Page 12

FIRST ARTICLE AHMED SHAH & TAMUR SHAH . ( Haji Jamal & Payanda Khan. ) In this article we have spoken of four persons; two of Sadu Zai and two belonging to the Barakazais. Two of them were kings, and two were their advisers & their Ministers. The qualities of the two later persons were selfless devotion to the cause of the nation: which unfortunately was so much lacking during the 18th & 19th. centuries of our country's history; which was the cause of domestic struggle, & saoping the strength and vitality of the nation. * * * In the title of this article the names of four persons have been taken. Their names, during the reign of the Saduzais are so well known, that every one knows the importance of their personalities. It is qui te well known that Ahmed Shah and Tamur Shah-the father and son-have been kings of Durrani-Saduzai dynasty, who had ascended the throne one after the other. Haji Jamal and Payanda Khan belonging to the Barakzai Clan-as father and son-were contemporary to the above mentioned kings . The point which we should like to emphasise in this article, is that these two great men of Afghanistan possessed sublime qualities of selflessness, of impersonal attitude to national service and appreciation of prudent measures. The importance of the qualities of these nobles of influence and forsight, it was that exalted them to the place of such honour in the estimation of the king that they were reckoned as the first rank counsellors. In point of fact, too, the administration of Ahmed Shah and that of his son, Tamur Shah were strengthened and sustained through the wisdom and devoted co-operation of these nobles. On the occasion when the leaders of the Afghan clans used to elect one of the nobles from amongst themselves as a king at a gathering at Kandahar; the clan of Saduzai, from the point of number of families and number of men in it, was the smallest of them