Afghanistan
| Author | George Kurian |
| Pages | 133-135 |
Page 133
Official country name: Republic of Afghanistan
Capital: Kabul
Geographic description: Completely landlocked country covering an estimated area of 260,000 sq. mi.
Population: 27,750,000 (est. 2005)
For centuries until the accession of Abdur Rahman Shah in 1880, public order on a countrywide basis was nonexistent. Each tribe defined proper behavior for its members, trying and punishing offenders for violations of tribal codes. Intertribal relations, more often than not, are governed by armed force. Tribal chiefs and village leaders regarded themselves as independent rulers over their respective areas. Brigands and robbers preyed with impunity on travelers and passing caravans.
Abdur Rahman (ca. 1844–1901) was a strong and forceful ruler who established the first institutions of a civil society. He set up a police force in the modern sense, including a network of informers and agents. In Kabul, the force was so large that one out of every four able-bodied adults was engaged in police work. He organized Muslim courts and tribunals to deal with crimes against the state, property and person, and personally presided over the trials in all serious cases. His punishments were harsh and capricious. Common punishments included amputation of hands or foot and blinding. There was an official "blinder" attached to the royal court. The death penalty was common and included such forms of execution as death by starving and stoning and being blown from a cannon.
Abdur Rahman's efforts to modernize the state were continued under his successor, Habibullah Khan. A modernization program, initiated by Nadir Shah (r. 1929–1933) and developed by his son King Mohammad Zahir Shah, included provisions for rebuilding the police. The police force took over internal security responsibilities from the army. Later, control of the police was transferred from the Army to the Ministry of the Interior. The Gendarmerie was established in 1942 and it took over law and order responsibilities in rural areas. The police were limited to the major cities, such as Kabul, Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif.
In 1957 the Afghan government signed an agreement with the United States designed to improve the operational effectiveness of the civil police through technical assistance and training. Under this agreement English-language training was instituted at the National Police Academy in Kabul. For the first time...
To continue reading
Request your trial