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Mohammed Nadir Khan ascended to the Afghan throne on 15 October 1929, after defeating Habibullah Kalakani and subsequently executing him on 1 November of the same year. His reign focused on consolidating power and rejuvenating the country, opting for a more cautious path to modernization than his predecessor Amanullah Khan's ambitious reforms. Nadir Khan's tenure was cut short by his assassination in 1933 by a Kabul student, in an act of revenge.
Mohammad Zahir Shah, Nadir Khan's 19-year-old son, succeeded him, ruling from 1933 to 1973. His reign faced challenges, including tribal revolts between 1944 and 1947, spearheaded by leaders like Mazrak Zadran and Salemai. Initially, Zahir Shah's governance was under the influential guidance of his uncle, Prime Minister Sardar Mohammad Hashim Khan, who maintained Nadir Khan's policies. In 1946, another uncle, Sardar Shah Mahmud Khan, took over as Prime Minister, initiating political liberalization that was later retracted due to its extensive reach.
Mohammed Daoud Khan, Zahir Shah's cousin and brother-in-law, became Prime Minister in 1953, seeking closer ties with the Soviet Union and distancing Afghanistan from Pakistan. His tenure saw an economic crisis due to disputes with Pakistan, leading to his resignation in 1963. Zahir Shah then assumed a more direct role in governance until 1973.
In 1964, Zahir Shah introduced a liberal constitution, establishing a bicameral legislature with a mix of appointed, elected, and indirectly selected deputies. This period, known as Zahir's "experiment in democracy," allowed political parties to flourish, including the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which aligned closely with Soviet ideology. The PDPA split in 1967 into two factions: Khalq, led by Nur Muhammad Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, and Parcham, under Babrak Karmal, highlighting the ideological and political diversity emerging in Afghan politics.