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Butcher & Bolt
by David Loyn
Reviewed by Stephen Maire
David Loyn was introduced to Afghanistan as a journalist. Reporting on, and clearly intrigued by, the West's attempt to govern Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11, Loyn set out to learn more of earlier foreign encounters with Afghanistan. The result is Butcher & Bolt. The title refers to the British policy of punitive military forays against Afghan villages in the late 1880s; Loyn's history is decidedly more comprehensive than the title might imply, covering the years from the first Afghan-British war in the 1840s until the present. For anyone seeking a readable introduction of the evolution of the current state of Afghanistan, Butcher & Bolt will serve well, even though Loyn does not quite achieve what he sets out to do.
Loyn's experiences in Afghanistan raised two questions in his mind. First, how is it that Afghanistan, home of the world's first city and origin of European medicine, as well as the beautiful Bamyan Buddhas, could have turned to an extreme and restrictive fundamentalist version of Islam? Second, "why was holding the country more difficult than taking it"? Both are fair questions and would seem to come to the heart of current Western dealings with Afghanistan.
That the British "took" the country but could not hold it seems clear. The Russian experience was similar. Now, the US and the NATO are trying to hold Afghanistan with what many consider to be about the same success as their British and Russian predecessors.
While many are familiar with Britain's humbling Afghan experience, fewer are perhaps aware of the details. Based largely on well-known British sources, Loyn is not breaking much new ground, but does provides a straightforward, readable account of the history -- although occasionally repetitive and with sometimes heavy-handed references to the current mess. He keeps the players straight and does well clarifying what are often some very convoluted politics indeed.
History alone, however, cannot answer the questions Loyn wants answered. Although neither the British nor, later, the Russians were able to hold Afghanistan for extended periods of time, a number of Afghan rulers did manage to hold power for extended terms. Dost Mohammad, unseated by the British in the First Afghan War, ultimately ruled for 34 years. Sher Ali held power for 11 years between 1868 and 1879; Abdul Rahman was in prower 21 years, from 1880 until 1901. He was followed by Habibullah Khan who held the throne for 18 years from 1901 until 1919. Finally, there was Muhammad Zahir who sat on the throne for 40 years from 1933 until 1973. Clearly, it was possible to "hold" the country for an extended period of time, at least if one were not British or Russian.
The English sources that Loyn relies upon are good at describing the events, but provide little insight into how Afghan rulers governed the country, insight presumably to be found in Afghan sources.
As Loyn moves on to the Soviet period, he gets closer to realizing his stated goal. He discusses the splits between the city and the rural areas in outlook as well as how industry was changing the urban areas while leaving the rural areas unchanged. The political challenge of balancing tribal interests and the difficulty to creating unified control in a country dominated by tribal culture are well illustrated. Here, at last, we get a sense of the difficulty of governing Afghanistan rather than simply conquering it.
The Soviet chapter serves as a springboard to contemporary Afghanistan and to a general and non-prescriptive litany of what the US and NATO are doing wrong. The lack of policy recommendations aside, Butcher & Bolt remains an enjoyable and useful book. Making some significant assumptions, the reader can tease from Loyn's text possible answers to Loyn's questions. Moreover, Loyn has put enough here to give a clear understanding of the issues that make the country so difficult to govern. If Loyn has not directly answered his opening questions he has at least covered the ground, clearly and fluently, to intimate what those answers might be.
If one is looking for a reasonable introduction to why Afghanistan is what is it, Butcher & Bolt is a good place to start.
--
Stephen Maire is the director of a garment manufacturing and trading company. He has lived in East Asia for more than 20 years.
by David Loyn
Reviewed by Stephen Maire
David Loyn was introduced to Afghanistan as a journalist. Reporting on, and clearly intrigued by, the West's attempt to govern Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11, Loyn set out to learn more of earlier foreign encounters with Afghanistan. The result is Butcher & Bolt. The title refers to the British policy of punitive military forays against Afghan villages in the late 1880s; Loyn's history is decidedly more comprehensive than the title might imply, covering the years from the first Afghan-British war in the 1840s until the present. For anyone seeking a readable introduction of the evolution of the current state of Afghanistan, Butcher & Bolt will serve well, even though Loyn does not quite achieve what he sets out to do.
Loyn's experiences in Afghanistan raised two questions in his mind. First, how is it that Afghanistan, home of the world's first city and origin of European medicine, as well as the beautiful Bamyan Buddhas, could have turned to an extreme and restrictive fundamentalist version of Islam? Second, "why was holding the country more difficult than taking it"? Both are fair questions and would seem to come to the heart of current Western dealings with Afghanistan.
That the British "took" the country but could not hold it seems clear. The Russian experience was similar. Now, the US and the NATO are trying to hold Afghanistan with what many consider to be about the same success as their British and Russian predecessors.
While many are familiar with Britain's humbling Afghan experience, fewer are perhaps aware of the details. Based largely on well-known British sources, Loyn is not breaking much new ground, but does provides a straightforward, readable account of the history -- although occasionally repetitive and with sometimes heavy-handed references to the current mess. He keeps the players straight and does well clarifying what are often some very convoluted politics indeed.
History alone, however, cannot answer the questions Loyn wants answered. Although neither the British nor, later, the Russians were able to hold Afghanistan for extended periods of time, a number of Afghan rulers did manage to hold power for extended terms. Dost Mohammad, unseated by the British in the First Afghan War, ultimately ruled for 34 years. Sher Ali held power for 11 years between 1868 and 1879; Abdul Rahman was in prower 21 years, from 1880 until 1901. He was followed by Habibullah Khan who held the throne for 18 years from 1901 until 1919. Finally, there was Muhammad Zahir who sat on the throne for 40 years from 1933 until 1973. Clearly, it was possible to "hold" the country for an extended period of time, at least if one were not British or Russian.
The English sources that Loyn relies upon are good at describing the events, but provide little insight into how Afghan rulers governed the country, insight presumably to be found in Afghan sources.
As Loyn moves on to the Soviet period, he gets closer to realizing his stated goal. He discusses the splits between the city and the rural areas in outlook as well as how industry was changing the urban areas while leaving the rural areas unchanged. The political challenge of balancing tribal interests and the difficulty to creating unified control in a country dominated by tribal culture are well illustrated. Here, at last, we get a sense of the difficulty of governing Afghanistan rather than simply conquering it.
The Soviet chapter serves as a springboard to contemporary Afghanistan and to a general and non-prescriptive litany of what the US and NATO are doing wrong. The lack of policy recommendations aside, Butcher & Bolt remains an enjoyable and useful book. Making some significant assumptions, the reader can tease from Loyn's text possible answers to Loyn's questions. Moreover, Loyn has put enough here to give a clear understanding of the issues that make the country so difficult to govern. If Loyn has not directly answered his opening questions he has at least covered the ground, clearly and fluently, to intimate what those answers might be.
If one is looking for a reasonable introduction to why Afghanistan is what is it, Butcher & Bolt is a good place to start.
--
Stephen Maire is the director of a garment manufacturing and trading company. He has lived in East Asia for more than 20 years.
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