Editing Sayed Jamaluddin Afghani (section)

== To implement national and international reforms the top ==


For implementing this principal Afghani began to work in his own country Afghanistan, while he was serving at the court of Amir Dost Mohammad as a young scholar at the age of 19, his duty among other things, was to teach general knowledge to some of the princes, among whom he gave more consideration to Prince [[Azam Khan]] who was ambitious, energetic and full of dreams like Afghani himself.

Jamaluddin was hoping to see [[Azam Khan]] the future King of Afghanistan, and under his rule implement his reforms and planning needed for the country, in the domestic sphere as well as international.

But it was Sher Ali Khan heir designate, who was named the King of Afghanistan after the death of his powerful father Dost Mohammad in 1863. There followed a period of civil war between the sons and grandsons of Dost Mohammad with Azam Khan as the main pretender. Jamaluddin left the country for the purpose of pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca after which he went to Iraq. He was in Iraq when the news of defeat of Sher Ali, Amir of Afghanistan reached him, and Afzal Khan the elder and real brother of Azam which was in prison, became the new King. “Afghani” hurried back by the way of Iran and a short stop in Heart and joined his friend Prince Azam Khan in the city of Kandahar in 1866.From Kandahar along with Azam Khan he went to [[Ghazni ]]and upon the news of the death of Afzal Khan, Azam khan proceeded to Kabul and became the ruler of Afghanistan.

Afghani was pleased about the event and now was staying in [[Bala Hisar]] Palace in order to be close to the new king and offering him his advice in daily affairs of his kingdom.

Unfortunately the rule of Azam Khan was as short one indeed, and during this short period, one of the accomplishment of Afghani was, publication of a newspaper called “Kabul”. Azam Khan on the advice of Afghani was conducting a negotiation with the British government in order to get their firm commitments for Afghanistan’s independence. Mean while Azam Khan from the first day when he was declared King in 1867 and until 1868 which was the end of his rule was very much preoccupied with the question of retaining his throne against Sher Ali, who once again took the opportunity of the absence of his brave nephew Prince Abdul Rahman and captured Kabul to become the King of Afghanistan for the second time on 1868. Azam Khan went to Iran and soon after died in Bustam.

Jamaluddin being the closest friend and the top adviser of Azam Khan, had no choice but to leave Afghanistan on Dec.1868 only to offer from now on his service to his greater “nation “ called “Asia” “and Islam”,

Jamaluddin after staying forty days in Egypt went to Istanbul which was at that time active capital of Islamic Khilafat.

In Istanbul Afghani wanted to do what be failed to achieve in Afghanistan. His arrival in Istanbul in late 1969 concided with the “Tanzimat” reform period, therefore he was warmly welcomed with open arms by leading reforming ministers, such as Ali Pasha and Fuad Pasha. Jamaluddin soon became a member of Council of Education, and a seat was given to him, as a professor in the newly established University. It was in the opening ceremony of the new university, when Afghani made his famous speech on “crafts”, and as a result of some expression he used in the speech, chief Ottoman religious leader “Shikhul-Islam” Hassan Fehmi, who was jealous of Afghani for reasons of self-interest, he seized the opportunity to criticize Afghani, and twisted the meaning of some of his expression and called it anti-Islamic. As s result, so much controversies in the press, and among the religious circles, that Afghani decided to leave for a while, in order to calm down the atmosphere created by Hassan Fehmi and his associates.

Afghani left for Egypt in 1871, and lived there, for 8 years of useful activity. Egypt was not new to him this time, because he had spent about forty days in that country, on his way to Istanbul in 1869.this time a prominent Egyptian politician “Riyad Pasha” offered him stipend from the government fund. In order to keep him in Egypt to help to modernize the program of “Al-Azhar” university, as well as to teach. During those years’s political activity of Afghani’s stay in Cairo. In Egypt Jamaluddin not only kindled the patriotic fire in the heart of young Egyptians to fight against western influence, meanwhile he awakened also, Egyptian Public opinion by political journalism. Afghani did help inspire except “Al-Ahram” nearly all newspaper of that period of Egypt, and he helped to get government licenses for many of them.

“Abu Nazzara Zarqa”founded by Afghani’ Jewish desciple “Yakub Sanu” in March 1877.More directly under Afghani’s influence was the paper called “Misr” published in Cairo.and then. in Alexandria edited by Afghani’s Syrian and Christian desciples “Adib Ishq” and “salim-an-Naqash”.Afghani also helped them’ to obtain a permit for a daily Afghani also helped them to obtain a permit for a daily “AL-Tijara”,Afghani helped another of his desciple who was a Syrian Christian named ;Salim-al-Anhuri” to publish the newspaper “Mirat Ash Arq”.”Abid Ishaq” also edited the Alexandria newspaper “Misr-al-Fatat” published in French and Arabic.

In addition to awakening of Egyptian through political journalism, Jamaluddin in 1877, directly took part in Egyptian politics, by entering in the “Eastern Star Lodge” and soon he converted it in a political base of his own activity. It was Afghani who inaugurated Crown Prince Taufiq the future Kedev of Egypt, into this lodge. Afghani supported Taufiq against his rival Prince Halim, the youngest son of Mohammed Ali Pasha.With all the support which Afghani will have an active hand in the Egyptian politics and government of. When we read the Articles written by Afghani at this period, the anti-British tune, is n=much stronger. In one of these Article in autum of 1878.when he published in “Misr”.on the “British and Afghans” “Al-Bayan- Fi--- Al-English-wa-Al-Afghan”. It was translated in the “home-ward mail” and part of it published in the English newspaper” the An-Nhala” in London by Sabunji.In this Article Afghani defends his on his homeland, and criticized the British colonialism. The paper “Misr” on May 24, 1879 reported a speech given by Afghani on his visit to Alexandria. That Article is entitled “Hakim-Ash-Sharq” the “sage of the East”, it explains the enthusiastic reception given to Afghani in Alexandria, it says that he gave a lecture in “Ziziniyya Hall” and admission was by ticket, its, income went to the poor of Alexandria, after Egypt he followed this method in Calcutta and admission and the income went to poor of India, an act which as done by Afghani long before made by a nobel prize winner “Mother Teresa”. Jamaluddin’s influence in national party of Egypt in 1879-1882 was great. Indeed and the well known constitutionalist politician Sharif-Pasha was a close collaborator. Afghani in order to implement his own reforms for the purpose of resisting domestic despotism was against Khadev Ismael, and in favour of Taufiq.But when Taufiq came to power he joined the British and decided on sudden explusion of Afghani from Egypt. Once again Jamaluddin’s dream for a model country was shattered as it happened in the case of Afghanistan, Turkey and later on in 1889 in Iran.