The Shah was not a Jeffersonian democrat, however, he didn’t rule Arizona, but Iran.
Life before the Taliban: Fascinating photos show short skirts, flash cars and no burkas before Afghanistan plunged into hell

The pictures were taken in 1967 by university professor Dr Bill Podlich, from Arizona, during his two-year stint working with Unesco. The amateur photographer set out to document the serene life he found and enjoyed in Afghanistan. Using Kodachrome film, his images show a peaceful country making strides towards a more liberal and westernised lifestyle – a stark contrast to harrowing life under the Taliban.
Dr Podlich’s daughter Peg (seen right in main picture with her sister Jan) said that she remembered a place of fierce and proud people who have been beaten down by ‘terrible forces’. Her husband Clayton now administers the collection and has shared the pictures to show what Afghanistan was like before 33 years of war.