Soraya Tarzi
Encyclopedia
Soraya Tarzi, known mostly as Queen Soraya, (Pashto/Persian
: ملکه ثريا) (November 24, 1899 – April 20, 1968) was the Queen
of Afghanistan
in the early 20th century and the wife of King Amanullah Khan
. She is the only woman to appear on the list of rulers in Afghanistan, although wife of King Amanullah Khan. Born in Syria
, she was educated by her father who was the famed Afghan leader and intellectual Sardar Mahmud Tarzi
. She belonged to the Mohammadzai Pashtun
tribe, a powerful sub-tribe of the Barakzai dynasty
. She is credited with having been one of the first and most powerful Afghan and Muslim
female activists.
, Syria
. She is the daughter of the famed Afghan political figure, Sardar Mahmud Tarzi
, and granddaughter of Sardar Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi
. She studied in Syria, learning western and modern values there, which would influence her future actions and beliefs.
When Amanullah's father (Habibullah Khan) became the King of Afghanistan in October of 1901, one of his most important contributions to his nation was the return of Afghan exiles, specifically that of the Tarzi family and others. This is because the Tarzi family were for the modernization of Afghanistan. Upon her family's return to Afghanistan, Soraya Tarzi would later meet and marry King Amanullah Khan.
's only wife, which broke centuries of tradition. It was when she married into the monarchy
that she grew to be one of the region's most important figures.
When the prince became Amir in 1919 and subsequently King
in 1926, the queen had an important role in the evolution of the Country, always close to her husband. He had her take part in all national events. He was said, ”I am your king, but the minister of Education is my wife — your Queen...”. Queen Soraya was the first Muslim
consort who appeared in public together with her husband — unheard of at the time. She participated with him in the hunting parties, riding on horseback, and in some Cabinet
meetings. She was present at Military Parades with the king. During the war of Independence, she visited the tents of wounded soldiers, talked to them, offered them presents and comfort. She accompanied the king even in some rebellious provinces of the country which was a very dangerous thing to do at that time.
In 1928 while in England the Queen Soraya received an Honorary Degree from Oxford University. As Queen of Afghanistan, she was not only filling a position - but became one of the most influential women in the world at the time.
Because of the reforms King Amanullah Khan instituted, the country's religious sect grew violent. In 1929, the King abdicated in order to prevent a civil war and went into exile. The king and queen's first stop was India (part of the British Empire). There, the sovereigns were applauded everywhere they went by thousands of Indian people. The Indian people felt they had lost their dream of freedom and liberation from British Emperialism with the fall of King Amanullah Khan
's reign. There was also ovation from the Indian women who were crying and shouting the name of "Soraya" without mentioning "Queen."
in his endeavors. Tarzi was specifically instrumental in designing and implementing changes pertaining to women through his personal example of monogamy, education and employment of female family members and their unveiled public appearances. His daughter, Queen Soraya Tarzi would be the face of this change. Another daughter of Tarzi‘s married Amanullah‘s brother. Thus, it is not surprising that Tarzi‘s sophisticated and liberal intellectual ideology blossomed and concretely embedded itself in Amanullah‘s reign.
King Amanullah Khan
publicly campaigned against the veil, against polygamy, and encouraged education of girls not just in Kabul
but also in the countryside. At a public function, Amanullah said that "Islam did not require women to cover their bodies or wear any special kind of veil." At the conclusion of the speech, Queen Soraya tore off her "veil" in public and the wives of other officials present at the meeting followed this example. Throughout her husband‘s reign, Queen Soraya, wore wide-brimmed hats with a diaphanous veil attached to them. Many women from Amanullah‘s family publicly participated in organizations and went on to become government officials later in life. Upon her family's return, she would meet and marry King Amanullah Khan
.
With the help of Queen Soraya, women were encouraged to get an education and in that attempt, 15 young women were sent to Turkey
for higher education in 1928. Soraya was very instrumental in enforcing change for women and publicly exhorted them to be active participants in nation building. In 1926, at the 7th anniversary of Independence from the Brits, Soraya in a public speech delivered the following message:
In 1927 and 1928 Amanullah Khan
and his wife Soraya visited Europe. On this trip they were honored and feted. In fact, in 1928 the King and Queen received honorary degrees from Oxford University. The Queen spoke to a large group of students and leaders. This was an era when other Muslim nations, like Turkey and Egypt were also on the path to modernization
. Hence, in Afghanistan, the elite was impressed by such changes and emulated their development models. However, the time was not right. Not only did conservative Muslims disagree with the changes, the British distributed pictures of Soraya without a veil, dining with foreign men, and having her hand kissed by the leader of France
, Germany
, etc. among tribal regions of Afghanistan. Conservative mullahs and regional leaders took the images and details from the royal family's trip to be a flagrant betrayal of Afghan culture, religion and "honor" of women. One can take the circulation of such images from foreign sources as evidence of British efforts to destabilize the Afghan monarchy, the first of many international attempts to keep the country in political, social and economic turmoil. The British did not have a good relationship with Soraya's family as a whole, for the chief representative of Afghanistan
that they had to deal with was her father, Mahmud Tarzi
. When the royal family returned from Europe
, they were met with hostility and eventually forced out of office.
.
She died on the 20th of April, 1968 in Rome, Italy.
The funeral was escorted by the Italian military team to the Rome airport, before being taken to Afghanistan where a solemn state funeral
was held. She is buried in the family mausoleum in Jalalabad
next to her husband the King, who had died eight years earlier.
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: ملکه ثريا) (November 24, 1899 – April 20, 1968) was the Queen
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in the early 20th century and the wife of King Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
. She is the only woman to appear on the list of rulers in Afghanistan, although wife of King Amanullah Khan. Born in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, she was educated by her father who was the famed Afghan leader and intellectual Sardar Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmūd Bēg Tarzī was one of Afghanistan's greatest intellectuals. He is known as the father of Afghan journalism...
. She belonged to the Mohammadzai Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
tribe, a powerful sub-tribe of the Barakzai dynasty
Barakzai dynasty
The Barakzai dynasty ruled Afghanistan from 1826 until 1929 or 1973 when the monarchy rule finally ended under Mohammad Zahir Shah. The Barakzai dynasty was established by Dost Mohammad Khan after the Durrani dynasty of Ahmad Shah Durrani was removed from power...
. She is credited with having been one of the first and most powerful Afghan and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
female activists.
Early life and family background
Soraya Tarzi was born on November 24, 1899, in DamascusDamascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. She is the daughter of the famed Afghan political figure, Sardar Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmūd Bēg Tarzī was one of Afghanistan's greatest intellectuals. He is known as the father of Afghan journalism...
, and granddaughter of Sardar Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi
Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi
Sardar Ghulam Muhammad Khan Tarzi son of Sardar Rahim Dil Khan, was the ruler of Kandahar and Baluchistan. He is often given credit for developing the family name "Tarzi", which would go on to play critical roles in the history of Afghanistan...
. She studied in Syria, learning western and modern values there, which would influence her future actions and beliefs.
When Amanullah's father (Habibullah Khan) became the King of Afghanistan in October of 1901, one of his most important contributions to his nation was the return of Afghan exiles, specifically that of the Tarzi family and others. This is because the Tarzi family were for the modernization of Afghanistan. Upon her family's return to Afghanistan, Soraya Tarzi would later meet and marry King Amanullah Khan.
Queen of Afghanistan
After the Tarzi's returned to Afghanistan, they were received at Court as wished by the Amir Habibullah Khan. This is where Soraya Tarzi met Prince Amanullah, son of the Amir Habibullah Khan. They struck an affinity. The prince - who was a sympathiser of Mahmud Tarzi's liberal ideas - married Soraya Tarzi in 1913. Soraya Tarzi was King Amanullah KhanAmanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
's only wife, which broke centuries of tradition. It was when she married into the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
that she grew to be one of the region's most important figures.
When the prince became Amir in 1919 and subsequently King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
in 1926, the queen had an important role in the evolution of the Country, always close to her husband. He had her take part in all national events. He was said, ”I am your king, but the minister of Education is my wife — your Queen...”. Queen Soraya was the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
consort who appeared in public together with her husband — unheard of at the time. She participated with him in the hunting parties, riding on horseback, and in some Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
meetings. She was present at Military Parades with the king. During the war of Independence, she visited the tents of wounded soldiers, talked to them, offered them presents and comfort. She accompanied the king even in some rebellious provinces of the country which was a very dangerous thing to do at that time.
In 1928 while in England the Queen Soraya received an Honorary Degree from Oxford University. As Queen of Afghanistan, she was not only filling a position - but became one of the most influential women in the world at the time.
Because of the reforms King Amanullah Khan instituted, the country's religious sect grew violent. In 1929, the King abdicated in order to prevent a civil war and went into exile. The king and queen's first stop was India (part of the British Empire). There, the sovereigns were applauded everywhere they went by thousands of Indian people. The Indian people felt they had lost their dream of freedom and liberation from British Emperialism with the fall of King Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
's reign. There was also ovation from the Indian women who were crying and shouting the name of "Soraya" without mentioning "Queen."
Women's rights
Amanullah drew up the first constitution, establishing the basis for the formal structure of the government and setting up the role of the monarch within the constitutional framework. Amanullah was influenced and encouraged by Mahmud TarziMahmud Tarzi
Mahmūd Bēg Tarzī was one of Afghanistan's greatest intellectuals. He is known as the father of Afghan journalism...
in his endeavors. Tarzi was specifically instrumental in designing and implementing changes pertaining to women through his personal example of monogamy, education and employment of female family members and their unveiled public appearances. His daughter, Queen Soraya Tarzi would be the face of this change. Another daughter of Tarzi‘s married Amanullah‘s brother. Thus, it is not surprising that Tarzi‘s sophisticated and liberal intellectual ideology blossomed and concretely embedded itself in Amanullah‘s reign.
King Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
publicly campaigned against the veil, against polygamy, and encouraged education of girls not just in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
but also in the countryside. At a public function, Amanullah said that "Islam did not require women to cover their bodies or wear any special kind of veil." At the conclusion of the speech, Queen Soraya tore off her "veil" in public and the wives of other officials present at the meeting followed this example. Throughout her husband‘s reign, Queen Soraya, wore wide-brimmed hats with a diaphanous veil attached to them. Many women from Amanullah‘s family publicly participated in organizations and went on to become government officials later in life. Upon her family's return, she would meet and marry King Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
.
With the help of Queen Soraya, women were encouraged to get an education and in that attempt, 15 young women were sent to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for higher education in 1928. Soraya was very instrumental in enforcing change for women and publicly exhorted them to be active participants in nation building. In 1926, at the 7th anniversary of Independence from the Brits, Soraya in a public speech delivered the following message:
It (Independence) belongs to all of us and that is why we celebrate it. Do you think, however, that our nation from the outset needs only men to serve it? Women should also take their part as women did in the early years of our nation and Islam. From their examples we must learn that we must all contribute toward the development of our nation and that this cannot be done without being equipped with knowledge. So we should all attempt to acquire as much knowledge as possible, in order that we may render our services to society in the manner of the women of early Islam.
In 1927 and 1928 Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan
Amanullah Khan was the King of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, first as Amir and after 1926 as Shah. He led Afghanistan to independence over its foreign affairs from the United Kingdom, and his rule was marked by dramatic political and social change...
and his wife Soraya visited Europe. On this trip they were honored and feted. In fact, in 1928 the King and Queen received honorary degrees from Oxford University. The Queen spoke to a large group of students and leaders. This was an era when other Muslim nations, like Turkey and Egypt were also on the path to modernization
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
. Hence, in Afghanistan, the elite was impressed by such changes and emulated their development models. However, the time was not right. Not only did conservative Muslims disagree with the changes, the British distributed pictures of Soraya without a veil, dining with foreign men, and having her hand kissed by the leader of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, etc. among tribal regions of Afghanistan. Conservative mullahs and regional leaders took the images and details from the royal family's trip to be a flagrant betrayal of Afghan culture, religion and "honor" of women. One can take the circulation of such images from foreign sources as evidence of British efforts to destabilize the Afghan monarchy, the first of many international attempts to keep the country in political, social and economic turmoil. The British did not have a good relationship with Soraya's family as a whole, for the chief representative of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
that they had to deal with was her father, Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmūd Bēg Tarzī was one of Afghanistan's greatest intellectuals. He is known as the father of Afghan journalism...
. When the royal family returned from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, they were met with hostility and eventually forced out of office.
Final years
In 1929 the King abdicated in order to prevent a civil war and went into exile. Queen Soraya lived in Rome, Italy with her family in exile, having been invited by ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
She died on the 20th of April, 1968 in Rome, Italy.
The funeral was escorted by the Italian military team to the Rome airport, before being taken to Afghanistan where a solemn state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
was held. She is buried in the family mausoleum in Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
next to her husband the King, who had died eight years earlier.