With John’s survey instruments and our walks we
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calculated that the valley measurements were about five
miles by three. Thinking back over sixty-five years and
re-reading Oliver’s words has come the realisation of the
enormous difference of that life we were privileged to
observe. No nine-to-five drudgery hopefully conjuring up
favourable figures on spread sheets and the like. The valley
contained sufficient land, owned by different families,
to provide enough rice, wheat, vegetables and fruit for
the population of that time. The wooden tools, like this
plough, which they had fashioned themselves, did the
job as they wanted. There was no thought of increasing
production by mechanisation or chemicals, no thought
of creating surplus for export and thus increasing wealth.
In 1955 Afghanistan was in the middle of King Zahir Shah’s forty year peaceful rule. Zahir had been appointed, aged 19, after his well-liked father, Nadir, was assassinated in 1933, after only four years in power. Nadir’s cousin, Amanullah, was exiled to Italy in 1929. This was because of his unpopular attempts at modernisation following his trips to Europe.
At this time a team from Cambridge travelled overland to that mountainous country. Welcomed by the Afghan authorities in Kabul, it was arranged they could visit Badakshan. After much appreciated hospitality all the way, they reached the Boharak valley. They were invited to set up camp alongside the River Zardeh. For three weeks the local people were kind hosts and explained their way of life. Afghanistan was then much as described by Marco Polo six Centuries earlier.
‘No visible buildings. Lush grass and trees. Air so pure and salubrious to cure all sickness.’
The team was grateful to Rover who lent OUE 271 which never ‘failed to proceed’ through eleven countries.