e^t^e^c^c^c^t^s^fc^ii^t^c^

AMANULLAH

Every official position was farmed out. Every
department had its parasites. Every tax on the people
was paid chiefly to the heads who had bought their
titles and meant to recoup themselves as rapidly as
possible. Very few could stand out against the system,
It had eaten into the heart of the nation, and was as
established as the need for eating and drinking* The
soldiers in his Army paid annual sums to their corporals
for protection from imposition. Generally speaking,
corporals paid levies to their sergeants to keep their
rank. Sergeants paid their senior officers, and officers
had bought their titles and were forced to find interest
on the investment.

So it went on in every branch of government* Nobody
was immune. And against this birthright of the Afghan,
only Amanullah protested. Only Amanullah thought
that there was wickedness in the custom. Only Aman-
ullah dared to say that perhaps there were other
methods.

But he kept silent. Even Amanullah would not be
safe against the anger of Habibullah.

The War dragged on. Almost its only repercussions
in that far-off land were the redoubled efforts of the
emissaries at Court to enlist the support of Habibullah
and embroil Afghanistan in the War, Never before
had the country played so important a part in
world politics. Never before had such promises been
made.

If the word had been given, Habibullah would have
found his capital one of the greatest military bases in
the East. He would have been harried and flattered
and eased out of power. Once he had fallen to the
flattery of Russia* Afghanistan would have been lost
for ever—to the might of the Northern Power, Once
he had retracted from his policy of general placation,

86