The Antagonistic Conflict between Tradition and Modernity in Afghanistan and the Violent Outcome (1919 – 1929)

Introduction: The years 1919 to 1929 in Afghanistan witnessed a clash between deep-rooted traditions and the alluring, yet disturbing forces of modernity. The developments that took place in the West under the name of modernity in different areas of the life left significant consequences on other parts of the world and Afghanistan was also affected by the scope of these waves in different periods. The deep roots of traditions in Afghanistan and the senselessness of new developments have led to the confrontation of modern values ​​with long-standing and deep-rooted traditions in the uneven cultural context of Afghan society. The penetration of modernity into Afghanistan, which took place through political and cultural elites, commercial and cultural exchange with the West, brought complex and numerous consequences. In a country with a rich cultural background and deep-rooted traditions, this confrontation has been accompanied by challenges and contradictions that have manifested in various political, social, economic and cultural fields.
The central values ​​of modernity, such as rationality, individualism, secularism are against the traditional values ​​of the Afghan society, traditions based on religion, ethnicity, collectivism and obedience to hierarchical structures. This conflict has led to tensions and resistances against the developments of modernity, especially among the religious and traditional strata of the society.
Research question: What are the results of the dialectic of tradition and modernity in Afghanistan's political thought and what currents have emerged around it?
Research hypothesis: The introduction and implementation of modern political thought in Afghanistan has not been able to be effectively integrated with existing traditional values and practices. This lack of integration has created a sharp gap between the modernist and traditionalist segments of Afghan society and has prevented the development of a coherent and sustainable political model.
Methodology and theoretical framework: Qualitative method and a descriptive-analytical approach are used in this article. The data analysis has been conducted using Quentin Skinner's hermeneutic method.
Results and discussion: The period of Amanullah Khan's rule (1929-1919) in Afghanistan witnessed a deep confrontation between tradition and modernity. Amanullah Khan, who was influenced by the modernist ideas of the West, started extensive reforms in various fields. The approval of the constitution, separation of powers, and attention to education, press freedom and women's rights are among the important achievements of this period. Reforms in Afghanistan faced serious challenges due to several factors, including neglect of national and religious values, obvious imitation of Western models, focus on superficial improvements and acceleration in the implementation of changes.
Ignoring the deeply rooted national and religious values ​​of the society created a deep gap between the people and the reform programs. Many of the proposed changes were seen as a threat to tradition and angered the masses and conservative factions. Attempting to modernize only with inspiration from western models, without considering the unique cultural and social context of Afghanistan, created a sense of alienation and resistance among the people. This uncritical imitation turned the reforms into external impositions and not internal developments that the people would consider as their own.
Focusing too much on the appearances of progress, such as modern infrastructure and Western institutions, was not enough without bringing about deeper changes at the intellectual and cultural level. This superficial approach cannot communicate with people’s real needs and values ​​and involve them meaningfully.
The high speed of implementation of reforms, regardless of traditional values ​​and beliefs, aroused the conservative forces. The lack of gradual transition and consensus building led to significant backsliding and social unrest. The lack of constructive and scientific dialogue between modernists and traditionalists fueled the escalation of tensions and conflicts. Finally, this confrontation led to the coup of Habibullah Kalkani and the overthrow of Amanullah Khan. With the closure of the constitutional case, Afghanistan once again fell into the abyss of traditionalism and isolation. This retreat demonstrated the difficulty of reconciling rapid modernization with deeply rooted traditions and left Afghanistan at a crossroads.
Conclusion: The research findings show that there was no effective intellectual debate between traditionalists and intellectuals during this period. The modernists presented their political thoughts without constructive dialogue and debate with traditionalists. The dominant view between these currents was hostile, and as a result, the internal model was not formed and the Afghan society remained in two parts, the traditionalists and the modernist. In Afghanistan, unlike countries in the region such as Iran and Türkiye, constitutionalism and modernism were not in the form of a comprehensive social thought, but rather as a topic of discussion in small intellectual groups that did not go beyond the circle of the court and courtiers and did not penetrate among the elites of the society. The conflict between tradition and modernity played a major role in the failure of modernism in this period. Since the modernists sought to create rapid socio-cultural and political changes and failed to transform the idea of constitutionalism into a social discourse, the deep-rooted traditions of the Afghan society resisted such sudden changes. The lack of deep intellectual debate between the proponents of tradition and modernists of the Hegelian dialectic type and even the dialogue and debate based on the Habermasian dialectic caused the failure of the constitutionalism process in this period. The type of confrontation between tradition and modernity in this era was superficial, hostile and antagonistic and its violent result not only led to the failure of constitutionalism and Amani's reforms, rather it led to the failure of his government and as a result, the case of modernists and constitutionalists was closed in the country for a long time.