Overview
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TARAN KHAN, author of Shadow City
TRANSLATED FROM BENGALI BY NAZES AFROZ
An intrepid traveller and true cosmopolitan, legendary Bengali writer Syed Mujtaba Ali spent a year and a half teaching in Kabul from 1927 to 1929. Curious to explore Afghan society, Mujtaba Ali had access to a cross-section of Kabul''s population, and in In a Land Far from Home he chronicles his experiences with a keen eye and a wicked sense of humour.
Mujtaba Ali''s travels coincided with a critical point in Afghanistan''s history: when the reformist King Amanullah tried to steer his country towards modernity by encouraging education for girls and giving them the choice of removing the burqa. Branded a ''kafir'', Amanullah was overthrown by the bandit leader Bacha-e-Saqao. With striking parallels to twenty-first century events in the region, In a Land Far From Home is the only first-hand account of this tumultuous period by a non-Afghan.
Providing a unique perspective, Mujtaba Ali''s fascinating account is brought to life by contact with a colourful cast of characters at all levels of society -- from the garrulous Pathan Dost Muhammed and the gentle Russian giant Bolshov, to his servant, Abdur Rahman and his partner in tennis, the Crown Prince Enayatullah.
- | Author: Syed Mujtaba Ali
- | Publisher: John Murray Press
- | Publication Date: Jul 07, 2022
- | Number of Pages:
- | Language:
- | Binding: Paperback / softback
- | ISBN-13: 9781399802505
- | ISBN-10: 139980250X
