King Zahir Shah

King Zahir Shah October 15, 1914-July 23, 2007

King Zahir Shah is considered the "Father of the Nation" of Afghanistan because he provided a stable government during his reign. He took over as king at the age of 19 when his father was assassinated. He was in the background for many years, but he created a constitution in 1964, which created a constitutional monarchy and prevented relatives from taking government positions. Backed by foreign aid, he undertook economic development projects and was able to maintain Afghanistan's neutral position in international politics. However, there was still poverty in the country, and the government wasn't able to to deal with it. In 1973, Zahir was deposed by the military. He left the country and was in exile in Italy until 2002, when he returned to his home country after the Taliban was overthrown. He died a year later.

by William Gosnell

telegraph.co.uk

bbc.co.uk

biography.com

President JFK and Zahir Shah in 1963

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIEwPZ6cAO4‎