Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)
Republic of Afghanistan | |||||||||
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| 1973–1978 | |||||||||
| Anthem: څو چې دا ځمكه آسمان وي (Pashto) Śo ce dā źməka āsmān wi Tso che daa dzmuka aasmaan wee "So long as there is Earth and Heaven" | |||||||||
| Capital | Kabul 33°N 65°E / 33°N 65°E | ||||||||
| Common languages | Pashto, Persian | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam | ||||||||
| Demonym | Afghan | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary one-party presidential republic under a dictatorship | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1973–1978 | Mohammad Daoud Khan | ||||||||
• 1978 | Abdul Qadir (acting) | ||||||||
| Vice President | |||||||||
• 1973–1978 | Sayyid Abdulillah | ||||||||
| Legislature | Loya Jirga | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
| 17 July 1973 | |||||||||
| Late July 1975 | |||||||||
| 27–28 April 1978 | |||||||||
• Establishment of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | 30 April 1978 | ||||||||
| Currency | Afghani | ||||||||
| Calling code | +93 | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | AF | ||||||||
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| History of Afghanistan |
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| Timeline |
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The Republic of Afghanistan (Pashto: د افغانستان جمهوریت, Dǝ Afġānistān Jumhūriyat; Dari: جمهوری افغانستان, Jumhūrī-yi Afğānistān) was the first republic in Afghanistan. It is often called the Daoud Republic, as it was established in July 1973 by General Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan of the Barakzai dynasty (alongside senior Barakzai princes) who deposed his cousin, King Mohammad Zahir Shah, in a coup d'état. The occasion for the coup was the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan which took power from most members of the royal family in favour of centralization under Zahir Shah and his offspring under the tenet of democracy. Daoud Khan was known for his autocracy and attempts to modernize the country with help from both the Soviet Union and the United States, among others.
The Republic of Afghanistan was also under a unitary form of government during the time.
In 1978, a military coup known as the Saur Revolution took place, instigated by the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, in which Daoud and his family were killed. The "Daoud Republic" was subsequently succeeded by the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.