The Royal Afghan Army,[a] officially known as the Royal Army of Afghanistan, was the land warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Afghanistan until its dissolution, following the 1973 Afghan coup d'état which abolished the monarchy.
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History
editPre-19th century
editWhen Ahmad Shah Durrani formed the Durrani Empire in 1747, in general, tribes were responsible for providing troops to the king. The only national army that existed during Ahmad Shah's time consisted of small groups that functioned as royal bodyguards.[2] The Afghan Army fought a number of battles in the Punjab region of India during the 19th century. One of the famous battles was the 1761 Battle of Panipat in which the Afghan army decisively defeated the Hindu Maratha Empire.[3] The Afghans then fought with the Sikh Empire, until finally, the Sikh Marshal Hari Singh Nalwa died and Sikh conquests stopped. In 1839, the British successfully invaded Afghanistan and installed the exiled Shah Shujah Durrani into power. Their occupation of Afghanistan was challenged after Dost Mohammad's son, Wazir Akbar Khan and the forces he led revolted against the occupying British. By October 1841 disaffected Afghan tribes were flocking to the support of Wazir Akbar Khan in Bamian.[4] The success of Akbar Khan's uprising led to the 1842 retreat from Kabul where the Afghan army decimated British forces, thanks to effective use of the rugged terrain and weapons such as the Jezail.[citation needed]
At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Ali Ahmad Jalali cites sources saying that the regular army was about 50,000 strong and consisted of 62 infantry and 16 cavalry regiments, with 324 guns mostly organized in horse and mountain artillery batteries.[5] Jalali writes that '..although Amir Shir Ali Khan (1863–78) is widely credited for founding the modern Afghan Army, it was only under Abdur Rahman that it became a viable and effective institution.'[6] The Library of Congress Country Study for Afghanistan states that when Abdur Rahman came to the throne circa 1880:[7]
"..the army was virtually nonexistent. With the assistance of a liberal financial loan from the British, plus their aid in the form of weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies, [Abdur Rahman] began a 20-year task of creating a respectable regular force by instituting measures that formed the long-term basis of the military system. These included increasing the equalization of military obligation by setting up a system known as the hasht nafari (whereby one man in every eight between the ages of 20 and 40 took his turn at military service); constructing an arsenal in Kabul to reduce dependence on foreign sources for small arms and other ordnance; introducing supervised training courses; organizing troops into divisions, brigades, and regiments, including battalions of artillery; developing pay schedules; and introducing an elementary (and harsh) disciplinary system.
Reforms under King Amanullah
editFurther improvements to the Army were made by King Amanullah Khan in the early 20th century just before the Third Anglo-Afghan War. King Amanullah fought against the British in 1919, resulting in Afghanistan becoming fully independent after the Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed. It appears from reports of Naib Sular Abdur Rahim's career that a Cavalry Division was in existence in the 1920s, with him being posted to the division in Herat Province in 1913 and Mazar-i-Sharif after 1927.[8] A military academy was in existence by Amanullah's reign.[9] The Army fought the Soviet Union in the Urtatagai conflict (1925–1926) over a border island, following earlier fighting in 1913.[10] In 1927 Afghanistan invited Turkey to send a military advisory mission, resulting in a strengthening of Afghan divisions and brigades, "augmenting each echelon headquarters with supporting staff;" and "regularizing the officer corps".[11]
Under King Zahir Shah
editThe Afghan Army was expanded during King Zahir Shah's reign, starting in 1933. In 1934, soldiers of the Royal Afghan Army were also taught the Japanese martial art of Jujutsu by His Excellency Abdullah Khan, at the royal army school.[12]
From 1949–1950 to 1961, Afghanistan-Pakistan skirmishes took place along the frontier, culminating in fighting in Bajaur Agency in September 1960.[13] This led to a breakoff in diplomatic relations between the two countries in September 1961.[14]
In 1953, Lieutenant General Mohammed Daoud Khan, cousin of the King who had previously served as Minister of Defence, was transferred from command of the Central Corps in Kabul to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan.[15] The Central Corps was headquartered at Amanullah's Darulaman Palace.[16] On the opening day of Parliament in October 1965, a violent student demonstration among which Babrak Karmal was at the forefront forced Zahir Shah's new prime minister Yousef to resign. Two students were killed when the new corps commander, General Abdul Wali, sent in troops to restore order.[17]
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan Army received training and equipment mostly from the Soviet Union. More specifically, a $100,000,000 contract was awarded to Afghanistan which led to the Afghan Army being transformed, due to the arrival and new weaponry and armour in 1958. Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud Khan, now emboldened by Soviet support, began making changes to the Afghan Army’s formations. The name of the Ministry of War was changed to the Ministry of Defence, with the Chief of Staff being given greater managerial and administrative powers. The most significant change included the addition of readiness categories known as “Type A” and “Type B”. The former being used to refer to units that were fully operational and combat-ready at all times, with complete personnel, full weaponry and combat equipment, and an active logistics system. Type B, on the other hand, was used to refer to units that weren’t fully active or operational during peacetime, being used for administration, training and as strategic reserve forces.[18]
The 1st Central Army Corps’ divisions were all “Type A”, such as the 7th, 8th and 11th Infantry Divisions. The 2nd Army Corps (Kandahar) was “Type B”, with only one operational unit known as the 100th Division, with two other unnamed divisions being used as reserves. The divisions of the 3rd Army Corps (Paktia) were all “Type B”, such as the 12th, 14th and 35th Infantry Divisions. Under the premiership of Daoud Khan, the personnel of the Afghan Army increased to 80,000, with “Type B” units being able to be deployed within 72 hours and act as “Type A” units.
The Royal Afghan Army were photographed wearing white “snegurochka” winter suits in snowy areas of the country[19] and also had armored riverboats in their inventory, as seen in a parade in Kabul. In February–March 1957, the first group of Soviet military specialists (about 10, including interpreters) was sent to Kabul to train Afghan officers and non-commissioned officers.[20] At the time, there seems to have been significant Turkish influence in the Afghan Armed Forces, which waned quickly after the Soviet advisors arrived. By the late 1950s, Azimi describes three corps, each with a number of divisions, along the eastern border with Pakistan and several independent divisions.[18]
In a 1961 manual titled “Royalist Regulations” for the Royal Afghan Army, there were illustrations of numerous branch insignias, denoting the specialities and the role of the soldier wearing them.[21][22] These include:
- “Academy” (اکادمی), worn by recruits who were still in a military academy
- “Infantry” (پیاده),[23][24][25] the most common insignia, worn by most soldiers who have finished training and graduated from the academy
- “Cavalry” (سواری), worn by the Royal Afghan Army's cavalrymen on horseback
- “Artillery” (طومي), worn by artillery men
- “Tank”(تانک), worn by tank operators of the Royal Afghan Army's tank brigades
- “Fortification” (استحكام), worn by soldiers involved in the construction of defensive structures
- “Communications” (مخابره), worn by soldiers part of the army's signal regiments
- “Gendarmerie” (شاندارم), worn by the paramilitary police force
- “Vehicle” (نقلیه) worn by motorized/mechanized units
- “Logistics” (لفوازير), worn by units specializing in transportation and supply
- “Cartography” (خریطہ), worn by soldiers specializing in map-making and mapping
- “Judicial” (قضا), worn by members of the military court
- “Field Medic” (صحید), worn by soldiers who are qualified medics
- “Subfield Medic” ( پرسونال فرعی صحید), worn by soldiers who distributed medicine
- “Veterinary” (وترین), worn by veterinarians who specialized in animal care
- “Minor Personnel” (پرسونال فرعی و ریز), worn by support staff and soldiers with specialized technical skills
- “Instructor” (معلم), worn by personnel responsible for training recruits
- “Chemical Warfare” (کیمیای عربی), worn by units that specialize in the use of chemical agents
- “Engineer” (انجنیر), worn by soldiers who specialize in engineering
- “Ordnance” (وسله پالی), worn by soldiers managing equipment such as weapons, bombs and ammunition
- “Finance” (مالی), worn by the army's accountants who manage finances and budgeting
- “Music” (موزیک), worn by the military band of the Royal Afghan Army
Ranks
edit| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Afghan Army |
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| مارشال Mārshāl |
ستر جنرال Stər Janrāl |
ډگرجنرال Ḍəgər Janrāl |
تورن جنرال Turan Janrāl |
برید جنرال Brid Janrāl |
ډگروال Ḍəgərwāl |
ډگرمن Ḍəgərman |
جگرن Jagṛən |
جگتورن Jig Turan |
تورن Turan |
لومړی بريدمن Lumṛai Bridman |
دوهم بریدمن Dwayəm Bridman |
درېیم بریدمن Dreyəm Bridman | ||||||||||||
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ↑ Smith, Harvey H. (February 1969). Area Handbook for Afghanistan. Vol. 550. U.S. Government Printing Office.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 289.
- ↑ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 17-18.
- ↑ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 29.
- ↑ Jalali 2002.
- ↑ Jalali 2002, p. 76.
- ↑ Nyrop & Seekins 1986, p. 290–291.
- ↑ Frank Clements, Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia, 2–3.
- ↑ Giustozzi 2016, p. 9.
- ↑ Panin, Sergei Borisovich (1 September 1999). "The Soviet-Afghan conflict of 1925–26 over the Island of Urta-Tugai". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 12 (3): 122–133. doi:10.1080/13518049908430405. ISSN 1351-8046.
- ↑ Samuel Chan, "Sentinels of Democracy: The Afghan National Army," Military Review, January–February 2009, p26, writes that this occurred from 1937. Giustozzi 2015, p9 says Turkish mission arrived in 1927.
- ↑ Azimi 2019, p. 199.
- ↑ Gartenstein-Ross, Daveed; Vassefi, Tara (March 2012). "The forgotten history of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations" (PDF). Yale Journal of International Affairs. 7: 38–45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2017.
- ↑ Angelo Rasanayagam, Afghanistan: A Modern History, 2005, 36.
- ↑ Tomsen 2011, p. 90.
- ↑ Tomsen 2011, p. 80.
- ↑ Tomsen 2011, p. 102.
- 1 2 Azimi 2019.
- ↑ In an official Afghan Army publication, the Afghan Army were photographed four times in white snow suits and stahlhelms. The publication name is “Da Ordu Mojella”, also known as the “Military Magazine” in English.
- ↑ "АФГАНИСТАН. 1919–1978 гг. / Секретные войны Советского Союза [Afghanistan 1919–1978]". www.xliby.ru.
- ↑ "VK.com | VK". m.vk.com. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ↑ "VK.com | VK". m.vk.com. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ↑ "Voyage dans l'Afghanistan du début des années 60 | INA". ina.fr (in French). Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ↑ Katju, Vivek (10 August 2023). "Coup, chaos, and Taliban: The turbulent history of modern Afghanistan". Frontline. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
- ↑ "Штурм дворца Амина: версия военного разведчика [Владимир Михайлович Кошелев] (fb2) картинки и рисунки". coollib.net (in Russian).