Author: Abu Raef
Colonialism (10th part)
Colonization in Afghanistan
The Islamic country of Afghanistan is one of the few countries that has never accepted the rules of foreigners according to Islamic thinkers and religious thinkers, and has never been colonized by any country, during the old colonial era and its traditional ways, the country of Afghanistan avoided accepting the colonization of foreigners and being under their rule and protected its independence.
Countless thinkers among Islamic writers have admitted this fact and have admired and praised the zeal and courage of the Afghan people in not accepting colonialism throughout history. Consultant Dr. Ali Jarisheh writes in this regard: “In the Islamic world, no country was saved from the military colonization of the colonizing countries, except for two countries, one of which was the Arabian Peninsula, and the other was Afghanistan.
The salvation of Afghanistan from colonialism was due to the bravery of Afghans and the successive defeats of the occupying forces at the hands of Islamic resistance people.
The support and help of the Almighty Allah for the Afghan Mujahideen against the British attempts to occupy their lands prevented them from doing this again, but in the final stage, only the ignorant Russians fell into this abyss.
Professor “Yahya Mohammad Elias” writes in this regard: “It is worth noting that in this massive invasion of Europe, no other country survived except for the two Islamic countries of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.”
Perhaps the same issue prompted the aggressor and hostile countries to launch a campaign and military attack on this country in order to conquer this great fortress of Islam and Muslims, as a result of which, in the not-so-distant times, we witnessed the campaigns of the British, then the former Soviet Union, and recently the invasion of the United States and its allies.
In this topic, it is necessary to examine two important stages in the history of Afghanistan, which are the British invasion and the former Soviet invasion.
British Invasion
The country of England marched to the land of Afghanistan in three different stages and with its specific and desired goals and was looking for the occupation and colonization of this country. According to history, after every campaign and aggression of them to this holy land, we have witnessed countless sacrifices and efforts of the Afghan nation and their fierce resistance. In such a way that different ethnic groups, different languages, religious leaders, nationalists and sincere politicians came together and fought against the invading forces.
The first British war with the Afghans
The first and initial British war with the people of Afghanistan, in 1838AD. Beginning and continued until 1842AD. This war was formed with the help and direction of the East India Company. The number of British forces in this war, the main forces and their crews and cheerleaders, reached about thirty thousand soldiers, which was known as “Army of Sind” and consisted of two divisions of British and Indian troops.
The British were able to defeat the government of Dost Muhammad Khan by bribing some of the leaders of Afghanistan and gain control over this country.
After the occupation of Afghanistan by the British and the capture of Kandahar and then the campaign and the capture of Kabul, they imposed a treaty on “Shah Shuja”, the shah who was their own hand and supported, based on which the permanent presence of British forces in Afghanistan is guaranteed and the control of foreign policy, Afghanistan would fall into the hands of the British.
In these years, the British permitted all kinds of oppression and torture on the Afghan people, and they faced the persistence and bravery of the Afghans and their unparalleled bravery, and finally in 1842 AD. They were defeated by the nation and Mujahideen of Afghanistan, which consisted of different ethnic groups of this country, and they left the land of this country.
In the meantime, the 17th of Ramadan uprising, which is known as the uprising of the faithful, Muslim and mujahid people of Afghanistan against the British, and in 1841 AD. started, it was the beginning of the liberation movement of Afghanistan from the hands of the British.
Second British war with Afghans
This war has continued since 1878 AD. until 1880 AD. The British, still scarred by the first shameful defeat and the high number of casualties and financial resources they had lost, tried again to invade and occupy Afghanistan.
At that time, Amir Shir Ali Khan, the son of Amir Dost Muhammad Khan, was ruling Afghanistan and could not stand much against the British occupation forces. After the capture of Afghanistan, which was followed by the death of Shir Ali Khan, the British imposed a treaty on his son, Amiri Yaqub Khan, according to which the British embassy was opened in Kabul, the foreign policy of Afghanistan was under the control of the British and the control of the roads. The main part of Afghanistan was also in their hands.
The British dominated Afghanistan with various campaigns and took over all military and political affairs, but after some time, the revolutionary and jihadist uprising of the Afghan nation began, and people like “Mula din Muhammad” known as “Mula meshk Alam” and “Mula Abdu al-Ghafoor Langari” They incited Jihad. Countless other people and national figures from different regions of Afghanistan opposed and fought against the British and narrowed the field for them in villages, cities and roads and in this way gave countless sacrifices.
The uprisings of the Afghan people against the British have become famous as “Kabul Uprising”, “December General Uprising” etc., and the scholars, nationalists and the general people of Afghanistan defeated the ground with their jihad and also by not accepting the plans and conspiracies of the British, which were based on the division of Afghanistan. and provided the retreat of England for the second time.
The third British war with the Afghans
This war, which is also known as “Tal” or “Independence” war, happened between England and Afghanistan in 1919 AD. The reason was the non-acceptance of the “Gandomak” treaty by Amanullah Khan, the then king of Afghanistan. This treaty was during the second war between Afghanistan and British force , based on which the British had violated the national freedoms of Afghanistan, so when Amanullah Khan did not accept it, the British were upset and carried out indiscriminate bombings and martyred countless people, as a result, so The recognition of the supposed Durand line by Amanullah Khan and the recognition of Afghanistan and its independence by England ended in the same year.