6 0 s , ▁Afghan istan ▁as ▁a ▁constitution al ▁mon archy ▁held ▁limited ▁parliament ary ▁elections . ▁ ▁Z ah ir ▁Shah , ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁last ▁King ▁of ▁Afghan istan , ▁was ▁over th rown ▁by ▁his ▁cousin ▁Moh ammed ▁Da oud ▁Khan ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁after ▁dis content ▁with ▁the ▁mon archy ▁grew ▁in ▁the ▁urban ▁areas ▁of ▁Afghan istan . ▁The ▁country ▁had ▁gone ▁through ▁several ▁dr ought s , ▁and ▁charges ▁of ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁poor ▁economic ▁policies ▁were ▁le ve led ▁against ▁the ▁r uling ▁dynast y . ▁Khan ▁transformed ▁the ▁mon archy ▁into ▁a ▁republic , ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁President ▁of ▁Afghan istan . ▁He ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁a ▁fa ction ▁of ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁of ▁Afghan istan ▁( PD PA ), ▁Afghan istan ' s ▁commun ist ▁party , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁enjoyed ▁strong ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁Ne am atol lah ▁No j umi ▁writes ▁in ▁The ▁R ise ▁of ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁in ▁Afghan istan : ▁Mass ▁M obil ization , ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁the ▁Future ▁of ▁the ▁Region : ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁al ar med ▁by ▁the ▁growing ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁P D PA ▁and ▁the ▁party ' s ▁strong ▁affili ation ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁Da oud ▁Khan ▁tried ▁to ▁scale ▁back ▁the ▁P D PA ' s ▁influence . ▁He ▁dismiss