War Hero of the 1919 Anglo-Afghan war from Swabi
Nisar Muhammad Yousafzai (Pashto: نثار محمد یوسفزی Russian: Нисор Мухаммад Юсуфзай; born 1897, died October 8, 1937) was an Afghan communist revolutionary and war hero of Swabi who played a significant role in the creation of Tajikistan. A decorated soldier of the Third Anglo-Afghan War, Nisar would take part in a Soviet expedition in Gilan and later lobby for the creation of a Tajik SSR within the USSR, Nisar would serve as Tajikistan's first Minister of Education from 1926 until his murder in 1937. He was also the first ever Afghan communist.
Biography
Nisar Muhammad Yousafzai was born to a Yusufzai Pashtun family in the village of Zaida, Swabi District of the North-West Frontier in 1897. He was the son of Awal Khan and his grandfather was Mohammad Ali. He was an intelligent and perceptive young boy who was influenced by the October Revolution of Vladimir Lenin and early Indian Communist Leaders, similarly just the same as one Noor Tarakai.[1]
In 1919 the Third Anglo-Afghan War broke out between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Empire. Nisar Muhammad being an ethnic Afghan enlisted in the Afghan Army to fight the British, he received the Afghan Order of Courage medal for his bravery. Following the war, Swabi remained under British occupation and Nisar found himself sentenced to death. However, he managed to escape captivity and sought refuge in Tashkent, where he assumed the name Nisor Avalovich Magomedov.[2]
In Tashkent, Nisar Muhammad became an active member of the Soviet Communist Party. He became an advocate for a separate Tajik state outside of the Turkestan SSR. Alongside his like-minded friends, Muhammad published newspapers and campaigned for Tajik autonomy. Their efforts eventually bore fruit when, in 1924, the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the Uzbek SSR. This achievement marked a significant milestone toward the later formation of the Tajik SSR.[3] Nisar Muhammad's involvement in political affairs extended beyond Central Asia. In 1920, he joined a Soviet team tasked with reporting on the events unfolding in Persia (now Iran). During this mission, Muhammad provided support to the revolutionary leader Mirza Kuchak Khan, leaving an indelible mark on the struggle for independence in the region.[3][2]
In 1926, Nisar Muhammad was appointed as the People's Commissar of Education of Tajikistan. He also served as a Pashto language instructor at Moscow University, Nisar was fluent in multiple languages including Persian, Pashto, Russian, Uzbek, and Urdu.[3]
On October 8, 1937, Nisar Muhammad was arrested on false charges by the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs). During his interrogation, a guard struck Muhammad, triggering an altercation in which the interrogator sustained severe head injuries. In response, guards stormed the room and shot Nisar Muhammad, resulting in his untimely death.[3]
Legacy
The story of Nisar Muhammad Yousafzai was featured by Kabul Magazine in the 1960s by chief researcher of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences at Kabul University, Dost Shinwari under the name Nisar Muhammad Afghan.[4]
The street that is home to the Ministry of Education and Science, bears Nisar's name. In 2021, the acclaimed Tajik director Safarbek Solekh released a documentary titled "Nisar," which featured interviews with Muhammad's descendants and Tajik historians. He is described as "The son of Afghans who dedicated his life for Tajiks".[3][5]
See also
References
