Saqqawists

The name derives from Kalakani's nickname, Bacha-e Saqaw (; literally son of the water carrier). Due to the existence of multiple Persian romanization schemes, authors have rendered the name of this group in multiple ways, with alternative renderings including "Saqaoists" == History ==

Habibullāh Kalakāni began resistance against the government of Amanullah Khan in 1924, after he deserted from the Royal Afghan Army, which at the time was fighting against the Khost rebellion. In November 1928, while a Shinwari revolt was occurring in Jalalabad, the Saqqawists besieged Jabal al-Siraj, beginning the Afghan Civil War. On 17 January, they took Kabul, beginning what is known as the "Saqqawist period". The last Saqqawist holdout, Herat, fell to the Afghan government in 1931. == Membership and support ==

The Saqqawists saw widespread support among Afghanistan's Tajik population. The Saqqawist attack on Kabul in January 1929 was supported by the religious establishment as a way to reverse Amanullah's reforms. However, Habibullāh Kalakāni "did not have the caliber to serve as the head of the state" and lost conservative support once in power. On 14 April 1929, Fayz Muhammad estimated the Saqqawists to number 20,000. == Ideology ==

Kalakani declared himself to be a "defender of Islam", denouncing opponents as kuffar. The Saqqawists also had some support amongst Islamists. == International relations ==

Despite taking control of Kabul, the Saqqawist government of Afghanistan was unable to obtain any diplomatic recognition. Nonetheless, the Saqqawists allied themselves with the Basmachi movement, allowing them to operate in Northern Afghanistan, and revoking the "Pact of Neutrality and Non-Aggression" that Afghanistan had signed with the Soviet Union following the end of the Urtatagai conflict, which obligated Afghanistan to restrain Basmachi border raids. == Human rights abuses ==

During the Afghan Civil War, there were incidents of rape and looting among Saqqawist troops. One such incident took place on 28 June 1929, when Saqqawists attacked the Hazara settlement of Qalah-i Karim, looted anything movable and drove off livestock. == Historiography ==

A significant amount of the information regarding Habibullah Kalakani and the Saqqawists is derived from the works of Afghan historian Faiz Muhammad Kateb, whose reliability as a source has been subject to inquiry. His portrayal of the Afghan Civil War has been subject to various criticisms, as Kateb was closely associated with the Musahiban royal family in many facets. This association extends to rulers such as Abdur Rahman Khan, Habibullah Khan, and Amanullah Khan. Given these close ties with the monarchy, his portrayal of events has been viewed by some as potentially biased in favor of the royal family and their campaigns. Kateb was known for favoring royal figures as being one of their head writers had led him to coddle and paint reputable images of certain figures. For instance, Nasrullah Khan is recorded to have sent specific letters to Kateb with directions to publish and circulate favorable accounts of his activities in England, in order to enhance his reputation and honor. Another criticism is that Kateb was connected with the Young Afghan Movement led by Mahmud Tarzi. The publications created by Tarzi and his circle were often seen by critics as idealistic and nationalistic. They were also noted as promoting Afghan nationalism in a manner that was sometimes considered exaggerated, imposing, or propagandistic to certain minorities. Tarzi was also a recognized opponent of Kalakani and the Saqqawists' agenda due to having established several progressive journals. Tarzi also played a significant role in shaping the royal family's foreign affairs during that period; the royal family were themselves persistent opponents of the Saqqawists. Another concern revolves around the treatment of Kateb’s writings by the royal family. Kateb’s historical works were subject to tampering and censorship by royal officials, and even the monarch himself. One instance is that, while compiling Tohfat ul-Habib (Habib's Gift), a history of Afghanistan under Habibullah Khan, the king rejected the original manuscript and ordered Kateb to rewrite it. Similarly, Amanullah Khan, upon evaluating Kateb's subsequent works, ordered that all existing copies be burned. ==Notes==