Conflicts & Resolutions · Revolution

Saur Revolution

1978 · 20th century

The Saur Revolution was the coup of 27–28 April 1978 in which army units loyal to the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan overthrew and killed President Mohammad Daoud Khan. Named after the Afghan month in which it took place, it brought a communist government under Nur Muhammad Taraki to power. Its radical reforms and repression provoked a rural revolt that led to the Soviet intervention of 1979.

Saur Revolution
Image: Cleric77 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Republic of Afghanistan (1973-1978)Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Saur Revolution. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saur-revolution
MLA
“Saur Revolution.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saur-revolution. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Saur Revolution.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saur-revolution.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Saur Revolution’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saur-revolution (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻