Princess Zamina Begum of Afghanistan

Zamina Begum (11 January 1917 – 28 April 1978), also known as Zainab Begum, was an Afghan princess who was the First Lady of Afghanistan from 1973 until her assassination in 1978. She was the wife of Mohammed Daoud Khan, the first president of Afghanistan, and the sister of the last king of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah.

She was killed along with her husband and family in the Saur Revolution in 1978.

Life Zamina Begum was the daughter of King Mohammed Nadir Shah and Mah Parwar Begum, and the sister of King Zahir. Her brother succeeded her father in November 1933. She married Daoud in September 1934.

Zamina Begum famously played a role in the women's emancipation policy of her husband's government, notably by appearing unveiled in public. The Prime Minister prepared women's emancipation carefully and gradually. He began by introducing women workers at the Radio Kabul in 1957, by sending women delegates to the Asian Women's Conference in Kairo, and by employing forty girls to the government pottery factory in 1958. When this was met with no riots, the government decided it was time for the very controversial step of unveiling.

Family The couple had four sons and four daughters: 1. Zarlasht Daoud Khan 2. Khalid Daoud Khan (1947–1978). Had a son: Tariq Daoud Khan 3. Wais Daoud Khan (1947–1978). Had four children: Turan Daoud Khan (1972-) Ares Daoud Khan (1973 – k. 1978) Waygal Daoud Khan (1975 – k. 1978) Zahra Khanum (1970-) 4. Muhammad Umar Daoud Khan (k. 1978). Had two daughters: Hila Khanum (1961 – k. 1978) Ghazala Khanum (1964 – k. 1978) 5. Dorkhanai Begum 6. Zarlasht Begum (k. 1978) 7. Shinkay Begum (k. 1978). Had two daughters: Ariane Heila Khanum Ghazi (1961-) Hawa Khanum Ghazi (1963-) 8. Torpekay Begum. Had three children: Shah Mahmud Khan Ghazi Daud Khan Ghazi Zahra Khanum Ghazi

Ancestry