Abstract
This study focuses on Afghan modernization in general; In particular, it focuses on the period of Amanullah Khan, one of the most important actors in this process. The main purpose of the study is to discuss why the transformation in Afghanistan is relatively slow and painful after informing the reader about Afghan modernization. The central state, which has been able to spread its sovereignty over the country directly and has a modern army and bureaucracy, is the most crucial trigger of social modernization. However, the history of Afghanistan is full of unsuccessful efforts of different rulers to centralize the state. Among the reasons for this failure lies the country’s geographical, social, and economic structure. In the case of Afghanistan, the structure causes the power to be decentralized and dispersed. Amanullah Khan is one of the rulers who failed while trying to build a central state in the modernization adventure of this country. However, due to the reforms he implemented during his reign, he gained an important place in history. For this reason, the focus of the study is the period of Amanullah Khan. The reforms made during this period are so numerous that it is beyond the limits of one article to examine them all. Therefore, the most critical reforms within a particular classification, such as economy and law, will be discussed. Amanullah Khan's aggressive modernization, reforms, and reform attempts, especially in the field of women's rights, ended his reign. Tribal feudalism in the country plays a vital role in the uneven progress of Afghan modernization. The person who seizes power in Kabul must rely on the power of the tribes to rule in the provinces. The inability of the central state to transfer its power directly to the provinces results in the rebellion of the tribes whose interests were damaged by the reform movements.