While we continue to look for ways for Americans and Afghans who worked with worked with us to leave Afghanistan, we might want to take a few hours to see what the nation was like prior to 1973. Yes, it was a loosely held nation, but it was a nation which was trying to develop into a more modern nation which worked for them. I just re-read a book that I first year 55 years ago. It’s more a travelogue that a history, but it gives the reader a great understanding of what Afghanistan was like before the Soviets, and the Taliban took hold.

After they honeymooned in the Gobi Desert, Jean Bowie Shor and her husband Franc Shor, decided that they would literally follow the travels of Marco Polo from Venice to Beijing that he took between 1271 and 1295. (Hence their 1956 book titled After You, Marco Polo.) The two wended their way from Venice through Turkey and crossed into Iran where they spent several days with King Reza Pahlavi. From there they moved into Afghanistan, where finally reached Kabul and met King Mohammed Zahir Shah.

Born in 1914, he began his reign with the death of his father in 1933. He was a truly impartial person interested in improving the lives of his countrymen. He expanded Afghanistan’s relations with a number of nations, both in the West and the East. In the 1950s he began a concerted effort to modernize the country, and in 1964 established its first constitution, and was pleased to become a constitutional monarch. The new constitution included universal suffrage, civil rights, women’s rights and a significant expansion of education for both men and women. Unfortunately, in 1973, when King Zahir was in Italy for medical treatment, a former Prime Minister, Mohammed Daud Khan, carried out a coup, ending the 225-year monarchy. Zahir Shah stayed quietly in Italy until he returned to Afghanistan in 2002 at the breakup of the Taliban ,to see the Loya Jirga which established the new government. A very frail man at that time, he was known by everyone as the Father of the Nation until his death in 2007.

In the course of their trek, the Shors had to get special permission from the King himself to ride through the Wakhan Corridor and cross the Pamir Mountains. He was the consummate gentleman and in short order they continued their journey.

In the course of their travels, the Shors used cars, horses, yaks and walked on foot. The book described the customs, religion, institutions, habits, even diets of each region. They dealt with warring tribes, robbers, hunger, and terrible weather. They also met extremely generous and helpful people regardless of the language barriers. At one point, Franc Shor was deathly ill. The people of the village were kind and helpful to both him and his wife. Though the King had given them permission to go through the Wakhan Corridor, they weren’t allowed to finish their journey, because shortly before they reached China, the Communist regime seized the entire nation. All they could do was to look at the last part of their trip from the Afghan border.

Rereading this last week reminded me how things have changed in half a century. In some ways, it was a calmer age. After You Marco Polo is a great (and quick) read, and you may enjoy finding out what things were like before the rise of the Soviets, Mujahedin, Taliban and al Qada. You can find it on this link.

http://Jean Bowie Shor, After You, Marco Polo