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1. AFGHANISTAN
Kidarite kingdom
The Kidarite kingdom was created either in the second half of the 4th century, or in the twenties of the 5th century. The only 4th century
evidence are gold coins discovered in Balkh dating from c. 380, where 'Kidara' is usually interpreted in a legend in the Bactrian language. Most
numismatic specialists favor this idea. All the other data we currently have on the Kidarite kingdom are from Chinese and Byzantine sources
from the middle of the 5th century. They may have risen to power during the 420s in Northern Afghanistan before moving into Peshawar and
beyond it into part of northwest India, then turning north to conquer Sogdiana in the 440s, before being cut from their Bactrian nomadic roots
by the rise of the Hephthalites in the 450s. Many small Kidarite kingdoms seems to have survived in northwest India up to the conquest by the
Hephthalites during the last quarter of the 5th century are known through their coinage. The Kidarites are the last dynasty to regard
themselves (on the legend of their coins) as the inheritors of the Kushan empire, which had disappeared as an independent entity two centuries
earlier.
List of Kings of the Kidarite Kingdom
Kidara I was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 320.
Kungas was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom during AD 330s.
Varhran I was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 340.
Grumbat (died AD 380) was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom from c. AD 358 until his death around AD 380. The Kidarite king Grumbat
mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus was a cause of much concern to the Persians. Between 353 AD and 358 AD, the Xionites under Grumbat
attacked in the eastern frontiers of Shapur II's empire along with other nomad tribes. After a prolonged struggle they were forced to conclude a
peace, and their king Grumbat accompanied Shapur II in the war against the Romans. Victories of the Xionites during their campaigns in the
Eastern Caspian lands are described by Ammianus Marcellinus: ...Grumbates Chionitarumrex novus aetate quidem media rugosisque membris
sed mente quadam grandifica multisque victoriarum insignibus nobilis, ...Grumbates, the new king of the Xionites, while he was middle aged,
and his limbs were wrinkled, he was endowed with a mind that acted grandly, and was famous for his many, significant victories. —Ammianus
Marcellinus, 18.6.22.
Kidara II was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 360. The southern or "Red" Kidarite vassals to the Kushans in the North-Western
Indus valley became known as Kermikhiones, Hara Hunaor "Red Huns" from 360 AD after Kidara II led a Bactrian portion of "Hunni" to
overthrow the Kushans in India.
Brahmi Buddhatal was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 370.
Varhran II was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 425.
Goboziko was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom around AD 450.
Salanavira was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom during AD 450s.
Vinayadity was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom in the late 5th century.
Kandik was the King of the Kidarite Kingdom in the early 6th century.
Hephthalite Empire
The Hephthalites (or Ephthalites), also known as the White Huns, were a nomadic confederation in Central Asia during thelate antiquity period.
The Hephthalite Empire, at the height of its power (in the first half of the 6th century), was located in the territories of present-
day Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, India andChina. The stronghold of the Hephthalite
power was Tokharistan on the northern slopes of the Hindukush, present-day northeastern Afghanistan. By 479, the Hephthalites had
conquered Sogdiana and driven the Kidarites westwards, and by 493 they had captured areas of present-day northwestern China (Dzungaria and
the Tarim Basin). By the end of the 5th century, the Hephthalites overthrew the Indian Gupta Empire to their southeast and conquered northern
and central India. But later they were defeated and driven out of India by the Indian kings Yasodharman and Narasimhagupta in the 6th
century. In Chinese chronicles, the Hephthalites are called Yanda or Ye-ti-i-li-do, while older Chinese sources of around AD 125 call
themHoa or Hoa-tun and describe them as a tribe living beyond the Great Wall in Dzungaria. Elsewhere they were called the "White Huns",
known to the Greeks as Ephthalite, Abdel or Avdel, to the Indians as Sveta Huna ("white Huns"), Chionite orTurushka, to the Armenians

2. as Haital, and to the Persians and Arabs as Haytal or Hayatila, while their Bactrian name is ηβοδαλο (Ebodalo). According to most specialist
scholars, the spoken language of the Hephthalites was an East Iranian language but different from the Bactrian language that was utilized as
the "official language" and minted on coins. They may be the eponymous ancestors of the modern Pashtun tribal union of the Abdali, the largest
tribal union in Afghanistan.
List of Rulers of the Hephthalite Empire
Khingila I (Firdowsi: Shengil, Alkhano: Khigi, Chinese: Cha-Li, died around AD 490) was a ruler of the Hephthalite
Empire from AD 430/440 until his death around AD 490, apparently of the Haital tribe (Chinese: 厌哒 or 嚈噠)
from Kushan a contemporary of Akhshunwar (fl. 484) in Khwarezm. "A great fog arose from the sea scaring people and
this was followed by countless number of vultures descending on the people." In response to the migration of
the Wusun (who were hard-pressed by the Rouran) from Zhetysu to the Pamir region (Chinese: 葱嶺), Khingila united
the Uar (Chinese: 滑) and theXionites (Chinese: 西戎) in 460AD, establishing the Hepthalite (Chinese: 厌带夷栗陁) dynasty.
According to the Syrian compilation of Church Historian Zacharias Rhetor, bishop of Mytilene, the need for new grazing land to replace that
lost to the Wusun led Khingila's "Uar-Chionites" to displace the Sabirs to the west, who in turn displaced the Saragur, Ugor and Onogur, who
then asked for an alliance and land from Byzantium.
Toramana (died around AD 515) was a ruler of the Hephthalite Empire who ruled its Indian region from around AD 490 until his dath
around AD 515. Toramana consolidated the Hephthalite power in Punjab (present-day Pakistan and northwestern India), and conquered
northern and central India including Eran in Madhya Pradesh. His territory also included Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthanand Kashmir. Toramana is
known from Rajatarangini, coins and inscriptions. In the Gwalior inscription, written in Sanskrit, Toramana is described as: A ruler of [the earth],
of great merit, who was renowned by the name of the glorious Tôramâna; by whom, through (his) heroism that was specially characterised by
truthfulness, the earth was governed with justice. In the Kura inscription, his name is mentioned as Rajadhiraja Maharaja Toramana Shahi
Jaula. The Eran Boar Image inscription of his first regnal year indicates that eastern Malwawas included in his dominion. A Jaina work of the
8th century, the Kuvalayamala states that he lived in Pavvaiya on the bank of the Chandrabhaga and enjoyed the sovereignty of the world. The
silver coins of Toramana closely followed the Gupta silver coins. The only difference in the obverse is that the king's head is turned to the left.
The reverse retains the fantailed peacock and the legend is almost similar, except the change of name to Toramana Deva. According to the
Risthal stone-slab inscription, discovered in 1983, theAulikara king Prakas hadharma of Malwa defeated him. Toramana was succeeded by his
son Mihirakula.
Mihirakula(Chinese: 大族王) was one of the most important Hephthalite emperors, whose empire was in the present-
day territories ofAfghanistan, Pakistan and northern and central India. Mihirakula was a son of Toramana who was a tegin
of the Indian part of the Hephthalite Empire. Mihirakula ruled his empire from around AD 515 until around AD 528. The
name "Mihirakula" is most likely of Iranian origin and may have the meaning "Mithra's Begotten", as translated by Janos
Harmatta. Cognates are also known from Sanskrit sources, though these are most likely borrowed from the neighbouring
East Iranian languages. The 6th-century Alexandrian traveler Cosmas Indicop leustes states that the Hephthalites in India
reached the zenith of its power under Mihirakula. "The Record of the Western Regions" by the 7th-century Chinese
traveler Hsüan-tsang describes Mihirakula as: He was of quick tallent and naturally brave. He subdued all the neighboring provinces without
exception. The Gwalior inscription issued in the 15th regnal year of Mihirakula shows his territory at least included Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh,
central India. Mihirakula suffered a defeat by the Aulikara king Yasodharman of Malwa in 528, and the Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta
Baladitya who previously paid Mihirakula tribute. According to Hsüan-tsang, Mihirakula was taken as prisoner, and later released, but
meanwhile the brother of Mihirakula had seized power over the Hephthalites. Mihirakula set off for Kashmir where the king received him with
honor. After a few years Mihirakula incited a revolt against the king of Kashmir and seized his power. Then he invaded Gandharalocated
westward, and killed many of its inhabitants and destroyed its Buddhist shrines. But Mihirakula died shortly afterwards. Mihirakula is
remembered in contemporary Indian and Chinese histories for his cruelty and his destruction of temples and monasteries, with particular
hostility towardsBuddhism. He claimed to be a worshipper of Shiva.
Napki Malka was a Hephthalite king of the 6th-7th century, and possibly the founder of a dynasty bearing the same
name. On his coins, his name appears in Pahlavi script as "npky MLK". He was ruling in the area of Gandhara (Peshawar),
Pakistan. His coins are rather numerous and characteristic of the Gandharan region, and though they display Zoroastrian
fire alters, have also been found inBuddhist stupas and monasteries in Taxila. His coins have also been found in
association with the Sasanian king Khusrau I in a hoard, suggesting possible contemporaneity. In 557, the Hephthalites
were crushed by a coalition of Turks led by a certain Sinbiju, or Sinzibul, and Sasanians, under their king Khusrau I. After
their defeat, their land was divided between the two victors along the line of the Oxus. Later, during the Arab invasions of
the 7th century, remaining communities of Hephthalites, under a certain Tarkhan Nezak, are said to have staunchly resisted the invaders. An
alternative reading of Napki Malka's name on his coins has been suggested by Harmatta, which would be Nycky MLK, Nycky being the usual
transcription of "Nezak" in Persian, thereby suggesting a possible identity between Napki Malka and Tarkhan Nezak, or the preservation of the
"Napki Malka" title down to the last Hephthalite rulers. A temple appears on the back of the coins of Napki Malka, and has been interpreted as a
depiction for the worship of Fire, a possible instance before the arrival of Islam. On his coins, Napki Malka wears a characteristic winged
headdress, surmounted by a bull's head.
Farighunids Dynasty
The Farighunids were an Iranian dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) in the late 9th, 10th and early 11th centuries.
List of Rulers of Farighunids Dynasty

3. Afrighun Farighun was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) in the late 9th century.
Aḥmad ibn Farighun was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) around 900. The first Farighunid
amir mentioned is Ahmad b. Farighun. Ahmad, together with the Banijurid Abu Dawud Muhammad b. Ahmad, was compelled to recognize
the Saffarid Amr bin Laith as his suzerain. Only a short time afterwards, Amr was defeated and captured by the Samanids; Ahmad transferred
his allegiance to them around this time. The Farighunids would remain Samanid vassals until the overthrow of the latter at the end of the 10th
century. Ahmad was succeeded by his son Abu'l Haret Muhammad expanded the influence of the Farighunids, collecting tribute from certain
parts of Ghor.
Abu l-Ḥareth Moḥammad was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) around 990. Abu'l Haret
Muhammad expanded the influence of the Farighunids, collecting tribute from certain parts of Ghor.
Abu l-Ḥareth Ahmad ibn Muhammad(died 1000) was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan)
from 990 until his death in 1000. Abu'l Haret died probably sometime after 982, and his son Abu'l Haret Ahmad was drawn into the conflicts
that took place within the Samanid amirate during its decline. He was ordered by his suzerain Nuh b. Mansur to attack the rebel Fa'iq, but was
defeated by him. The Farighunids developed marriage alliances with the Ghaznavids; Abu'l Haret's daughter had married Sebük Tigin's
son Mahmud, while Mahmud's sister had married Abu'l Haret's son Abu Nasr Muhammad. Abu'l Haret assisted Sebük Tigin's forces
at Herat against Fa'iq and the Simjurid Abu 'Ali, a battle in which the Ghaznavids and Farighunids were victorious. The Ghaznavids soon
afterwards supplanted the Samanids in Khurasan, and the Farighunids become Ghaznavid vassals. Abu'l Haret died in c. 1000 and Abu Nasr
Muhammad succeeded him.
Farighun ibn Muhammad was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) from 1000 until 1005.
Abū Naṣr Muhammad (died 1010-1011) was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) from 1005
until his death in 1010/1011. Abu Nasr enjoyed the confidence of Mahmud of Ghazna; in 1008 he fought in the center of the Ghaznavid line
against the Karakhanids outside Balkh and in the following year escorted Mahmud during his campaign in India. He also married off a
daughter to Mahmud's son Muhammad of Ghazna.
Hasan was a ruler of Farighunids Dynasty of Guzgan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) in 1011.
Badakhshan
Badakhshan was a state in present Afghanistan. Badakhshan (Pashto/Persian: ‫,ناشخدب‬ Chinese: 巴達克山, meaning "Badakh Mountains") is a
historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan
Province which is one of the thirty-fourprovinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor. Much
of historic Badakhshan lies within Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province located in the in south-eastern part of the country.
The music of Badakhshan is an important part of the region's cultural heritage.
List of rulers of Badakhshan
Shansabanids Dynasty
Fakhr al- Din Masud was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1145 until 1163.
Shams al -Din Muhammad was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1163 until 1192.
Baha al- Din Sam was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1192 until 1206.
Jalal al -Din Ali was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1206 until 1215.
The first Local dynasty
Ali Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan around 1291.
Dawlat Shah ibn Ali Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1291 until 1292.
Sultan Bakhtin was a ruler of Badakhshan in 1303.
Arghun Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1307 until 1311.
Ali Shah II was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1311 until 1318.
The second Local dynasty

4. Baha al- Din Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1344 until 1358.
Muhammad Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1358 until 1369.
Shaykh Ali was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1368 until 1369.
Bahramshah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1358 until 1374 or 1375.
Timurid Dynasty
Sultan Muhammad Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1450 until 1467. He was the last of a series of kings who
traced their descent to Alexander the Great. He was killed by Abu Sa'id Mirza the ruler of Timurid Empire and took
possession of Badakhshan, which after his death fell to his son, Sultan Mahmud.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Said Mirza was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1460 until 1480.
Abu Said ibn Sultan Mahmud was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1480 until 1495. He had three sons, Baysinghar Mirza, Ali Mirza and
Khan Mirza. When Mahmud died, Amir Khusroe Khan, one of his nobles, blinded Baysinghar Mirza, killed the second prince, and ruled as
usurper. He submitted to Mughal Emperor Babur in 1504.
Mahmud ibn Mas'ud was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1495 until 1497.
Baysunkur Mirza ibn Mahmud was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1497 until 1499. When Mahmud died, Amir Khusroe Khan, one of his
nobles, blinded Baysinghar Mirza, killed the second prince, and ruled as usurper.
Sultan Mahmud ibn Ali was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1499 until 1500.
Mubarek Muzaffar Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1505 until 1507.
Nasir Mirza Miran Shah was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1507 until 1520.
Uways Mirza Sultan ibn Sultan Mahmud was a ruler of Badakhshan 1507 until 1520.
Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Hindal Babur was a ruler of Badakhshan in 1529 and from 1546 until 1547 (also ruler in Kunduz from
1545 until 1550).
Mirzah Shah Sulayman ibn Sultan Uways (died 1589) was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1529 until 1546 and from 1547 until 1575.
After the death of Khan Mirza, Badakhshan was governed for Babur by Prince Humayun, Sultan Wais Khan (Mirza Sulaiman's father-in-law),
Prince Hindal, and lastly, by Mirza Sulaiman, who held Badakhshan till October 8, 1541, when he had to surrender himself and his son, Mirza
Ibrahim, to Prince Kamran Mirza. They were released by Emperor Humayun in 1545, and took again possession of Badakhshan. When
Humayun had taken Kabul, he made war upon and defeated Mirza Sulaiman who once in possession of his country, had refused to submit; but
when the return of Prince Kamran Mirza from Sindh obliged Emperor Humayun to go to Kabul, he reinstated Mirza Sulaiman, who held
Badakhshan till 1575. Bent on making conquests, he invaded Balkh in 1560, but had to return. His son, Mirza Ibrahim, was killed in battle.
When Akbar became Mughal Emperor, his stepbrother Mirza Muhammad Hakim's mother had been killed by Shah Abul Ma'ali. Mirza
Sulaiman went to Kabul, and had Abul Ma'ali hanged; he then had his own daughter married to Mirza Muhammad Hakim, and appointed
Umed Ali, a Badakhshan noble, as Mirza Muhammad Hakim's agent in 1563. But Mirza Muhammad Hakim did not go on well with Mirza
Sulaiman, who returned next year to Kabul with hostile intentions; but Mirza Muhammad Hakim fled and asked Akbar for assistance, so that
Mirza Sulaiman, though he had taken Jalalabad, had to return to Badakhshan. He returned to Kabul in 1566, when Akbar's troops had left that
country, but retreated on being promised tribute. Mirza Sulaiman's wife was Khurram Begum, of the Kipchak tribe. She was clever and had her
husband so much in her power, that he did nothing without her advice. Her enemy was Muhtarim Khanum, the widow of Prince Kamran Mirza.
Mirza Sulaiman wanted to marry her; but Khurram Begum got her married, against her will, to Mirza Ibrahim, by whom she had a son, Mirza
Shahrukh. When Mirza Ibrahim fell in the war with Balkh, Khurram Begum wanted to send the Khanum to her father, Shah Muhammad
of Kashgar; but she refused to go. As soon as Shahrukh had grown up, his mother and some Badakhshi nobles excited him to rebel against his
grandfather Mirza Sulaiman. This he did, alternately rebelling and again making peace. Khurram Begum then died. Shahrukh took away those
parts of Badakhshan which his father had held, and found so many adherents, that Mirza Sulaiman, pretending to go on a pilgrimage
to Makkah, left Badakhshan for Kabul, and crossing the Indus went to India in 1575 CE. Khan Jahan, governor of the Punjab, received orders
from Emperor Akbar to invade Badakhshan, but was suddenly ordered to go to Bengalinstead, as Mun'im Khan had died and Mirza Sulaiman
did not care for the governorship of Bengal, which Akbar had offered him. Mirza Sulaiman then went to Ismail II of Safavid Iran. When the
death of that monarch deprived him of the assistance which he had just received, he went to Muzaffar Husain Mirza at Kandahar, and then to
Mirza Muhammad Hakim at Kabul. Not succeeding in raising disturbances in Kabul, he made for the frontier of Badakhshan, and luckily
finding some adherents, he managed to get from his grandson the territory between Taiqan and the Hindu Kush. Soon after Muhtarim Khanum

5. died. Being again pressed by Shahrukh, Mirza Sulaiman applied for help to Abdullah Khan Uzbek, king of Turan, who had long wished to annex
Badakhshan. He invaded and took the country in 1584; Shahrukh fled to the Mughal Empire, and Mirza Sulaiman to Kabul. As he could not
recover Badakhshan for himself, and rendered destitute by the death of Mirza Muhammad Hakim, he followed the example of his grandson,
and repaired to the court of Akbar who made him a Commander of six thousand. He lived out his life at Akbar's court in Lahore where he died
in 1589.
Shah Rukh ibn Ibrahim was a ruler of Badakhshan from 1575 until 1584.
List of Rulers (Mirs) of Badakhshan
Yarid Dynasty
Mir Yari Beg Sahibzada was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1657 until 1708. Mir Yar Beg Sahibzada was a Central Asian ruler who, in
1651 became chief of the Tajik tribes in Yaftal, as they had invited him to come to them from Samarkand. However two years later his
dissatisfied subjects rebelled against him, built a fort at Lai Aba, and raised the Tajik Shah Imad as their chief. Mir Yar Beg then retired to the
court of Aurungzeb in India via Chitral. He was later invited to return to Yaftal, and did so, waging war against Shah Imad and defeating him.
Mir Yar Beg was then appointed chief of Badakhshan bySabhan Kuli Khan of Kunduz. Mir Yar Beg later failed to pay the required tribute to
Sabhan Kuli Khan, who then sent Mahmud Bi Atalik, chief of Balkh and Bokhara, against Mir Beg. Mir Beg, buckling under pressure, agreed to
pay tribute for two years. In 1695, the Sahibzadas (religious group) were conveying Islamic relics to India. They were set upon by Mir Yar Beg's
forces, and the relics carried away to Faizabad, where a shrine was erected. Mir Yar Beg died leaving behind ten sons and dividing the province
of Badakhshan among his nine sons. The eldest son Qazi Arab was settled in Chitral.
Sulaiman Shah was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1708 until 1713.
Yusuf Ali was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1713 until 1718.
Diya' ad-Din was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1718 until 1736.
Sulaiman Beg was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1736 until ?
Mirza Kalan I was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from ? until 1748.
Sultan Begwas a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1748 until 1765. In 1750, Mir Sultan Shah ruler of Badakhshan rebelled against Khizri Beg,
Governor of Balkh. After consulting Ahmad Shah Durrani, Khizri Beg marched against Sultan Shah and the Wazir Shah Wali aided the
invading column. The pickets of Badakhshan, Chief of Talakan, fled from their postal approach of enemy and men of Badakhshan disgusted
with their Chief because of his partiality to Kalmakand Kashghar foreigners waited on Wazir Shah Wali and hailed him as deliverer. Sultan
Shah finding resistance hopeless fled to Ailu Basit in hills between Chiab and Pasakoh. The Wazir Shah Wali returned with force
to Kabul leaving his country in charge of Afghan Governor. Sultan Shah returned slew the Governor and regained his country He was attacked
by another rival Turrah Baz Khan who supported by Khizri Beg advanced on Faizabad and besieged it. Sultan Shah was taken prisoner. Kunduz
Chief was unwilling to lose opportunity seized Turrah Baz Khan and sent both captives to Kunduz and annexed Badakhshan. In 1751 Sultan
Shah was restored to liberty and his country. He punished marauders of Saki tribe who had desolated Chiab, Takhta Band, Khalpan in
Badakhshan. He slew a large portion and 700 horses were taken Place was marked by 200 heads of raiders on Kotalof Khoja Jarghatu and Saki
gave no more trouble during Sultan Shah's lifetime This Chief built a fortress at Mashad in which he settled 600 families He made a rest house
for travelers at Daryun. In 1756 he made the Chinese recognize Akskal of Badakhshan at Alti inXinjiang and levied taxes from Badakhshan
families in city. In 1759 another enemy appeared led by Kabad Khan the Kataghans attacked Fayzabad, Badakhshan took and put to death
Sultan Shah and Turrah Baz Khan.
Burhan ad-Din was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1765 until ?
Mirza Kalan II was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan in the second half 18th century.
Ahmad Shah Khan was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan in the second half 18th century.
Mirza Kalan III was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan in the second half 18th century.
Zaman ad-Din was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from ? until 1792.
Mir Mohammed Shah was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1792 until 1822.
Mirza Kalan IV was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1822 until 1828.
Mirza Abd al-Ghaful was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1828 until 1829.
Murad Beg was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1829 until 1832.
Mirza Sulaiman was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1832 until 1838

6. Sultan Shah was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1838 until 1847 (jointly with Mir Shah Nizam ad-Din from 1844 until 1847).
Mir Shah Nizam ad-Din (died 1862) was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1944 until his death in 1862 (jointly with Sultan Shah from
1844 until 1847).
Ghahandar Shah was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan from 1862 until 1869. Jahandar Shah came to power through his close relations
with Muhammad Afzal Khan, who was Governor of Afghan Turkestan from 1852 until 1864. At one point Jahandar Shah raised forced in
Badakhshan and briefly took control of Kunduz in 1866-67. He was ousted from power in 1869 by Sardar FaizMuhammad Khan, an ally of Sher
Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan. Faiz Muhammad Khan appointed Jahandar Shah's nephew, Mizrab Shah, in power.
Mir Mizrab Shah was a ruler (Mir) of Badakhshan in 1869. He was installed in power by Faiz Muhammad Khan, but his reign lasted less
than a year. He was the nephew of Jahandar Shah.
Andkhui
Andhkui was a Khanate in present north Afghanistan.
List of Khans of Andkhui Khanate
Ali Mardan Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1730/31 until 1736.
Sulaiman Khan (from 1750 Mukhless Khan) was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1736 until 1790.
Rahmatullah Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1790 until 1812.
Yulduz Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1812 until 1830.
Abd'al Aziz Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1830 until 1835.
Shah Wali Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1835 until 1844.
Ghazanfar Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1844 until 1845, from 1845 until 1847 and from 1847 until 1869.
Sufi Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate in 1845 and in 1847.
Daulat Beg Khan was a Khan of Andkhui Khanate from 1869 until 1880.
Ghurian Khanate
Ghurian was a Khanate in present Afghanistan.
List of Khans of Ghurian Khanate
Yusef Ali Khan Qaraei-Torbati was a Khan of Ghurian Khanate from 1803 until 1813.
Sardar Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati (c.1790 - 1850) was a Khan of Ghurian Khanate fro 1813 until 1816.
Konduz (Qonduz)
Konduz (Qonduz) was a state in presenet Afghanistan.
List of Rulers of Konduz (Qonduz)
Beg Murad was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1647 until 1657.
Mahmud Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1657 until 1714.
Sohrab Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1740 until ?
Yusuf Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from ? until 1740.

7. Hazara Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1740 until 1753.
Mizrab Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1753 until 1780.
Kokan Biy was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1800 until 1815.
Murad Beg was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1815 until 1846.
Sultan Murad was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1846 until 1860.
Sultan Ali Murad Beg was a ruler of Konduz (Qonduz) from 1869 until 1888.
Shighnan
Shighnan was the region that occasionally was politically independent and at other times was subservient to Badakhshan, the Khanate of
Kokand, and Afghanistan. The seat of power of the Mir of Shighnan was at Qaleh Barpanjeh (‫عه‬‫ل‬ ‫ق‬ ‫نجه‬ ‫رپ‬ ‫.)ن‬ In 1883 the last Mir of
Shighnan, Yusuf Ali Khan, was ousted from power by the Afghan government and Shighnan became the Shighnan District in the
Afghan Province of Badakhshan. In the 1890s Afghanistan transferred control of half of Shighnan to Russia. This area became the Shughnon
District and today is a district in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan.
List of mirs of Shighnan
Shah Mir was a ruler (Mir) of Shighnan in 18th century.
Shah Wanji was a ruler (Mir) of Shighnan in late 18th century. He was son of Shah Mir. The name Wanji is derived from the fact that his
mother was from Vanj. Ney Elias reported seeing a marker stone dating from 1786 commemorating a canal built by Shah Wanji.
Kuliad Khan was a ruler (Mir) of Shighnan in the first half 19th century. He was son of Wanji.
Abdur Rahim was a ruler (Mir) of Shighnan in the first half 19th century, He was grandson of Shah Wanji.
Yusuf Ali Khan was a ruler (Mir) of Shighnan in the second half 19th century. He was on of Abdur Rahim. He was dethroned by the Afghan
military in 1883 and imprisoned in Kabul.
Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul)
Sar- i - Pol, also spelled Sari Pul (Persian: ‫,)لرپس‬ was the small state in Afghanistan, located in the north of the country.
List of Rulers (title Beglarbegis) of Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul)
Zu'l-Faqar Sher Khan was a ruler of Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul) from 1800 until 1840.
Mahmud Khan was a ruler of Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul) from 1840 until 1851.
Qilij Khan was a ruler of Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul) from 1851 until 1862.
Muhammad Khan was a ruler of Sar-i-Pol (Sar-i-Pul) from 1862 until 1864 and from 1866 until 1875.
Khulm (Kholm)
Khulm (Kholm) was a state in present Afghanistan.
List of Rulers of Khulm (Kholm)
Qilij Ali Beg Khan was a ruler of Khulm (Kholm) from 1800 until 1817.

8. Muhammad Amin Beg was a ruler of Khulm (Kholm) from 1817 until 1849.
Maymana Khanate
Maymana was the independent Uzbek khanate in northern Afghanistan. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Maymana was the centre of an
independent Uzbek khanate and an important centre for commerce, as well as being the gateway to Turkistan from Herat and Persia. In 1876
the city fell to the Afghans and was put in ruins, and only ten percent of the population was left.
List of Governors of Maymana Khanate
Haji Khan was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1747 until ?
Ghan was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from ? until 1790.
Ahmad was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1790 until 1810.
Allah Yar was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1810 until 1826.
Mizrab was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1826 until 1845.
Hikmat was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1845 until 1853.
Husain Kahn was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1853 until 1876 and from 1883 until ?
Dilwar Khan was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from 1879 until 1883.
Kemal Khan was the Governor of Maymana Khanate from ? until around 1900.
Herat
Herat was a city – state situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum
Desert in Turkmenistan. In 1717, the city was captured by the Hotaki dynasty until they were defeated by the Afsharids in 1736. From 1725 to
1736 Herat was controlled by the Hotaki Pashtuns until King Nader Shah's of Persia retook the city and destroyed the Hotakis for good. After
Nader Shah's death in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani took possession of the city and became part of the Durrani Empire. Ahmad Shah Durrani's
father, Zaman Khan, was the governor of Herat province before the Ghilzai's conquer of the region. Zaman Khan and several of his family
members were killed while his son Ahmad Khan (Durrani) and Zulfiqar Khan were taken as prisoners to Kandahar in the south. In 1816 the
Persians captured the city but abandoned it shortly after. Two years later a second Persian campaign against the city was defeated at the Battle
of Kafir Qala. In 1824, Herat became independent for several years when the Afghan empire was split between the Durranis and
the Barakzais. Qajarsof Persia tried to take city from the Durranis in 1838 and again in 1856; both times the British helped to repel the Persians,
the second time through the Anglo-Persian War. The city fell to Dost Mohammad Khan of the Barakzai dynasty in 1863. Most of the Musallah
complex in Herat was cleared in 1885 by the British army to get a good line of sight for their artillery against Russian invaders who never came.
This was but one small sidetrack in the Great Game, a century-long conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empirein 19th century.
List of Rulers of Herat
Kamran Shah was the King of Herat from 1826 until March 1842 and King of Kandahar (Qandahar)from 1804 until 1805.
Yar Mohammad Khan Alikozay was Chief Minister (Wazir) of Herat from 1828/1829 until 1842 and Minister – Regent of Herat from
March 1842 until June 1, 1851.
Sayyed Mohammad Khan Alikozay was the Minister – Regent of Herat from June 1, 1851 until September 15, 1855.
Mohammad Yusuf Khan Mohammadzay was the Regent of Herat from September 15, 1855 until June 1856.
Isa Khan Bardorani was the Minister – Regent of Herat from June until October 1856.
Soltan Ahmad Khan (died May 26 1863) Sultan Jan, also known as Sultan Ahmed Khan was the Emir of Herat Emirate from July 27, 1857
until his death on May 26, 1863. He was installed by the Persians, as they evacuated Herat on March 4, 1857 in accordance with the Treaty of
Paris. Sultan Jan captured Farah soon after, but it was recaptured by Dost Mohammad Khan, who then went on to lay siege to Herat. During the
10-month siege Sultan Jan died, and at the conclusion of the siege Herat returned to Afghan control.
List of Chief Ministers (Wazirs) of Herat

9. Fateh Khan Barakzai was Chief Minister (Wazir) of Herat from 1801 until 1808.
Ata Mohammad Khan was Chief Minister (Wazir) of Herat from 1818 until 1828/1829.
Sheberghān (Shaburghān)
Sheberghān or Shaburghān (Pastho, Persian: ‫,)خنرردب‬ also spelled Shebirghan and Shibarghan was the small state in northern Afghanistan.
List of Rulers (Hakims) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān)
Izbasarwas a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1747 until 1757.
Daulat Khan was a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1757 until 1800.
Erich Khan was a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1800until 1820.
Manwar Khan was a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1820until 1829.
Rustam Khan (from 1846 Husain Khan) was a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1829until 1851and from 1859 until 1875.
Hakim Khan was a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1851until 1855.
Nizam al Daulawas a ruler (Hakim) of Sheberghān (Shaburghān) from 1851 until 1855.
Sardar Wali Muhammad Khan Barakzai was the Afghan military governor of Sheberghān(Shaburghān) from 1855 until 1859.
Kandahar(Qandahar)
Kandahar or Qandahar (Pashto: ‫کندهار‬ Kandahār, Persian: ‫در‬‫ه‬‫نا‬ ‫ق‬ Qandahār, known in older literature as Candahar was the city – state in
Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah Durrani, chief of the Durrani tribe, gained control of Kandahar and made it the capital of his new Afghan Empire in
October 1747. Previously, Ahmad Shah served as a military commander of Nader Shah Afshar. His empire included present-day
Afghanistan, Pakistan, theKhorasan and Kohistan provinces of Iran, along with Punjab in India. In October 1772, Ahmad Shah retired and died
from a natural cause. A new city was laid out by Ahmad Shah and is dominated by his mausoleum, which is adjacent to the Mosque of the
Cloak in the center of the city. By 1776, his eldest son Timur Shah had transferred Afghanistan's main capital from Kandahar to Kabul, where
the Durranilegacy continued. In September 1826, Syed Ahmad Shaheed's followers arrived to Kandahar in search of volunteers to help them
wage jihad against the Sikh invaders to what is now Pakistan. Led by Ranjit Singh, the Sikhs had captured several of Afghanistan's territories in
the east, including what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir. More than 400 local Kandahar warriors assembled themselves for the jihad.
Sayed Din Mohammad Kandharai was appointed as their leader. British-led Indian forces from neighboring British India invaded the city in
1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War, but withdrew in 1842. The British and Indian forces returned in 1878 during the Second Anglo-
Afghan War. They emerged from the city in July 1880 to confront the forces of Ayub Khan, but were defeated at the Battle of Maiwand. They
were again forced to withdraw a few years later, despite winning the Battle of Kandahar.
List of Kings/Regents of Kandahar (Qandahar)
Solayman Shah was the King of Kandahar (Qandahar) in 1772.
Homayun Shah was the King of Kandahar (Qandahar) from May 18 until June 19, 1793.
Shirdil Khan Mohammadzay was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from 1819 until 1826.
Purdil Khan Mohammadzay was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from 1826 until 1839.
Shoja` al-Molk Shah was the King of Kandahar (Qandahar) from April 1839 until April 5, 1842.
Safdar Jang Khan Saddozay was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) in 1842.
Kohandil Khan Mohammadzay (died 1855) was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from 1842 until his death in August 1855.
Mohammad Sadeq Khan Mohammadzay was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from August until November 1855.
Gholam Haydar Khan Mohammaday (died July 1858) was regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from November 1855 until his death in
July 1858.

10. List of Emirs of Kandahar (Qandahar)
Mohammad Amin Khan (died 1865) was the Emir of Kandahar (Qandahar) from 1863 until his death in 1865.
Mohammad Afzal Khan was the Emir of Kandahar (Qandahar) from January until October 7, 1867.
Mohammad A`zam Khan was the Emir of Kandahar (Qandahar) from October 7, 1867 until April 1868.
Shir `Ali Khan Barakzay was the Minister – Regent of Kandahar (Qandahar) from 1880 until April 21, 1881.
Ghazni
Ghazni (Pashto/Persian: ‫ی‬ ‫غزن‬ - Ġaznī; historically known as ‫ین‬ ‫غزن‬ / Ġaznīn and ‫ه‬ ‫غزن‬ / Ġazna) was Emirate in Afghanistan.
Emir of Ghazni
Musa Jan Khan was the Emir of Ghazni from December 24, 1879 until April 21, 1880.
Hotaki dynasty
The Hotak dynasty or the Hotaki dynasty was an Afghan monarchy of the Ghilji Pashtuns, established in April 1709 by Mirwais Hotak after
leading a successful revolution against their declining Persian Safavids overlords inKandahar. It lasted until 1738 when the founder of
the Afsharid dynasty, Nader Shah Afshar, defeated Hussain Hotak during the long siege of Kandahar, and started the reestablishment of Iranian
suzerainty over all regions lost decades before against the Iranian arch rival, the Ottomans, and the Russians. At its peak, the Hotak dynasty
ruled very briefly over an area which is now Afghanistan, western Pakistan, and large parts of Iran. In 1715, Mirwais died of a natural cause and
his brother Abdul Aziz succeeded the monarchy. He was quickly followed by Mahmud who ruled the empire at its largest extent for a mere
three years. Following the 1729 Battle of Damghan, where Mahmud was roundly defeated by Ashraf Hotak, Mahmud was banished to what is
now southern Afghanistan. Hussain Hotak became the last ruler until he was also defeated in 1738.
List of Rulers of Hotaki Dynasty
Mir Wais Khan Hotak, also known as Mir Vais Ghilzai (1673 – November 1715), was an influential tribal chief of
the Ghilzai Pashtuns from Kandahar, Afghanistan, who founded the Hotaki dynasty that ruled a wide area
in Persia and Afghanistan and ruled from 1709 until his death in November 1715. After revolting and killing Gurgin
Khan in April 1709, he then twice defeated the powerful Safavid Persian armies in southern Afghanistan. He is widely
known as Mirwais Neeka ("Mirwais the grandfather" in the Pashto language). Mirwais Hotak was born in a well-known,
rich and political family in the Kandahar area. His family had long been involved in social and community services.
He was the son of Salim Khan and Nazo Tokhi (also known as "Nazo Anaa"), grandson of Karum Khan, and great-
grandson of Ismail Khan, a descendant of Malikyar, the ancient head of Hottaki or Hotaks. The Hottaki is a strong
branch ofGhilzai, one of the main tribes among the Pashtun people. Hajji Amanullah Hottak reports in his book that
the Ghilzai tribe is the original residents of Ghor or Gherj. This tribe migrated later to obtain lands in southeastern
Afghanistan and multiplied in these areas. Mirwais was married to Khanzada Sadozai, who belonged to the
rival Abdali tribe of Pashtuns. In 1707, Kandahar was in a state of chaos, fought over by the Shi'a Persian Safavids and the Sunni Moghuls of
India. Mirwais Khan, a Sunni tribal chief whose influence with his fellow-countrymen made him an object of suspicion, was held as a political
prisoner byGurgin Khan and sent to the Safavid court at Isfahan. He was later freed and even allowed to meet with the Shah, Sultan Husayn, on
a regular basis. Having ingratiated himself with the Persian Court, Mirwais sought and obtained permission to perform the pilgrimage
toMecca in Ottoman empire (after which he was known as Hajji). He has studied carefully all the military weaknesses of the Safavids while he
spent time there in their court. While in Mecca, he sought from the leading authorities a fatwa against the Shia foreign rulers who were
persecuting his people in his homeland. The Pashtun tribes rankled under the ruling Safavids because of their continued attempts to forcefully
convert them from Sunni to Shia Islam. The fatwa was granted and he carried it with him to Iṣfahan and subsequently to Kandahar, with
permission to return and strong recommendations to Gurgin Khan. In 1709 he began organizing his countrymen for a major uprising, and in
April 1709, when a large part of the Persian garrison was on an expedition outside the city, he and his followers fell on the remainder and killed
the greater number of them, including Gurgin Khan. After Gurgin Khan and his escort were killed, the Hotaki soldiers took control of the city
and then the province. Mirwais entered Kandahar and made an important speech to its dwellers. "If there are any amongst you, who have not
the courage to enjoy this precious gift of liberty now dropped down to you fromHeaven, let him declare himself; no harm shall be done to him:
he shall be permitted to go in search of some new tyrant beyond the frontier of this happy state." — Mirwais Hotak, April 1709.Mirwais and his
forces then defeated a large Persian army that was sent to regain control over the area. Several half-hearted attempts to subdue the rebellious
city having failed, the Persian Government despatched Khusraw Khán, nephew of the late Gurgín Khán, with an army of 30,000 men to effect
its subjugation, but in spite of an initial success, which led the Afgháns to offer to surrender on terms, his uncompromising attitude impelled
them to make a fresh desperate effort, resulting in the complete defeat of the Persian army (of whom only some 700 escaped) and the death of
their general. Two years later, in A.D. 1713, another Persian army commanded by Rustam Khán was also defeated by the rebels, who thus
secured possession of the wholeprovince of Qandahár.— Edward G. Browne, 1924. Mirwais Khan became the Governor of the Greater Kandahar
region, which covered most of present-day southwestern Afghanistan and part of Balochistan, Pakistan. To the northwest was
the Abdali Pashtuns and to the east began the Moghul Empire. Refusing the title of a king, Mirwais was referred to as "Prince of Qandahár

11. and General of the national troops" by his Afghan countrymen. Mirwais remained in power until his death in November 1715 and was
succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was later killed by Mirwais' son Mahmud, allegedly for planning to give Kandahar's sovereignty back
to Persia. In 1717, Mahmud took advantage of the political weakness of the Persian Shah (Sultan Husayn) and conquered Persia. Mirwais is
buried at his mausoleum in the Kokaran section of Kandahar, which is in the western end of the city. He is regarded as one of Afghanistan's
greatest national heroes and admired by many Afghans, especially the Pashtuns. Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan's George
Washington in his 2004 book Afghanistan. There is a neighborhood called Mirwais Mina as well as a hospital called Mirwais Hospital, a high
school and a business center named after him in Kandahar. Not only in Kandahar but there are also schools and other institutions or places
across Afghanistan built to honor him. A few direct descendants of Mirwais are living today among the Hotak tribe.
Abdul Aziz Hotak (died 1717) (Pashto: ‫نا‬ ‫ع‬ ‫عزی‬ ‫زال‬ ‫,)کتوہ‬ was the second ruler of the Ghilzai Hotaki dynasty of Kandahar, in what is now the
modern state of Afghanistan. He was crowned in 1715 after the death of his brother, Mirwais Hotak until his death in 1717. He is the father
of Ashraf Hotaki, the fourth ruler of the Hotaki dynasty. Abdul Aziz was killed in 1717 by his nephew Mahmud Hotaki.Abdul Aziz was born in a
well known, rich and political family in the Kandahar area. His family was involved in social and community services since long ago. He was
the son of Salim Khan and Nazo Tokhi (also known as "Nazo Anaa"), grandson of Karum Khan and great grandson of Ismail Khan, a descendant
of Malikyar, the ancient head of Hottaki or Hotaks. The Hottaki is a strong branch ofGhilzai, one of the main tribes among the Pashtun people.
Hajji Amanullah Hottak reports in his book that the Ghilzai tribe is the original residents of Ghor or Gherj. This tribe migrated later to obtain
lands in southeastern Afghanistan and multiplied in these areas. In 1707, Kandahar was in a state of chaos due to it being fought for control by
the Shi'a Persian Safavids and the Sunni Moghuls of India. Mirwais Khan, a Sunni tribal chief whose influence with his fellow-countrymen made
him an object of suspicion, was held as a political prisoner by Gurgin Khan and sent to the Safavids court at Isfahan (now Iran). He was later
freed there and even allowed to meet with the Shah, Sultan Husayn, on a regular bases. Having sown this seed of false trust and having
completely ingratiated himself with the Persian Court, Mirwais sought and obtained permission to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca in Ottoman
empire. He has studied carefully all the military weaknesses of the Safavids while he spent time there in their court. It was in 1709 when
Mirwais and Abdul Aziz began organizing his countrymen for a major uprising, and when a large part of the Persian garrison was on an
expedition outside the city, followers of Mirwais and Abdul Aziz fell on the remainder and killed the greater number of them, including Gurgin
Khan. The Pashtun tribes rankled under the ruling Safavids because of their continued attempts to forcefully convert them from Sunni to Shia
Islam. After Gurgin Khan and his escort were killed during a picnic in April 1709, the Hotaki tribe took control of the city and the province. The
Pashtun rebels then defeated a large Qizilbash and Persian army, sent to regain control over the area. Several half-hearted attempts to subdue
the rebellious city having failed, the Persian Government despatched Khusraw Khán, nephew of the late Gurgín Khán, with an army of 30,000
men to effect its subjugation, but in spite of an initial success, which led the Afgháns to offer to surrender on terms, his uncompromising
attitude impelled them to make a fresh desperate effort, resulting in the complete defeat of the Persian army (of whom only some 700 escaped)
and the death of their general. Two years later, in. 1713, another Persian army commanded by Rustam Khán was also defeated by the rebels,
who thus secured possession of the whole province of Qandahár. — Edward G. Browne, 1924. Abdul Aziz wanted to make a peace treaty with the
Persians but his country men were opposed to this idea so they forced Mahmud Hotaki to murder him in 1717. In the same year, Mahmud took
advantage of the political weakness of the Persian Shah Husayn and invaded Persia. Abdul Aziz is buried at a mausoleum next to his brother in
the Kokaran section of Kandahar City in Afghanistan.
Mahmud Hotaki, (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫محمود‬ ‫کی‬ ‫وت‬‫,)ہ‬ also known as Mahmud Ghilzai (1697? — April 22,
1725), was an Afghan ruler of the Hotaki dynasty who defeated and overthrew the Safavid dynasty to become the king of
Persia from 1722 until his death in 1725. He was the eldest son of Mirwais Hotak, the chief of the Ghilzai-Pashtun tribe
of Afghanistan, who had made the Kandahar region independent from Persian rule in 1709. When Mirwais died in 1715,
he was succeeded by his brother, Abdul Aziz, but the Ghilzai Afghans persuaded Mahmud to seize power for himself and
in 1717 he overthrew and killed his uncle. In 1720, Mahmud and the Ghilzais defeated the rival ethnic Afghan tribe of
the Abdalis. However, Mahmud had designs on the Persian empire itself. He had already launched an expedition
against Kerman in 1719 and in 1721 he besieged the city again. Failing in this attempt and in another siege on Yazd, in
early 1722, Mahmud turned his attention to the shah's capital Isfahan, after first defeating the Persians at the Battle of
Gulnabad. Rather than biding his time within the city and resisting a siege in which the small Afghan army was unlikely
to succeed, Sultan Husayn marched out to meet Mahmud's force at Golnabad. Here, on March 8, the Persian royal army was thoroughly routed
and fled back to Isfahan in disarray. The shah was urged to escape to the provinces to raise more troops but he decided to remain in the capital
which was now encircled by the Afghans. Mahmud's siege of Isfahan lasted from March to October, 1722. Lacking artillery, he was forced to
resort to a long blockade in the hope of starving the Persians into submission. Sultan Husayn's command during the siege displayed his
customary lack of decisiveness and the loyalty of his provincial governors wavered in the face of such incompetence. Starvation and disease
finally forced Isfahan into submission (it is estimated that 80,000 of its inhabitants died during the siege). On October 23, Sultan
Husayn abdicated and acknowledged Mahmud as the new shah of Persia. In the early days of his rule, Mahmud displayed benevolence, treating
the captured royal family well and bringing in food supplies to the starving capital. But he was confronted with a rival claimant to the throne
when Hosein's son, Tahmasp declared himself shah in November. Mahmud sent an army against Tahmasp's base, Qazvin. Tahmasp escaped and
the Afghans took the city but, shocked at the treatment they received at the hands of the conquering army, the population rose up against them
in January 1723. The revolt was a success and Mahmud was worried about the reaction when the surviving Afghans returned to Isfahan to bring
news of the defeat. Fearing a revolt by his subjects, Mahmud invited his Persian ministers and nobles to a meeting under false pretences and had
them slaughtered. He also executed up to 3,000 of the Persian royal guards. At the same time, theOttomans and the Russians took advantage of
the chaos in Persia to seize land for themselves, limiting the amount of territory under Mahmud's control. His failure to impose his rule across
Persia made Mahmud depressed and suspicious. He was also concerned about the loyalty of his own men, since many Afghans preferred his
cousin Ashraf Khan. In February 1725, believing a rumour that one of Sultan Husayn's sons, Safi Mirza, had escaped, Mahmud ordered the
execution of all the other Safavid princes who were in his hands, with the exception of Sultan Husayn himself. When Sultan Husayn tried to
stop the massacre, he was wounded, but his action led to Mahmud sparing the lives of two of his young children. Mahmud began to succumb to
insanity as well as physical deterioration. On April 22, 1725, a group of Afghan officers freed Ashraf Khan from the prison where he had been
confined by Mahmud and launched a palace revolution which placed Ashraf on the throne. Mahmud died three days later, either from his
illness – at it was claimed at the time – or murder by suffocation. ...Thereafter his disorder rapidly increased, until he himself was murdered on
April 22 by his cousin Ashraf, who was thereupon proclaimed king. Mír Maḥmúd was at the time of his death only twenty-seven years of age,
and is described as "middle-sized and clumsy; his neck was so short that his head seemed to grow to his shoulders; he had a broad face and flat
nose, and his beard was thin and of a red colour; his looks were wild and his countenance austere and disagreeable; his eyes, which were blue
and a little squinting, were generally downcast, like a man absorbed in deep thought." — Edward G. Browne, 1924.

12. Ashraf Hotaki, (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫شرف‬ ‫أ‬ ‫کی‬ ‫وت‬‫,)ہ‬ also known as Ashraf Ghilzai (died 1730) was the
fourth ruler of the Hotaki dynasty from 1725 until October 1729. He was son of Abdul Aziz Hotak An Afghan from
the Ghilzai Pashtuns, he served as a commander in the army of Shah Mahmud during their conquest of the Persia Empire.
Ashraf participated in the Battle of Gulnabad against the Persians and became victorious. In 1725, he succeeded to the
throne (Shah of Persia) after the death of his cousin Mahmud. The nephew of Mirwais Hotak, his reign was noted for the
sudden decline in the Hotaki Afghan Empire under increasing pressure fromTurkish, Russian, and Persian forces. Ashraf
Khan halted both the Russian and Turkish onslaughts. He defeated the Ottoman Empire in a battle near Kermanshah, after
the enemy had come close to Isfahan. This led to peace negotiations with the Sublime Porte, which were briefly disrupted
after Ashraf's ambassador insisted his master should be Caliph of the East and the Ottoman Sultan Caliph of the West. This
caused great umbrage to the Ottomans, but a peace agreement was finally signed at Hamadan in the autumn of 1727. Ultimately, though it was
a little-known Afsharid Turkmen rebel, Nader Shah, who defeated Ashraf's Ghilzai forces at the Battle of Damghan in October 1729, driving
them back to what is now Afghanistan. During the retreat, Ashraf is believed to have been captured and murdered by Baloch bandits in 1730.
This was probably a retaliation for killing Mahmud, and was ordered by Hussain Hotaki who was ruling from Kandahar at the time.Ashraf,
having taken Yazd and Kirmán, marched into Khurásán with an army of thirty thousand men to give battle to Ṭahmásp, but he was completely
defeated by Nádir on October 2 at Dámghán. Another decisive battle was fought in the following year at Múrchakhúr near Iṣfahán. The
Afgháns were again defeated and evacuated Iṣfahán to the number of twelve thousand men, but, before quitting the city he had ruined, Ashraf
murdered the unfortunate ex-Shah Husayn, and carried off most of the ladies of the royal family and the King's treasure. When Ṭahmásp
II entered Iṣfahán on December 9 he found only his old mother, who had escaped deportation by disguising herself as a servant, and was moved
to tears at the desolation and desecration which met his eyes at every turn. Nádir, having finally induced Ṭahmásp to empower him to levy taxes
on his own authority, marched southwards in pursuit of the retiring Afgháns, whom he overtook and again defeated near Persepolis. Ashraf fled
from Shíráztowards his own country, but cold, hunger and the unrelenting hostility of the inhabitants of the regions which he had to traverse
dissipated his forces and compelled him to abandon his captives and his treasure, and he was finally killed by a party of Balúch tribesmen.—
Edward G. Browne, 1924. Ashraf Khan's death marked the end of Hotaki rule in Persia, but the country of Afghanistan was still under
Shah Hussain Hotaki's control until Nader Shah's 1738 conquest of Kandahar where the young Ahmad Shah Durrani was held prisoner. It was
only a short pause before the establishment of the last Afghan Empire (modern state of Afghanistan) by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747.
Hussain Hotaki,(Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫ین‬ ‫س‬ ‫ح‬ ‫کی‬ ‫وت‬‫,ہ‬ died 1738) was the fifth and final ruler of the Hotaki
dynasty from 1725 until his death in 1738. He was son son of Mirwais Hotak. An ethnic Pashtun (Afghan) from
the Ghilzai tribe, he succeeded to the throne after the death of his brother Mahmud Hotaki in 1725. While his
cousin Ashraf ruled Greater Persia from Isfahan, Hussain ruled the Afghanistan region from Kandahar. Ashraf Khan's death
marked the end of the Hotaki rule in Persia (Iran), but the country of Afghanistan was still under Hussain' control until 1738
when Nader Shah conquered it. It was only a short pause before the establishment of the last Afghan Empire (the
modernstate of Afghanistan) in 1747.
Durrani Empire
The Durrani Empire (Pashto: ‫ا‬ ‫ت‬ ‫یدن‬ ‫اران‬ ‫,تامکنو‬ also referred to as the Last Afghan Empire) was founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani with its
capital at Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Durrani Empire encompassed present-day Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, eastern Turkmenistan (around
the Panjdeh oasis), the Kashmir region, the modern state of Pakistan and northwestern India. With the support of various tribal leaders, Ahmad
Shah Durrani extended Afghan control from Mashhad in the west to Kashmir and Delhi in the east, and from the Amu Darya in the north to
the Arabian Sea in the south. In the second half of the 18th century, after the Ottoman Empire the Durrani Empire was the second-largest
Muslim empire in the world. The Afghan army began their conquests by capturing Ghazni and Kabul from the local rulers. In 1749
the Mughal ruler ceded sovereignty over what is now Pakistan and northwestern India to the Afghans. Ahmad Shah then set out westward to
take possession of Herat, which was ruled by Shahrukh Afshar. He next sent an army to subdue the areas north of the Hindu Kushand in short
order all the different tribes began joining his cause. Ahmad Shah and his forces invaded India four times, taking control of the Kashmir and
the Punjab region. Early in 1757, he sacked Delhi, but permitted the Mughal dynasty to remain in nominal control as long as the ruler
acknowledged Ahmad Shah's suzerainty over the Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir. After the death of Ahmad Shah in about 1772, his son Timur
Shah became the next ruler of the Durrani dynasty who decided to make Kabul the new capital of the empire, and used Peshawar as the winter
capital. The Durrani Empire is considered the foundation of the modern state of Afghanistan, with Ahmad Shah Durrani being credited as
"Father of the Nation".
List of Rulers of Durrani Empire
Ahmad Shah Durrani (c. 1722–1773) (Pashto/Persian: ‫احکا‬ ‫خده‬ ‫,)اراند‬ also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī
(Pashto/Persian: ‫احکا‬ ‫خده‬ ‫و‬ ‫اال‬ ‫)ان‬ and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire (Afghan Empire) in
1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan and ruled until his death in 1773.
Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose to become
a commander of four thousand Abdali Pashtun soldiers. After the death of Nader Shah Afshar of Persia in June 1747,
Abdali became the Emir of Khorasan. Rallying his Pashtun tribes and allies, he pushed east towards the Mughal and
the Maratha Empire of India as well as west towards the disintegrating Afsharid Empire of Persia and north toward
the Khanate of Bukhara. Within a few years he had conquered all of today's Afghanistan and Pakistan, including much of
northeastern Iran and the Punjab region in the Indian subcontinent. He decisively defeated the Marathas at the 1761
Battle of Panipat which was fought north of Delhi in India. After his natural death in 1772-73, his son Timur Shah took control of the empire.
Ahmad Shah's mausoleum is located at Kandahar, Afghanistan, adjacent to the famous Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammed in the
center of the city. The Afghans often refer to him as Ahmad Shah Bābā (Ahmad Shah the "Father"). Durrani was born as Ahmad Khan between
1722 and 1723 in either Multan, Mughal India, or the city of Herat in modern-day Afghanistan. Some claim that he was born in Multan (now in
Pakistan) and taken as an infant with his mother (Zarghuna Alakozai) to the city of Herat where his father had served as the governor. On the
contrary, several historians assert that he was born in Herat. One of the historians relied on primary sources such as Mahmud-ul-
Musanna's Tarikh-i-Ahmad Shahi of 1753 and Imam-uddin al-Hussaini's Tarikh-i-Hussain Shahi of 1798. Durrani's father, Mohammed Zaman

13. Khan, was chief of the Abdalis Pashtuns. He was killed in a battle with the Hotakis between 1722 and 1723, around the time of Ahmad Khan's
birth. His family were from the Sadozai section of the Popalzai clan of the Abdalis. In 1729, after the invasion ofNader Shah, the young Ahmad
Khan fled with his family south to Kandahar and took refuge with the Ghilzais. He and his brother, Zulfikar, were later imprisoned inside a
fortress by Hussain Hotaki, the Ghilzai ruler of southern Afghanistan. Shah Hussain commanded a powerful tribe of Pashtun fighters, having
conquered the eastern part of Persia in 1722 with his brother Mahmud, and trodden the throne of the Persian Safavids. In around 1731, Nader
Shah Afshar, the rising new ruler of Persia, began enlisting the Abdali Pashtuns from Herat in his army. After conquering Kandahar in 1738,
Ahmad Khan and his brother were freed by Nader Shah and provided with leading careers in his administration. The Ghilzais were pushed
eastward while the Abdalis began to re-settle in and around the city of Kandahar. Nader Shah favored Abdali not only because he came from a
well respected noble Afghan family but also due to his handsome features as well as both being Khorasanians. Ahmad Khan proved himself in
Nader Shah's service and was promoted from a personal attendant (yasāwal) to command a cavalry of Abdali tribesmen. He quickly rose to
command a cavalry contingent estimated at four thousand strong, composed chiefly of Abdalis, in the service of the Shah on hisinvasion of
India.Popular history has it that the brilliant but megalomaniac Nader Shah could see the talent in his young commander. Later on, according
to Pashtun legend, it is said that in Delhi Nader Shah summoned Ahmad Shah, and said, "Come forward Ahmad Abdali. Remember Ahmad
Khan Abdali, that after me the Kingship will pass on to you. "Nader Shah used to say in admiration that he had not met in Iran, Turan, and
Hindustan any man of such laudable talents as Ahmad Abdali possessed." Nader Shah's rule abruptly ended in June 1747 when he was
assassinated by his own guards. The guards involved in the assassination did so secretly so as to prevent the Abdalis from coming to their King's
rescue. However, Ahmad Khan was told that Nader Shah had been killed by one of his wives. Despite the danger of being attacked, the Abdali
contingent led by Ahmad Khan rushed either to save Nader Shah or to confirm what happened. Upon reaching the King's tent, they were only
to see Nader Shah's body and severed head. Having served him so loyally, the Abdalis wept at having failed their leader, and headed back to
Kandahar. On their way back to Kandahar, the Abdalis had decided that Ahmad Khan would be their new leader, and already began calling him
asAhmad Shah. After the capture of Qandahar, Nadir Shah sent him to Mazandaran where the young Pashtun became governor. At the time of
Nadir's death, he commanded a contingent of Abdali Pashtuns. Realizing that his life was in jeopardy if he stayed among the Persians who had
murdered Nadir Shah, he decided to leave the Persian camp, and with his 4,000 troops he proceeded to Qandahar. Along the way and by sheer
luck, they managed to capture a caravan with booty from India. He and his troops were rich; moreover, they were experienced fighters. In short,
they formed a formidable force of young Pashtun soldiers who were loyal to their high-ranking leader. In October 1747, the chiefs of the Abdali
tribes met near Kandahar for a Loya Jirga to choose a leader. For nine days serious discussions were held among the candidates in the Argah.
Ahmad Shah kept silent by not campaigning for himself. At last Sabir Shah, a religious figure from the area, came out of his sanctuary and
stood before those in the Jirga and said, "He found no one worthy for leadership except Ahmah Shah. He is the most trustworthy and talented
for the job. He had Sabir's blessing for the nomination because only his shoulders could carry this responsibility". The leaders and everyone
agreed unanimously. Ahmad Shah was chosen to lead the Afghan tribes. Coins where struck after his coronation as King occurred near the
tomb of Shaikh Surkh, adjacent to Nader Abad Fort. Despite being younger than other claimants, Ahmad Shah had several overriding factors in
his favour: He was a direct descendant of Sado, patriarch of the Sadozai clan, the most prominent tribe amongst the Pashtuns at the time; he was
unquestionably a charismatic leader and seasoned warrior who had at his disposal a trained, mobile force of several thousand cavalrymen and
Haji Ajmal Khan, the chief of the Mohammedzais (also known as Barakzais) which were rivals of the Sadodzais, already withdrew out of the
electionOne of Ahmad Shah's first acts as chief was to adopt the title Padshah durr-i dawran ('King, "pearl of the age"). Following his predecessor,
Ahmad Shah Durrani set up a special force closest to him consisting mostly of his fellow Durranis and other Pashtuns, as well
as Tajiks, Qizilbash and others. Durrani began his military conquest by capturing Ghazni from the Ghilzais and then wresting Kabul from the
local ruler, and thus strengthened his hold over eastern Khorasan which is most of present-day Afghanistan. Leadership of the various Afghan
tribes rested mainly on the ability to provide booty for the clan, and Durrani proved remarkably successful in providing both booty and
occupation for his followers. Apart from invading the Punjab region three times between the years 1747–1753, he captured Herat in 1750 and
both Nishapur (Neyshābūr) and Mashhad in 1751. Durrani first crossed the Indus River in 1748, the year after his ascension – his forces sacked
and absorbed Lahore during that expedition. The following year (1749), the Mughal ruler was induced to cede Sindh and all of the Punjab
including the vital trans Indus River to him, in order to save his capital from being attacked by the Afghan forces of the Durrani Empire.
Having thus gained substantial territories to the east without a fight, Ahmad Shah and his Afghan forces turned westward to take possession of
Herat, which was ruled by Nader Shah's grandson, Shah Rukh of Persia. The city fell to Ahmad Shah in 1750, after almost a year of siege and
bloody conflict; Ahmad Shah and his forces then pushed on into present-day Iran, capturing Nishapur and Mashhad in 1751. He then pardoned
Shah Rukh and reconstituted Khorasan, but a tributary of the Durrani Empire. This marked the westernmost border of the Durrani Empire as
set by the Pul-i-Abrisham, on the Mashhad-Tehran road. Meanwhile, in the preceding three years, the Sikhs had occupied the city of Lahore, and
Ahmad Shah had to return in 1751 to oust them. In 1752, Ahmad Shah with his forces invaded and reduced Kashmir. He next sent an army to
subdue the areas north of the Hindu Kush. In short order, the powerful army brought under its control the Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik and Hazara
peoples of northern, central, and western Afghanistan. In 1752, Kashmiri nobles invited Ahmad Shah Durrani to invade the province and oust
the ineffectual Mughal rulers. Then in 1756-57, in what was his fourth invasion of India, Ahmad Shah sacked Delhi and
plundered Agra, Mathura, and Vrndavana. However, he did not displace the Mughal dynasty, which remained in nominal control as long as the
ruler acknowledged Ahmad's suzerainty over the Punjab, Sindh, and Kashmir. He installed a puppet emperor, Alamgir II, on the Mughal
throne, and arranged marriages for himself and his son Timur into the imperial family that same year. He married the daughter of the Mughal
emperor Muhammad Shah. His de facto suzerainity was accepted by the East India Company. Leaving his second son Timur Shah (who was wed
to the daughter of (Alamgir II) to safeguard his interests, Durrani finally left India to return to Afghanistan. On his way back he attacked
the Golden Temple in Amritsar and filled its sacred pool with the blood of slaughtered cows. Durrani captured Amritsar in 1757, and sacked
theHarmandir Sahib at which point the famous Baba Deep Singh and some of his loyalists were killed by the Afghans. This final act was to be
the start of long lasting bitterness between Sikhs and Afghans. The Mughal power in northern India had been declining since the reign
of Aurangzeb, who died in 1707. In 1751–52, the Ahamdiyatreaty was signed between the Marathas and Mughals, when Balaji Bajirao was
the Peshwa. Through this treaty, the Marathas controlled virtually the whole of India from their capital at Pune and Mughal rule was restricted
only to Delhi(Mughals remained the nominal heads of Delhi). Marathas were now straining to expand their area of control towards the
Northwest of India. Ahmad Shah sacked the Mughal capital and withdrew with the booty he coveted. To counter the Afghans, Peshwa Balaji
Bajirao sent Raghunathrao. He succeeded in ousting Timur Shah and his court from India and brought Lahore, Multan, Kashmir and other
subahs on the Indian side of Attock under Maratha rule. Thus, upon his return to Kandahar in 1757, Amidst appeals from Muslim leaders
like Shah Waliullah, Ahmad Shah chose to return to India and confront the Maratha Confederacy. He declared a jihad (Islamic holy war)
against the Marathas, and warriors from various Pashtun tribes, as well as other tribes such as the Baloch, Tajiks, and Muslims from South Asia
answered his call. Early skirmishes ended in victory for the Afghans against the smaller Maratha garrisons in northwest India. By 1759, Durrani
and his army had reached Lahore and were poised to confront the Marathas. By 1760, the Maratha groups had coalesced into a big enough army
under the command of Sadashivrao Bhau. Once again, Panipat was the scene of a battle for control of northern India. The Third battle of
Panipat (January 1761), fought between largely Muslim armies of Abdali and Nawabs and largely Hindu Maratha army was waged along a

14. twelve-kilometre front, and resulted in a decisive victory for Ahmad Shah. Ahmad Shah sought to aid the muslim city of Kashgar which was
being conquered by the expanding Qing dynasty, artempting to rally Muslim states to check Qing expansion. Ahmad Shah halted trade with
Qing China and dispatched troops to Kokand. However, with his campaigns in India exhausting the state treasury, and with his troops stretched
thin throughout Central Asia, Ahmad Shah did not have enough resources to check Qing forces. In an effort to alleviate the situation
in Kashgaria, Ahmad Shah sent envoys toBeijing, but the talks did not yield favorable prospects for the people of Kashgar. During the Third
Battle of Panipat between Marathas and Ahmad Shah, The Sikhs did not support either side and decided to sitback and see what would happen.
The exception was Ala Singh of Patiala, who sided with the Afghans and was actually being granted and crowned the first Sikh Maharajah at the
Sikh holy temple. The victory at Panipat was the high point of Ahmad Shah's and Afghan power, this situation was not to last long; the empire
soon began to unravel. As early as by the end of 1761, the Sikhs had begun to rebel in much of the Punjab. In 1762, Ahmad Shah crossed the
passes from Afghanistan for the sixth time to crush the Sikhs. He assaulted Lahore and Amritsar. Within two years, the Sikhs rebelled again,
and he launched another campaign against them in 1764, resulting in an even battle. During his 8th invasion of India, the Sikhs vacated Lahore,
but faced Abdali's army and general, Jahan Khan. The fear of his Indian territory falling to the Sikhs continued to obsess the Durrani's mind and
he let out another campaign against Sikhs towards the close of 1766, which was his eighth invasion into India. Ahmad Shah Durrani died in
1772-73 in Kandahar Province. He was buried at a spot in Kandahar City, where a large mausoleum was built. It has been described in the
following way: Under the shimmering turquoise dome that dominates the sand-blown city of Kandahar lies the body of Ahmad Shah Abdali, the
young Kandahari warrior who in 1747 became the region's first Durrani king. The mausoleum is covered in deep blue and white tiles behind a
small grove of trees, one of which is said to cure toothache, and is a place of pilgrimage. In front of it is a small mosque with a marble vault
containing one of the holiest relics in the Islamic World, a kherqa, the Sacred Cloak of Prophet Mohammed that was given to Ahmad Shah
by Mured Beg, the Emir of Bokhara. The Sacred Cloak is kept locked away, taken out only at times of great crisis but the mausoleum is open
and there is a constant line of men leaving their sandals at the door and shuffling through to marvel at the surprisingly long marble tomb and
touch the glass case containing Ahmad Shah's brass helmet. Before leaving they bend to kiss a length of pink velvet said to be from his robe. It
bears the unmistakable scent of jasmine. In his tomb his epitaph is written:
The King of high rank, Ahmad Shah Durrani,
Was equal to Kisra in managing the affairs of his government.
In his time, from the awe of his glory and greatness,
The lioness nourished the stag with her milk.
From all sides in the ear of his enemies there arrived
A thousand reproofs from the tongue of his dagger.
The date of his departure for the house of mortality
Was the year of the Hijra 1186 (1772 A.D.)
Ahmad Shah's victory over the Marathas influenced the history of the subcontinent and, in particular, British policy in the region. His refusal to
continue his campaigns deeper into India prevented a clash with the East India Company and allowed them to continue to acquire power and
influence after their acquisition of Bengal in 1757. However, fear of another Afghan invasion was to haunt British policy for almost half a
century after the battle of Panipat. The acknowledgment of Abdali's military accomplishments is reflected in a British intelligence report on the
Battle of Panipat, which referred to Ahmad Shah as the 'King of Kings'. This fear led in 1798 to a British envoy being sent to the Persian court in
part to instigate the Persians in their claims on Herat to forestall an Afghan invasion of British India. Mountstuart Elphinstone wrote of Ahmad
Shah: His military courage and activity are spoken of with admiration, both by his own subjects and the nations with whom he was engaged,
either in wars or alliances. He seems to have been naturally disposed to mildness and clemency and though it is impossible to acquire sovereign
power and perhaps, in Asia, to maintain it, without crimes; yet the memory of no eastern prince is stained with fewer acts of cruelty and
injustice. His successors, beginning with his son Timur and ending with Shuja Shah Durrani, proved largely incapable of governing the last
Afghan empire and faced with advancing enemies on all sides. Much of the territory conquered by Ahmad Shah fell to others by the end of the
19th century. They not only lost the outlying territories but also alienated some Pashtun tribes and those of other Durrani lineages. Until Dost
Mohammad Khan's ascendancy in 1826, chaos reigned in Afghanistan, which effectively ceased to exist as a single entity, disintegrating into a
fragmented collection of small countries or units. This policy ensured that he did not continue on the path of other conquerors
like Babur or Muhammad of Ghorand make India the base for his empire. In Pakistan, a short-range ballistic missile Abdali-I, is named in the
honour of Ahmed Shah Abdali. Ahmad Shah wrote a collection of odes in his native Pashto language. He was also the author of several poems
in Persian. The most famous Pashto poem he wrote was Love of a Nation:
By blood, we are immersed in love of you.
The youth lose their heads for your sake.
I come to you and my heart finds rest.
Away from you, grief clings to my heart like a snake.
I forget the throne of Delhi
when I remember the mountain tops of my Afghan land.
If I must choose between the world and you,
I shall not hesitate to claim your barren deserts as my own.
Timur Shah Durrani, (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫یمور‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫یدرا‬ ‫ن‬ ; 1748 – May 18, 1793) was the second ruler of
the Durrani Empire, from October 16, 1772 until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second and eldest son
of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Timur Shah was born in Mashhad in 1748 and had a quick rise to power by marrying the daughter of
the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II. He received the city of Sirhind as a wedding gift and was later made the Governor
of Punjab, Kashmir and the Sirhind district in 1757 (when he was only 9 years old), by his father Ahmad Shah Durrani. He
ruled from Lahore under the regency of his Wazir, GeneralJahan Khan, who administered these territories for approximately
one year, from May 1757 until April 1758. Adina Beg Khan, Governor of the Julundur Doab, along with Raghunath Rao who
was leading the Maratha Empire, forced Timur Shah and Jahan from Punjab and put in place their own government under Adina. When Timur
Shah succeeded his father in 1772, the regional chieftains only reluctantly accepted him, and most of his reign was spent reasserting his rule
over the Durrani Empire. He was noted for his use of the Bala Hisar Fort in Peshawar, as the winter capital of his Empire. In 1776, Timur Shah
compelled his uncle Abdul Qadir Khan Durrani to leave Afghanistan. Abdul left Afghanistan and sent his family including his: wife Zarnaab
Bibi, sisters Azer Khela and Unaar Khela, brother Saifullah Khan Durrani, nephews Mohammad Umer Durrani, Basheer Ahmad Khan Durrani
and Shams ur Rehman Durrani and two sons, Faizullah Khan Durrani and Abdullah Khan Durrani to Akora Khattak, in present day Khyber

15. Pakhtunkhwa. He himself went to Damascus (Syria), where he (Abdul Qadir Khan Durrani) died in 1781. During his reign, the Durrani
Empire began to shrink. In an attempt to move away from disaffected Pashtun tribes, he shifted the capital from Kandahar to Kabul and chose
Peshawar as the winter capital in 1776. His court was heavily influenced by Persian culture and he became reliant on the Qizilbash bodyguard
for his personal protection. Timur Shah died in 1793, and was then succeeded by his fifth son Zaman Shah Durrani.
Zaman Shah Durrani, (Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫زماں‬ ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫ی‬ ‫,)دران‬ (c. 1770 – 1844) was ruler of the Durrani
Empire from 1793 until 1800. He was the grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani and the fifth son of Timur Shah Durrani. An
ethnic Pashtun like the rest of his family and Durrani rulers, Zaman Shah became the third King of Afghanistan. Zaman Shah
Durrani was the grandson of Alamgir II and a nephew of Shah Alam II. He seized the throne of the Durrani Empire on the
death of his father, Timur Shah. He defeated his rivals, his brothers, with the help of Sardar Payenda Khan, chief of the
Barakzais. He extracted an oath of allegiance from the final challenger, Mahmud, and in return relinquished the governorship
of Herat. In so doing, he divided the power base between Herat and his own government in Kabul, a division which was to
remain in place for a century. Kabul was the primary base of power, while Herat maintained a state of quasi-independence.
Kandahar was fought over for the spoils. During his reign he tried to combine his dispersed relatives together who were deported by his father
Timur Shah. His uncle Saifullah Khan Durrani, his sons Mohammad Umar, Bashir Ahmad Khan and Shams Ur Rehman, his cousins Faizullah
Khan and Abdullah Khan lived in Akora Khattakin present day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They were contacted to come back to Afghanistan but
without success. Saifullah Khan died in 1779 and after that the family was led by Faizullah Khan but he disliked the bad habits of Abdullah
Khan and Bashir Ahmad Khan and left Akora Khattak and went to Bannu without informing his relatives. Later on, after the death of his wife,
Abdullah Khan Durrani migrated to Kohat in 1791 where he married a widow, Pashmina. Zaman Shah tried his best to recombine his family
members and relatives so as to gain power but many of them were living an unknown life. Some of them have even been forgotten their
identity. He attempted to repeat his father's success in India, but his attempts at expansion brought him into conflict with the British. The British
induced the Shah of Persia to invade Durrani, thwarting his plans by forcing him to protect his own lands. In his own lands things went well for
Zaman, at least initially. He was able to force Mahmud from Herat and into a Persian exile. However, Mahmud established an alliance
withFateh Khan, with whose support he was able to strike back in 1800, and Zaman had to flee toward Peshawar. But he never made it; on the
way, he was captured, blinded and imprisoned in Kabul, in the Bala Hissar. Little information about the rest of his life is available, but he was
probably imprisoned for nearly 40 years, until his death, during which time Afghanistan continued to experience much political turmoil.
Mahmud Shah Durrani (1769 – April 18, 1829; Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Arabic: ‫محمود‬ ‫ہ‬‫شا‬ ‫ی‬ ‫)دران‬ was born Prince and ruler
of theDurrani Empire (Afghanistan) between 1801 and 1803, and again between 1809 and 1818. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the
son of Timur Shah Durrani and grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani. Mahmud Shah Durrani was the half-brother of his
predecessor, Zaman Shah.On July 25, 1801, Zaman Shah was deposed, and Mahmud Shah ascended to ruler-ship. He then had a
chequered career; he was deposed in 1803, restored in 1809, and finally deposed again in 1818. His son Shahzada Kamran
Durrani was always in trouble with Amir Fateh Khan Barakzai, the brother of Dost Muhammad Khan. After the assassination
of Fateh Khan Barakzai the fall of the Durrani Empires begun. King Mahmud Shah Durrani died in 1829. The country was
then ruled by Shuja Shah Durrani; another of his half-brothers.
Shuja Shah Durrani (also known as Shah Shujah, Shoja Shah, Shujah al-Mulk) (c. November 4, 1785 – April 5, 1842) was
ruler of theDurrani Empire from 1803 to 1809. He then ruled from 1839 until his death on April 5, 1842. Shuja Shah was of
the Sadozai line of the Abdaligroup of Pashtuns. He became the fifth Emir of Afghanistan. Shuja Shah was the son of Timur
Shah Durrani of the Durrani Empire. He ousted his brother, Mahmud Shah, from power, and ruledAfghanistan from 1803 to
1809. He had seven wives: daughter of Fath Khan Tokhi, Wafa Begum, daughter of Sayyid Amir Haidar Khan; Amir of
Bokhara, daughter of Khan Bahadur Khan Malikdin Khel, daughter of Sardar Haji Rahmatu'llah Khan Sardozai; Wazir,
Sarwar Begum and Bibi Mastan; of Indian origin. Shuja Shah was the governor of Herat and Peshawar from 1798 to 1801. He
proclaimed himself as King of Afghanistan in October 1801 (after the deposition of his brother Zaman Shah), but only
properly ascended to the throne on July 13, 1803. Shuja allied Afghanistan with the United Kingdom in 1809, as a means of defending against a
combined invasion of India by Napoleonand Russia. On May 3, 1809, he was overthrown by his predecessor Mahmud Shah and went into exile
in India, where he was captured by Jahandad Khan Bamizai and imprisoned at Attock (1811–2) and then taken to by Atta Muhammad
Khan Kashmir (1812–3). WhenMahmud Shah's vizier Fateh Khan invaded Kashmir alongside Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army, he chose to leave
with the Sikh army. He stayed in Lahore from 1813 to 1814. In return for his freedom, he handed the Koh-i-Nor diamond to Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and gained his freedom. He stayed first in Punjab and later in Ludhiana with Shah Zaman.The place where he stayed in Ludhiana is
presenly occupied by Main Post Office near Mata Rani Chowk and a white marble stone inside the building marking his stay there can be
seen.(s.s.sidhu,8860025800) In 1833 he struck a deal with Maharaja Ranjit Singh of the Punjab: He was allowed to march his troops through
Punjab, and in return he would cede Peshawar to the Sikhs if they could manage to take it. In a concerted campaign the following year, Shuja
marched on Kandahar while the Sikhs, commanded by General Hari Singh Nalwa attacked Peshawar. In July, Shuja Shah was narrowly defeated
at Kandahar by the Afghans under Dost Mohammad Khan and fled. The Sikhs on their part occupied Peshawar. In 1838 he had gained the
support of the British and the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh for wresting power from Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai. This triggered the First
Anglo-Afghan War (1838–42). Shuja was restored to the throne by the British on August 7, 1839, almost 30 years after his deposition, but did not
remain in power when the British left. He was assassinated by Shuja ud-Daula, on April 5, 1842.
Ali Shah Durraniwas ruler of the Durrani Empire from 1818 to 1819. He was the son of Timur Shah Durrani, and the penultimate Durrani
Emperor. He was deposed by his brother Ayub Shah.
Ayub Shah, a son of Timur Shah, ruled Afghanistan from 1819 to 1823. The loss of Kashmir during his reign opened a new chapter in Indian
history. In 1823, he was deposed and imprisoned by the Barakzai, marking the end of the Durrani dynasty. He fled to Punjabafter buying his
freedom and died there in 1837.
List of Chief Ministers (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire
Haji Jamal Khan Barakzai was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1747 until ?

16. Shah Wali Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from before 1757 until 1772.
Payinda Khan Mohammadzai was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empirefrom ? until 1793.
Wafadar Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empirefrom 1793 until 1900.
Shir Mohammad Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1803 until 1808.
Nawab Mohammad Usman Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1808 until 1809.
Fateh Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1809 until 1818.
Mohammad Azim Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1818 until 1823.
Habibullah Khan was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire in 1823.
Yar Mohammad Khan Alikozay was the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1823 until 1824.
Sultan Muhammad Khan Telaiwas the Chief Minister (Wazir-i-azam) of the Durrani Empire from 1824 until 1826.
Emirate of Afghanistan
The Emirate of Afghanistan (Pashto: ‫إکدرة‬ ‫ودب‬ ‫ل‬ ‫غدن‬ ‫,أف‬ Da Afghanistan Amarat), began with the decline of the Durrani dynasty and succession of
the Barakzai dynasty. This period was characterized by the expansion of European colonial interests in South Asia. The Emirate of Afghanistan
continued the war with the Sikh Empire, which led to invasion of Afghanistan by British-led Indian forces who were completely defeated in
1842 while retreating to Peshawar (now Pakistan). However, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Afghanistan's foreign affairs were
controlled by the British until Emir Amanullah Khan regained them after theAnglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 was signed.
List of Rulers (Emirs) of the Emirate of Afghanistan
Dost Mohammad Khan (Pashto: ‫ست‬ ‫دو‬ ‫محمد‬ ‫ان‬‫,خ‬ December 23, 1793 – June 9, 1863) was the founder of the Barakzai
dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of Afghanistan during the First Anglo-Afghan War. With the decline of
the Durrani dynasty, he became Emir of Afghanistan from 1826 to 1839 and then from 1845 until his death on June 9, 1863.
An ethnic Pashtun, he was the 11th son of Sardar Payendah Khan (chief of the Barakzai tribe) who was killed in 1799
by Zaman Shah Durrani. Dost Mohammad's grandfather was Hajji Jamal Khan. Dost Mohammad Khan was born to an
influential family on December 23, 1793. His father, Payandah Khan, was chief of the Barakzai tribe and a civil servant in
the Durrani dynasty. They trace their family tree to Abdal (the first and founder of the Abdali tribe), through Hajji Jamal
Khan, Yousef, Yaru, Mohammad, Omar Khan, Khisar Khan, Ismail, Nek, Daru, Saifal, and Barak. Abdal had Four
sons,Popal, Barak, Achak, and Alako. Dost Mohmmad Khan's mother is believed to have been a Shia from the Persian Qizilbash group. His
elder brother, the chief of the Barakzai, Fatteh Khan, took an important part in raising Mahmud Shah Durrani to the sovereignty of Afghanistan
in 1800 and in restoring him to the throne in 1809. In 1813 he accompanied his elder brother and then Prime Minister of Kabul Wazir Fateh
Khan to the Battle of Attock, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Sikh Empire sent his general Diwan Mohkam Chand to lead the Sikh armies. Mahmud
Shah repaid Fatteh Khan's services by having him assassinated in 1818, thus incurring the enmity of his tribe. After a bloody conflict, Mahmud
Shah was deprived of all his possessions but Herat, the rest of his dominions being divided among Fatteh Khan's brothers. Of these, Dost
Mohammad received Ghazni, to which in 1826 he added Kabul, the richest of the Afghan provinces. From the commencement of his reign he
found himself involved in disputes with Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler of the Punjab region, who used the dethroned Sadozai prince, Shah Shujah
Durrani, as his instrument. In 1834 Shah Shujah made a last attempt to recover his kingdom. He was defeated by Dost Mohammad Khan under
the walls of Kandahar, but Ranjit Singh seized the opportunity to annexPeshawar. The recovery of this fortress became the Afghan amir's great
concern. Rejecting overtures from Russia, he endeavoured to form an alliance with Great Britain, and welcomed Alexander Burnes to Kabul in
1837. Burnes, however, was unable to prevail on the governor-general, Lord Auckland, to respond to the amir's advances. Dost Mohammad was
enjoined to abandon the attempt to recover Peshawar, and to place his foreign policy under British guidance. He replied by renewing his
relations with Russia, and in 1838 Lord Auckland set the British troops in motion against him. In March 1839 the British force
under Willoughby Cotton advanced through the Bolan Pass, and on April 26 it reached Kandahar. Shah Shujah was proclaimed amir, and
entered Kabul on August 7, 1839, while Dost Mohammad sought refuge in the wilds of the Hindu Kush. For some time he sought refuge with
an influential local resistance leader, Mir Masjidi Khan. Closely followed by the British, Dost Mohammad was driven to extremities, and on 4
November 1840, surrendered as a prisoner. He remained in captivity during the British occupation, during the disastrous retreat of the army of
occupation in January 1842, and until the recapture of Kabul in the autumn of 1842. He was then set at liberty, in consequence of the resolve of
the British government to abandon the attempt to intervene in the internal politics of Afghanistan. On his return from Hindustan, Dost
Mohammad was received in triumph at Kabul, and set himself to re-establish his authority on a firm basis. From 1846 he renewed his policy of
hostility to the British and allied himself with the Sikhs. However, after the defeat of his allies at Gujrat on February 21, 1849, he abandoned his
designs and led his troops back into Afghanistan. In 1850 he conquered Balkh, and in 1854 he acquired control over the southern Afghan tribes
by the capture of Kandahar. On March 30, 1855 Dost Mohammad reversed his former policy by concluding an offensive and defensive alliance
with the British government, signed by Sir Henry Lawrence, Chief Commissioner of the Punjab, first proposed byHerbert Edwardes. In 1857 he
declared war on Persia in conjunction with the British, and in July a treaty was concluded by which the province of Herat was placed under a
Barakzai prince. During the Indian Mutiny, Dost Mohammad refrained from assisting the insurgents. His later years were disturbed by troubles

17. at Herat and in Bukhara. These he composed for a time, but in 1862 a Persian army, acting in concert with Ahmad Khan, advanced against
Herat. The old amir called the British to his aid, and, putting himself at the head of his warriors, drove the enemy from his frontiers. On May 26,
1863 he re-captured Herat, but on June 9, 1863 he died suddenly in the midst of victory, after playing a great role in the history of Central Asia
for forty years. He named as his successor his son, Sher Ali Khan. We have men and we have rocks in plenty, we have everything." - Dost
Mohammad Khan to John Lawrence.
Amir Akbar Khan (1816–1845; Pashto: ‫یر‬ ‫اک‬ ‫نر‬ ‫ام‬ ‫,)شدب‬ born as Mohammad Akbar Khan (Pashto: ‫کحکا‬ ‫نر‬ ‫ام‬ ‫)شدب‬ and
famously known asWazir Akbar Khan, was an Afghan prince, general, and Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1842
until his death in 1845. He was militarily active in the First Anglo-Afghan War, which lasted from 1839 to 1842. He is
prominent for his leadership of the national party in Kabul from 1841 to 1842, and his pursuit of the retreating British-led
Indian army from Kabul to Gandamak near Jalalabad in 1842. Previously, in the 1837 Battle of Jamrud, he
killed Sikh General Hari Singh Nalwa while attempting to re-gain Afghanistan's second capital Peshawar from the
invading Sikh army of Punjab. Akbar was born as Mohammad Akbar Khan in 1816 to Amir Dost Mohammad Khan of
Afghanistan and Mirmon Khadija Popalzai. Amir Dost Mohammad Khan had 2 wives, 8 sons (including Amir Akbar Khan)
and 2 daughters Akbar Khan led a revolt in Kabul against the British Indian mission of William McNaughten, Alexander
Burnes and their garrison of 4,500 men. In November 1841, he besieged Major-General William Elphinstone's force in Kabul. Elphinstone
accepted a safe-conduct for his force and about 12,000 camp followers to flee to neighboring India; they were ambushed and massacred in
January 1842. It was claimed in at least one set of British war memoirs that, during the retreat, Akbar Khan could be heard alternately
commanding his men, in Persian language to desist from, and in Pashto language to continue, firing. Historians think it unlikely that Akbar
Khan wished for the total annihilation of the British force. An astute man politically, he would have been aware that allowing the British to
extricate themselves from Afghanistan would give him the time to consolidate his control of the diverse hill tribes; whereas a massacre of
16,500 people, of which only about a quarter were a fighting force, would not be tolerated back in London and would result in another, larger
army sent to exact retribution. This was in fact what happened the following year. In May 1842, Akbar Khan captured Bala Hissar in
Kabul.[1]
Many believe that Akbar Khan was poisoned by his father, Dost Mohammed Khan, who feared his ambitions. The historical figure
Akbar Khan plays a major role in George MacDonald Fraser's novel Flashman.
Sher Ali Khan (1825 – February 21, 1879) was a Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1863 until 1866 and from 1868
until his death on February 21, 1879. He was the third son of Dost Mohammed Khan, founder of the Barakzai
Dynasty in Afghanistan. Sher Ali Khan initially seized power when his father died, but was quickly ousted by his older
brother, Mohammad Afzal Khan. Internecine warfare followed until Sher Ali defeated his brother and regained the title of
Emir. His rule was hindered by pressure from both Britain and Russia though Sher Ali attempted to keep Afghanistan
neutral in their conflict. In 1878, the neutrality fell apart and theSecond Anglo-Afghan War erupted. As British forces
marched on Kabul, Sher Ali Khan decided to leave Kabul to seek political asylum in Russia. He died in Mazar-e Sharif,
leaving the throne to his son Mohammad Yaqub Khan. Sher Ali was closely affiliated to the modern day region of Potohar in Pakistan. He
married one of his daughters to a prominent Tribal Chief of Gakhars, Khan Bahadur Raja Jahandad Khan. After independence, Gakhars are now
part of Pakistan.
Mohammad Afzal Khan (1811 – October 7, 1867; Pashto: ‫کحکا‬ ‫ضس‬ ‫اف‬ ‫)شدب‬ was the Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan
Afghanistan from 1865 until his death on Ovtober 7, 1867. The oldest son of Dost Mohammed Khan, Afzal Khan seized power
from his brother Sher Ali Khan three years after their father's death. Following Afzal Khan's death the following year, Mohammad
Azam Khan was reinstated as Amir of Afghanistan. He was an ethnic Pashtun and belong to the Barakzai tribe. Khan's third
son Abdur Rahman Khan was to himself become Emir from 1880 to 1901.[
Mohammad Azam Khan (Pashto: ‫کحکا‬ ‫عظم‬ ‫,شدب‬ died February 21, 1868) was the Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan
Afghanistan from October 7, 1867 until his death on February 21, 1868. He was the second sons of Dost Mohammed Khan, Azam
Khan heir power from his brother Mohammad Afzal Khan after his death on October 7, 1867. Following Azam Khan's death the
following year, Sher Ali Khan was reinstated as Amir of Afghanistan. He was an ethnicPashtun and belong to the Barakzai tribe.
Mohammad Yaqub Khan (1849 – November 15, 1923) was Emir of the Eemirate of Afghanistan from February 21 until
October 12, 1879. He was the son of the previous ruler, Sher Ali Khan. Mohammad Yaqub Khan was the governor of Herat
province in Afghanistan and decided to rebel against his father in 1870 but was imprisoned in 1874. The Second Anglo-
Afghan War erupted in 1878, leading Sher Ali Khan to flee the capital of Afghanistan, and eventually die in February 1879 in
the north of the country. As Sher Ali's successor, Yaqub signed the Treaty of Gandamak with the British in May 1879,
relinquishing control of Afghanistan foreign affairs to the British Empire. An uprising against this agreement led by Ayub
Khan in October of the same year ended the rule and abdicated of Yaqub Khan. He was succeeded by the new ruler, Amir
Ayub Khan. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the British defeated the Amir Sher Ali's forces, wintered in Jalalabad,
waiting for the new Amir Yakub Khan to accept their terms and conditions. One of the key figures in the negotiations wasPierre Louis Napoleon
Cavagnari. A half-Irish, half-Italian aristocrat, descended from the royal family of Parma on his father's side, he had been brought up in
England, with schooling at Addiscombe. He served with the East India Army in the 1st Bengal Fusiliers and then transferred into political
service, becoming Deputy Commisssioner at Peshawar, and was appointed as envoy by the Viceroy Lord Lytton in the 1878 mission to Kabul
which the Afghans refused to let proceed. This refusal was one of a series of events which led to the Second Afghan War. In May 1879, Yakub
Khan travelled to Gandamak, a village just outside Jalalabad and entered into negotiations with Cavagnari as a result of which the Treaty of
Gandamak was signed whereby the Amir ceded territories to the British and accepted a British envoy in Kabul. Cavagnari took up the post of
British Resident in Kabul in July 1879. He was known to be reckless and arrogant rather than discreet and his role as envoy was viewed as
injudicious even by some of the British. The situation in Kabul was tense and eventually some Afghan troops who had not been paid by the
Amir rebelled and attackled the Residency, killing Cavagnari and his mission in September 1879. The war was far from over despite the treaty
and British troops were recalled over the mountains to occupy Kabul, secure it and launch punitive action against the Afghans. Yakub Khan
abdicated, taking refuge in the British camp and was subsequently sent to India in December. I would rather work as your servant, cut grass and
tend your garden than be the ruler of Afghanistan.– Yaqub Khan, to a British viceroy in the 19th century.