and encouraged people to accept the reforms it proposed and to open its mind to modern knowledge.
The newspaper had specific columns named education, knowledge, literature, the military, health affairs…which analyzed very important matters related to these fields. The newspaper also published interviews with diplomatic representatives of other countries in Kabul. It also translated articles related to Afghanistan from other journals.
The prose of the newspaper was a fluent and simple Persian as it was spoken in Kabul and Tehran. It also endeavored to publish special issues dedicated to the independence of Afghanistan or other great celebrations.
Aman-e Afghan was a pioneering newspaper in advancing notions of authoritarian reform, strengthening the Afghan independence and modernity and had an important share in the evolution of thought and politics among the Afghan people.
With the fall of Amir Amanollah’s government (11 January 1929) the newspaper was forced to stop publishing and its last editor was murdered.
The period of Amir Amanollah’s government (1919-1929) is one of authoritarian reform which had major consequences for the Afghan people.
Aman-e Afghan (vols 1920-1927) is held in the library of the International Institute of Social History and is available to researchers and interested individuals.
IISH call number ZK 72336.
Text: N. Kawyani.