The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28
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naturally Mahomed Omar Janis
the latter light
She is a remarkable woman. Once
In her youth, q revolt broke out in
Kahbul while the Ameer was away
She left the harem, dressed herself as
a soldier, put herself at the head of
the loyal troops, and led the charge
which won the day. When the Ameer
hurried back, he found that she had
hanged the principal rebels, restored
law and order, and gone back to the
Sharem. He gave her a jeweled sword
as g. reward.
Naturally such a woman would fight
nara Tor what she considered to be the
rights of her son. She vainly pestered
Abdur Rahman to proclaim him the
heir. He would not do it, but she
worried him SO much that at last he
gave up visiting the harem.
The sultana did all she could In
honor to bar Habibullah from the suo-
cess1on. Some Of her supporters tried
several times to assassinate him, but
without her sanction. Once, some Of
them told her of a plot they had made
TO poison him. She instantly re-
vealed it to the ameer, and they died
very unpleasant death.
On another occasion, a mulIah
named k1shmash, who was employed
py the aneer as a spy and belonEed
TO the sultana's party, made a false
report that Habibullah was plotting
against his father. The sultana helpad
to prove the charge untrue, and the
| unhappy Kishmash was blown from
a gun. 49,
Poor Halima played straight hand
and lost. From an Oriental stand.
polnt, Hab1bullah ought to have muir
t uer t1 n a and her son when he cams
playing the game according to the ira
| ditlons OF Afghan politics. But he Is
1 ch1Va1rous. He maintains her In
equal dignity with his own queen.
and has made her son, tho still little
more than Il! a boy, the head Of the
portance in Afghanistan. 49,
! 1t Is quite likely that Mahomed
| Omar Jan, who is a remarkable
youngster, will succeed Habibul1ah-
Afghan1stan being country where
the strongest man rules He shares
the government with him now.
The name Habibullah means soThe
beloved Of Cod" and It seems to At
the man who owns 1t. He has now
ruled Afghan1stan for over two wears
with great success. He Is far rnilder
and gentler towards his people than
his father was, but he Is as strong
and as able.
l
Jan, Nasrullah, and his other broth
ers. Habibullah runs numerous fac
! tories IN Kabul, which are eoufpped
on up-to-date lines. These factories
turn out rifles, cannon, ammunition,
steel goods. cotton goods and a hun
dred other articles. Habibullah is
himself a skilled engineer, and is Law
ing plans for equipping his country
with railroads, telegraphs, telephones
and many other factories. But, fol-
lowing the policy Of HIS father, he
means to do all these things himself
If he can. He does not want to give
concessions to foreigners. He fears
that would be the thin edge of the
wedge of foreign aggression, and he
does not intend that Afghantstan
shall become a second China
/ We will run no risks" he often
says. IF we have to call In foreign
ers to develop the wonderful re-
sources Of our country, we will invite
Americans or Germans or Italians
who have no interest In coveting our
territory. We will not call in the Rus
slams or the English"