Princess India of Afghanistan

Princess India of Afghanistan (Pashto/Dari: شاهدخت اندیا‎ Shahdukht Hindia, Italian: Principessa India d'Afghanistan; born 1929) is the youngest daughter of Amanullah Khan and Soraya Tarzi, who were respectively King and Queen consort of Afghanistan in the 1920s. She holds the title of princess of the royal house of Mohammadzai-Tarzi.

Princess India during an interview in 2019

She was born in Bombay, British India, one month after her father's abdication in January 1929 and named in honor of the country they fled to exile. The family eventually settled in Rome, after an invitation by Queen Elena of Italy, where she grew up and continues to settle.[1] India visited Afghanistan for the first time in 1968, and started charity work for Afghan children seeking aid.[2]

In the 2000s, she formed the Mahmud Tarzi Cultural Foundation in Kabul, where she serves as vice chairman as of 2010.[3] In 2006, Princess India was appointed Cultural Ambassador to Europe by the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai. She spends her time between Rome and Kabul[4] and holds lectures at conferences throughout Europe.[5]

In August 2019, Princess India was invited by the Afghan government to take part in the state's celebrations for Afghanistan's 100th anniversary of independence.[1]

Personal life

Princess India has been married twice and has two daughters and a son.[2]

Princess India thinks of her mother as a positive figure in contemporary Afghanistan, calling her achievements "highly regarded by Afghans", and adding her speeches of "how she encouraged Afghan women to become independent, to learn how to read and write."[6] Regarding women's rights in Afghanistan, India thinks that more education is needed for Afghan men to improve the situation.[7] She also said of the burqa that it is "not an Afghan garment and is not even an Islamic garment".[8]

In September 2011, Princess India of Afghanistan was honored by the Afghan-American Women Association for her work in women's rights.[9] In 2012, Radio Azadi named her "Person of the Year" for her humanitarian work.[10]

Title and style
  • Her Royal Highness Princess India of Afghanistan[3]

See also

References
  1. "Afghanistan Independence Day — DW talks to Afghan princess in exile | DW | 19.08.2019". DW.COM.
  2. "Princess Wants to Win Afghan Hearts". Institute for War and Peace Reporting.
  3. "Afghanistan, Issues at stake and Viable Solutions: An Interview with H.R.H. Princess India of Afghanistan » Journal of South Asia Women Studies Vol. 12 No. 1 » Asiatica Association". asiatica.org.
  4. "HRH Princess India of Afghanistan | The Cambridge Union". cus.org.
  5. Torsello, Kash Gabriele (September 3, 2013). "Kash & Shabana, between Rome and Kabul".
  6. Goudsouzian, Tanya. "Afghan first lady in shadow of 1920s queen?". www.aljazeera.com.
  7. "Meeting Afghanistan's 'invisible' first lady". March 8, 2013 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. "La Principessa India ci racconta il "suo" Afghanistan". WorldWebNews.it. November 4, 2011.
  9. "Afghan-American Women Association honor Princess India D'Afghanistan" (PDF). Afghan-American Women Association. September 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  10. "Radio Azadi Names Hindia d'Afghanistan 'Person Of The Year'". RFE/RL.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.