ABSTRACT
The Rise of Nationalism in Afghanistan.— The keynote of recent history in Central Asia and indeed more or less everywhere in Asia may be found in nationalism. The so-called “ unchanging East ” realized the power and wealth of the W est and its impact gradually caused it to awaken. Indeed, the victory of Japan over mighty Russia in 1904, proving that the W est was not invincible, came to the East as a revelation. In neighbouring Persia it bore fruit in a revolution which resulted in the abdication of Muhammad A li Shah, in 1909, but, in conservative Afghanistan with a large primitive population occupying the remote valleys of its gigantic ranges, the movement was slow.
