A short history of Life: Afghanistan's lost magazine - By Monica Whitlock

A short history of Life

Bright, busy and colourful, newly digitised pages of Zhvandun magazine - Life in English - reveal the aspirations of Afghanistan's elite during decades of political and social change.
It rolled off presses through most of the second half of the 20th Century, mixing articles on global affairs, society and history with fun stuff on film stars and fashion.

Over five politically tumultuous decades the pages of Zhvandun mirrored the upheavals of the time. But they also captured something more fragile - the ideals and dreams of their readers.

Its authors and readership lived mainly in Kabul. They were progressive people, with time and resources to think about which film to see at the cinema or how to alter a hemline.

Zhvandun was on the more frivolous side of a host of magazines produced in Afghanistan from the late 1920s onwards.

Adab (Culture) was the periodical of Kabul University, while Children's Companion (Kamkayano Anis) was full of puzzles and stories.

Zhvandun arrived in 1949, a momentous year in the region. The old European empires were crumbling in the wake of World War Two.

Afghanistan's neighbours, India, Pakistan and Iran, were crucibles of new post-colonial thinking.

Afghanistan had a modern state to build and at least some money in the bank.

King Zahir invited many foreign advisers to help him evolve his vision and sought support from both the United States and the Soviet Union.

The coming of Ariana Airlines in 1955 connected Afghanistan to destinations across half the world.

Its most famous route was from Kabul to Frankfurt by way of Tehran, Damascus, Beirut and Ankara. It was called the Marco Polo route, after the 13th Century Italian traveller.

Internally, Afghan cities that were separated by mountains and deserts became linked by regular flights.- More, BBC

A short history of Life: Afghanistan's lost magazine - BBC News