Nur Muhammad Taraki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nur Muhammad Taraki
نور محمد ترکی
Taraki, c. 1978–79
General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
In office 1 January 1965 – 14 September 1979
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Hafizullah Amin
Chairman of the Revolutionary Council of Afghanistan
In office 30 April 1978 – 14 September 1979
Preceded by	Mohammed Daoud Khan (as President)
Succeeded by	Hafizullah Amin
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Afghanistan
In office 1 May 1978 – 27 March 1979
Preceded by	Position established Mohammad Musa Shafiq (as Prime Minister, 1973)
Succeeded by	Hafizullah Amin
Personal details
Born	(1917-07-14)14 July 1917 Nawa, Ghazni, Emirate of Afghanistan
Died	9 October 1979(1979-10-09) (aged 62)
Cause of death	Assassination by suffocation
Political party	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (Khalq)
Spouse	Nur Bibi
Profession	Politician, journalist, writer

Nur Muhammad Taraki (Pashto: نور محمد ترکی) was an Afghan political leader, journalist, and writer. He was born on July 14, 1917, and died on October 9, 1979. He helped start the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). He was the leader of this party from 1965 to 1979.

From 1978 to 1979, Taraki was also the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. This made him the head of state in Afghanistan. His time as leader was short and had many challenges. He was known for trying to make big changes in Afghanistan.

Early Life and Work

Nur Muhammad Taraki was born on July 14, 1917. His family were farmers in the Nawa District of Ghazni Province. This area was part of the Emirate of Afghanistan at the time. He was the oldest of three children.

When he was 15, in 1932, he left school in Nawa. He went to work in the city of Bombay, India. There, he worked as a clerk for a trading company. In Bombay, he met members of the Communist Party of India. They talked about ideas like social justice and fairness for everyone. These talks made a big impression on him. He also met Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Pashtun leader who worked for his people.

In 1937, Taraki started working for the Minister of Economics. He later became a deputy head at the Bakhtar News Agency. He became well-known as a writer and poet. His book, De Bang Mosaferi, talked about the problems faced by Afghan workers and farmers. His writings were even translated into Russian. The Soviet government praised him as "Afghanistan's Maxim Gorky".

In 1952, Taraki was sent to work at the Afghan Embassy in the United States. While there, he spoke out against the Afghan government. He said it had too much power and was unfair. Because of this, he was called back home. He later worked as an interpreter for the United States Overseas Mission in Kabul. In 1958, he started his own translation company.

In 1963, he left his job to focus on starting a new political party. This party was called the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA).

Forming the PDPA

The PDPA was officially started at Taraki's home in Kabul in 1965. Taraki was chosen as the party's general secretary. Babrak Karmal became the second secretary. Taraki tried to win a seat in the 1965 election but did not succeed.

Soon after, he started Khalq, a newspaper for the party. It was the first major left-wing newspaper in Afghanistan. However, the government quickly shut it down. In 1967, the PDPA split into two main groups. One group was called Khalq (meaning "Masses"), led by Taraki. The other was Parcham (meaning "Banner"), led by Karmal. They had different ideas about how the country should be run. Taraki wanted a strong, centralized state. Karmal wanted a broader democratic system.

On April 19, 1978, a well-known leftist leader was killed. Many blamed the government of Mohammed Daoud Khan. This event made many pro-communist Afghans angry. Fearing a takeover, Daoud ordered the arrest of PDPA leaders, including Taraki and Karmal.

The Saur Revolution

On April 27, 1978, the Saur Revolution began. This was a military takeover by the PDPA. The next day, President Daoud and his family were killed. The PDPA quickly took control of the country.

On May 1, Taraki became the Chairman of the Revolutionary Council. This role combined the duties of president and prime minister. The country was renamed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. This new government would last until 1992.

Taraki's Leadership

New Government and Changes

Taraki became the head of state and government. He also remained the leader of the PDPA. At first, his government included members from both the Khalq and Parcham groups. However, problems soon started. Some Khalq members accused the Parcham group of working against the government.

Because of this, many important Parcham members were sent out of the country. For example, Karmal became the Afghan Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. Others were later put in jail. There was also growing tension between Taraki and Hafizullah Amin within the Khalq group. Both wanted more power.

The new government under Taraki began to crack down on people who opposed the revolution. Thousands were killed, many in Pul-e-Charkhi prison.

Social and Economic Reforms

Taraki's government started a land reform on January 1, 1979. This reform aimed to limit how much land a family could own. Land that was over the limit was taken by the government without payment. The government hoped this would make people in rural areas happy. They also thought it would weaken the power of rich landowners.

By mid-1979, the government said it had given out over 665,000 hectares of land. They claimed only a small part of the population was negatively affected. However, the reform was not popular and did not help farming. Agricultural harvests dropped, and many Afghans became unhappy. Taraki soon stopped the policy when he saw how much people disliked it.

Taraki's government also introduced other big changes. These changes went against traditional Afghan values and power structures. He encouraged women to take part in political life. He also made laws to end forced marriages. However, Afghanistan had a strong Islamic culture and a history of resisting strong central control. Because of this, many of these reforms were not fully put into practice across the country.

People's anger about these sudden changes led to unrest. The government's control became limited to only a few areas. This backlash eventually led to the Afghan civil war.

Other old practices like charging very high interest on loans and paying a "bride price" were banned. The minimum age for marriage was also raised. The government focused on education for everyone and started a big campaign to teach people to read and write. Taraki wanted to teach everyone to read in just four years, which was a very difficult goal.

On August 19, 1978, which was Afghan Independence Day, Taraki started the first TV channel in the country, Afghanistan National Television.

Relations with the Soviet Union

On December 5, 1978, Taraki signed a twenty-year friendship treaty with the Soviet Union. This greatly increased the help the Soviets gave to his government. After an uprising in Herat in 1979, Taraki asked the Soviet Union for military help.

However, Soviet leaders like Alexei Kosygin and Leonid Brezhnev were hesitant. They worried that sending troops would make things worse in Afghanistan. They warned Taraki that Soviet troops might have to fight against many Afghans. Brezhnev also advised Taraki to slow down his big social reforms and try to get more support from his own people.

In 1979, Taraki went to a conference in Cuba. On his way back, he stopped in Moscow and met with Soviet officials. He managed to get some Soviet support, including military advisers and equipment at a lower price. But the Soviets still did not want to send their army into Afghanistan.

Taraki and Amin's Relationship

In the beginning, Hafizullah Amin and Taraki were very close. Taraki even said, "Amin and I are like nail and flesh, not separable." Amin worked to make Taraki seem like a great leader. He called Taraki "The Great Leader" and "The Great Thinker." Amin himself was called "The True Disciple."

However, this made Taraki very confident, and he started to ignore Amin's advice. This made Amin resentful. Their relationship became difficult, and they began to struggle for control of the Afghan army. Taraki later accused Amin of giving jobs to too many of his family members.

Taraki had the support of four important army officers. These officers were also close to the Soviet ambassador in Afghanistan. They wanted to use these officers against Amin. In March 1979, Taraki became the chairman of the Homeland Higher Defence Council, and Amin became his deputy. Around the same time, Taraki stepped down as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and Amin took that job. However, this new job actually gave Amin less real power. Taraki had effectively reduced Amin's control over the army.

While Taraki was away at the conference in Cuba, his supporters heard a false report that Amin was planning to arrest or kill them. They decided to try and kill Amin. But the Soviet embassy warned Amin, saving his life.

Taraki's Death

On September 11, 1979, Taraki returned to Kabul from Moscow. Amin met him at the airport. Taraki then tried to remove Amin from his position, following a plan with the Soviets. He suggested Amin become an ambassador overseas, but Amin refused.

On September 14, Taraki invited Amin to the Presidential palace for lunch. Amin was hesitant but was persuaded by the Soviet Ambassador to go. Inside the palace, bodyguards opened fire. Amin was injured but managed to escape. He then put the army on high alert and ordered Taraki's arrest.

The four officers who supported Taraki hid in the Soviet embassy. The Soviets tried to convince Amin not to remove Taraki, but Amin refused. On September 16, Radio Kabul announced that Taraki had resigned due to illness. Amin was then elected as the new General Secretary.

After Taraki's arrest, Amin reportedly asked Leonid Brezhnev what to do with him. Brezhnev replied that it was Amin's decision. Amin then ordered Taraki's death. Nur Muhammad Taraki died on October 8, 1979. According to most reports, he was suffocated with pillows by three men under Amin's orders. He was secretly buried that night.

The news of Taraki's death shocked Brezhnev, who had promised to protect him. This event was one of the reasons for the Soviet intervention two months later. The Afghan media reported that Taraki had died of a "serious illness," without mentioning his murder.

After Taraki's Death

On the day Taraki was killed, 28 members of his family, including his wife and brother, were put in jail. When Karmal later came to power, Taraki's family members were released.

In January 1980, the education minister called Taraki "the martyred son of the country." She strongly criticized Hafizullah Amin, calling him a "savage despot" and a "spy."

Books by Nur Muhammad Taraki

Novels

• De Bang musāfirī: Published in 1957, this was his first and most famous novel. It looks at the Pashtun tribal world through ideas similar to those of Marxism. It is said to be like the works of the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky.
• Ṡaṛah: This book criticizes the feudal lords of Afghanistan.
• Sangsār
• Spīn
• Be tarbiyatah zoy

Short Stories

• Mochī : da lanḍo kīso ṭolagah

Essays

• Pahāṛon̲ kā baiṭā : ek Pukhtun kī dāstān-i alam: Written in Urdu, this essay mainly discusses the social, cultural, and economic conditions in Balochistan.

Images for kids

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  Taraki, circa 1978–79