Taraki

Nur Muhammad Taraki (c. 1917–1979) was an Afghan communist politician and revolutionary. He was one of the founders of the Khalq faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) and rose to become a leading figure in the new government after the Saur Revolution of 1978, serving as president and head of government during the early phase of PDPA rule.

Taraki led a one-party state that pursued sweeping social and economic reforms aimed at modernizing Afghan society. Reforms included land redistribution, literacy and public education campaigns, and efforts to secularize institutions. The program sought rapid social change but was implemented in a tightly controlled political environment, and it was accompanied by political repression and purges as the regime consolidated power. The government maintained close ties with the Soviet Union, receiving political and economic support.

In 1979, Taraki was overthrown by Hafizullah Amin with Soviet backing. He was placed under house arrest, and his death later that year is reported but the exact circumstances remain disputed. Taraki’s overthrow and death contributed to a period of instability that culminated in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan later in 1979.

Taraki’s brief tenure is viewed as a turning point in Afghan politics, marking the beginning of a decade of intense conflict and foreign intervention that shaped the country’s subsequent history.