The Wisdom of Ahmad Shah

(Bilingual English-Dari edition) Some 250 years ago, the Great King Ahmad Shah Durrani ruled Afghanistan and, from there, a magnificent empire extending from eastern Iran to northern India, and from the Amu Darya River to the Indian Ocean. Known to his people as Ahmad Shah Baba (Ahmad Shah, our father), the beloved king was an outstanding general and a just and wise ruler. But he was vexed with all kinds of problems that threatened his kingdom, and he realized he needed to find someone with the right qualities to help him. The big question was how to find such a person. Among other things, this story provides a framework through which young readers can consider and discuss the qualities one needs in order to live a useful and happy life. This intriguing legend is retold for young people by the Afghan storyteller and teacher Palwasha Bazger Salam, and is beautifully illustrated by artist Natasha Delmar. Additional pages include a biography of Ahmad Shah, a map of the Durrani Empire and suggested discussion points.

Palwasha Bazger Salam studierte Frühpädagogik an der Universität von Kabul in Afghanistan und der Universität von Las Vegas, Nevada, wo sie heute lebt und lehrt. Als Leiterin der Lehrer-Ausbildung in Kabul für das Programm -Hoopoe Books for Afghanistan" war sie an der Entwicklung des afghanischen Lehrplans des Programms beteiligt, hat die afghanischen Lehrkräfte ausgebildet und Hoopoe-Bücher in die Dari- und Paschtu-Sprachen übersetzt. Frau Salam stammt aus einer Familie von Geschichtenerzählern und führt diese Tradition mit den Neuerzählungen von zwei Hoopoe-Titeln weiter: -Die Weisheit des Ahmad Shah" und -Der Abschiedsgruß des Fremden".