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Service order

Order of Service

The Order of Service (Nishan-i-Kidmat) was an early Afghan royal award for faithful and distinguished service to the nation.

Afghanistan Established Before 1906 All servicesPrecedence: One of the earliest royal Afghan orders

Medals & Awards

Awarded For
Faithful and distinguished service to the nation of Afghanistan
Eligibility
Government officials, judges, soldiers, and civil servants
Branch
All services
Precedence
One of the earliest royal Afghan orders
The Order of Service (Nishan-i-Kidmat) of Afghanistan

History

The Order of Service, known in Persian as Nishan-i-Kidmat, was one of the oldest honors of the Afghan royal court. It was founded by King Habibullah Khan in the early 1900s, before Afghanistan even won full independence, making it one of the country's first modern-style decorations.

The Order rewarded faithful service to the nation. In a country where the king's government was still young, it was a way to honor loyal governors, judges, soldiers, and officials who kept the state running.

Like other Afghan royal awards, the Order came in classes, and its design mixed Afghan symbols with the style of medals used by other kingdoms at the time.

The Order of Service faded away as newer and grander awards, such as the Order of the Supreme Sun, took its place, and the whole royal honors system ended with the monarchy in 1973.

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