Ahmad shah abdali biography

Founder of the Durrani Monarchy (r. 1747–1772)

"Ahmed Shah Durrani" redirects there. For the cricket umpire, see Ahmed Shah Durrani (umpire).

Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (Pashto: احمد شاه دراني; Persian: احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (Pashto: احمد شاه ابدالي), was prestige first Shah and founder of glory Durrani Empire, and is often rumoured as the founder of modern Afghanistan.

Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought over fifteen major military campaigns. Nine-spot of them being centered in Bharat, three in Khorasan, and three give it some thought Afghan Turkestan. Historians widely recognize Ahmad Shah as a brilliant military director and tactician, typically being compared save for rulers such as Mahmud of Ghazni, Babur, and as well as Nader Shah.^[4] Historian Hari Ram Gupta refers to Ahmad Shah as the "greatest general of Asia of his time".^[5]

Name and title

His birth name was Ahmad Khan, born into the Abdali dynasty. After his accession to power gratify 1747, he became known as Ahmad Shah. His tribe also changed primacy name from Abdali, instead becoming prestige Durrani.^[8] Afghans often call him Ahmad Shāh Bābā, meaning "Ahmad Shah nobleness Father".

In historical sources, his tribe nickname is interchangeably used between Abdali deed Durrani, with other common names sue him being Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Early life

Ahmad Shah was born between 1720 beginning 1722 in either Herat, Afghanistan, youth Multan, Pakistan. Sources are disputed mute where he was born. Contemporary book-learning came to the consensus that Ahmad Shah was born in Multan, on the other hand this is disputed by Nejatie, who states that the majority of multiplicity from Ahmad Shah's time state consider it he was born in Herat, very than Multan, including the Tarikh-i Ahmad Shahi.

His father, Zaman Khan, was leadership Emir of Herat. Zaman Khan challenging died in 1721, leading to Ahmad Shah being raised alongside his kinsman Zulfiqar Khan in Shindand and Farah. In the mid 1720s, Zulfiqar Caravanserai was invited to rule Herat. Ruin else is heard of Ahmad Queenly until 1731–1732, when Zulfiqar Khan was defeated by Nader Shah, forcing both Zulfiqar Khan and Ahmad Shah brave flee to Kandahar, where they remained political prisoners of Hussain Hotak.

After Nader Shah conquered Kandahar, Ahmad Shah pointer Zulfiqar Khan were freed. Ahmad Sovereign spent much of his early sure in the service of Nader Master. Accompanying him on his invasion stir up India, Ahmad Shah was later settled in Mazandaran alongside his brother. Iranica states that Ahmad Shah may own become the governor of Mazandaran.^[8] Pinpoint the death of his brother, Ahmad Shah enlisted in the Afsharid martial in 1742. Some sources suggest think it over it was only Zulfiqar Khan divagate left for Mazandaran, while Ahmad Akund of swat remained in Nader Shah's service makeover an officer.

During Nader Shah's invasion chide India, Ahmad Shah personally commanded well-organized regiment of Durrani tribesmen. Ahmad Shah's forces committed massacres and sacked City alongside Nader Shah's forces in 1739. According to legend, Nizam ul-Mulk, honesty Mughal governor of Hyderabad, who was an expert in physiognomy, predicted make certain Ahmad Shah would become king. Nader Shah took notice of this abstruse also believed in the prophecy, 1 clipping a piece of Ahmad Shah's ears, and remarking "When you step a king, this will remind spiky of me". Nader Shah also outcry that Ahmad Shah be generous deal with his descendants. Nejatie is skeptical reinforce the account.

In 1744, Ahmad Shah was promoted to a personal staff panic about Nader Shah. In a campaign wreck the Ottomans, Ahmad Shah distinguished person and was allowed to raise fine contingent of 3–4,000 Durrani tribesmen overtake Nader Shah. Ahmad Shah's contingent became one of Nader Shah's most hush-hush, utilizing them to shatter the trounce of his other commanders due give way to his perception that they were intellection to rebel or kill him.

Death delightful Nader Shah

In June 1747, Nader Reigning was convinced that his personal push intended to assassinate him. As put in order result, he summoned Ahmad Shah significant other loyal commanders. Nader Shah businesslike Ahmad Shah to assemble his Durrani regiments, and to arrest his oneoff guard. If the personal guard resisted, Ahmad Shah was given permission run alongside kill them all. He was businesslike to do this at first make something happen. Nader Shah then chose to kip with his favorite wife, but blunt so outside the royal tent, locale the same guards he accused personal treachery presumed night duty, while Ahmad Shah with his regiments were customary at the defenses of the camp.

News of Nader Shah's plan leaked, add the conspirators being forced to cut. Four conspirators entered the royal cote and entered Nader Shah's tent, assassinating him. Chaos ensued following the massacre, and plans to coverup by decency conspirators failed. They resorted to marauding the royal enclosure while news handle Nader Shah's death rapidly spread. Picture next morning, the royal guard impressed Ahmad Shah's forces, who despite bring into being heavily outnumbered, drove the Persians extra Qizilbash off. Ahmad Shah then entered the tent of Nader Shah, delegation the Koh-i-Noor diamond and a mark ring from his body.

Return to Kandahar

Having driven off the Persians and Qizilbash, Ahmad Shah departed for Kandahar information flow his regiments, and his Uzbek transitory, Hajji Bi Ming. Ahmad Shah chief settled the dispute of leadership, declaratory himself as the leader of Durrani tribesmen by forcing the former superior to step down. Ahmad Shah likewise killed 'Abd al-Ghani Khan, his gentleman and the governor of Kandahar go up against secure complete power over the Durrani regiments. With the dispute over ascendancy concluded, Ahmad Shah's forces grew concord 6,000 Afghans.

Following this, Ahmad Shah acted upon through Khabushan, advancing to Kashmar. Size on-route, Ahmad Shah accumulated supplies preventable his army and proceeded toward Torbat-e Heydarieh, where they received news stroll Adel Shah had sent a paragraph to halt the Afghans. As spiffy tidy up result, Ahmad Shah led his augmentation to Tun and then Farah, they defeated an army sent get by without Adel Shah. With Farah under top control, the Afghans proceeded to Grishk, and then Kandahar.

While on-route to City, Ahmad Shah recovered a military need that contained the annual tribute plant Sindh. The value of the valuables is disputed, but it's given inside an estimate of 3,000,000–260,000,000 rupees. Leadership convoy was escorted by Mohammad Taqi Khan Shirazi, a disgruntled former government agent of Nader Shah, and Nasir Caravanserai, the governor of Kabul and City. Taqi Khan joined Ahmad Shah attend to divided the wealth, while Nasir Caravanserai refused and was imprisoned. Later, subside was ransomed on the conditions depose an annual tribute of 500,000 rupees, and that he would enter Ahmad Shah's suzerainty. The army of Ahmad Shah grew to over 18,000 joe public, also including war elephants.

Accession and coronation

Upon reaching Kandahar, Ahmad Shah established encampment in Naderabad and prepared to just crowned as King. According to epic, Ahmad Shah declared a Jirga, conjuring all tribal leaders who unanimously hand-picked Ahmad Shah as king. A sliver of wheat or barley was therefore placed on Ahmad Shah's cites that account, despite there being no latest evidence to suggest this occurred.

In truth, Ahmad Shah was brought to last through a nine man military diet. Ahmad Shah's accession was further ignored by Jamal Khan, the leader blame the Barakzai tribe. The Barakzai were the most powerful clan of character Durranis centered in the Kandahar beginning Helmand regions. The dispute over affirmation continued until an agreement was through where Jamal Khan would submit not far from Ahmad Shah as king, while Ahmad Shah would make Jamal Khan flourishing his descendants Wazir. With an correspond reached, Sabir Shah, Ahmad Shah's doctor, took a piece of greenery move quietly stalk and attached it to Ahmad Shah's cap, officially crowning him. Scholars state that Ahmad Shah's rise do research power was effectively a military transaction, rather than an election.

Following his admission, Ahmad Shah adopted the epithet "Durr-i Durrān", meaning "Pearl of Pearls", as well changing the name of his strain from Abdali to Durrani.

Reign as Reigning (1747–1772)

Administration

At the beginning of his law, Ahmad Shah's empire consisted of Metropolis, Helmand, and Farah. The Hazaras loom Bala Murghab and Nasir Khan Hysterical of Kalat also rested under Envelope suzerainty.

However, Ahmad Shah had no supervisory experience, nor did much of top closest advisors. As a result, why not? chose to adopt a government deal similar to the Mughals and Safavids, with his main idea of dialect trig government based off an absolute power. A tribal council ruled in participation with Ahmad Shah as well, ration as a form of cabinet. Dispel, Ahmad Shah had made the positions of his cabinet hereditary, thus manufacturing it difficult to dismiss advisors out causing conflict. Their roles, however, were mostly purely de-jure, and tasks were delegated to subordinates.

The civil service think likely the empire was dominated by picture Qizilbash, as most of the Durrani elite were illiterate. The Qizilbash additionally significantly formed the major part warm Ahmad Shah's bodyguard, counterbalancing other Durrani leaders and tribes. The complications queue effectively divided government made the management difficult to function, and caused heathen tension between the Qizilbash and ethnological council of Ahmad Shah.

Further complications erupted in Ahmad Shah's administration over exempting his own tribe from taxation. Hit Afghan tribes and ethnicities were unrest from such, as they were too devoid of being allowed to safeguard in the administration of the commonwealth. This was further exasperated by Ahmad Shah when he gave the okay of revenue collection to the pre-eminent bidder. The victors of these auctions, typically members of Ahmad Shah's confusion tribe, were completely free in demanding as much as they wished. Size members of the Durrani tribe briskly became rich, some landholders were graceful into complete debt, forcing many pressurize somebody into sell their lands or flee significance kingdom, likely being bought up bid the Durranis who had driven them to bankruptcy.

Ahmad Shah instead focused implication seeing himself as the successor staff Nader Shah. Instead of establishing adroit capable administration, Ahmad Shah focused view wars and military campaigns to furnish his treasury, with any downturns handily being covered by the treasures tactic war. Throughout his reign, he scarcely ever spent his time in Kandahar, magnanimity capital of his empire,^[8] and alternatively pursued military campaigns, returning only get snarled restore stability after conflict. By representation end of his reign, Ahmad Superior committed to over fifteen military campaigns, Nine of them being centered subtract India, three in Khorasan, and brace in Afghan Turkestan.

Objectives

Afghanistan was a comparatively poor country. As a result, Ahmad Shah, following in the footsteps cataclysm conquerors before him such as Mahmud of Ghazni, and invaded India revoke plunder and obtain wealth. Relating pass for well from Muhammad of Ghor, Ahmad Shah invaded India to also heart his own political dominance, as integrity power vacuum following the decline divest yourself of the Mughal Empire allowed him pick up repeat extensive campaigns, while also brisk the prominence of Afghans in Bharat. Furthermore, By institutionalizing the casus belli of holy war, Ahmad Shah was able to direct the majority designate his campaigns toward India.

Military campaigns

Campaign don Kabul (1747)

Weeks after Ahmad Shah's admittance, Nasir Khan, the governor of Kabul, Ghazni, and Peshawarrevolted against him. Ahmad Shah previously imprisoned Nasir Khan cranium ransomed him for an annual recognition of 500,000 rupees, and while Nasir Khan was attempting to raise that amount, the Ghilzai tribes refused watch over pay their taxes toward the Durranis, and only wished to do for this reason to their Mughal sovereign, Muhammad Foremost. With a growing Ghilzai revolt, Nasir Khan declared his independence from Durrani suzerainty and began raising an flock of Uzbeks and Hazaras, while too frantically asking Muhammad Shah for aid.

In Autumn of 1747, Ahmad Shah began his campaign against Nasir Khan. Appointing his nephew Luqman Khan as picture regent in Kandahar while he formerly larboard on campaign, Ahmad Shah marched potentate army toward Ghazni only to adjust halted at Qalati Ghilji by climax former allies, the Tokhi Ghilzai. Ahmad Shah stormed the fortress of Qalat, bringing the Tokhis to submission arm annexing their lands over the shadowing decades. Ahmad Shah continued to Ghazni, defeating the governor established there lecture conquering it with little opposition.

Before accelerating on Kabul, Ahmad Shah garnered influence support of the Suleimankhel tribes demonstrate the region, while Taqi Khan managed to procure the defection of depiction Qizilbash garrison in Kabul, so lapse once the Afghan army would make one's appearance, they'd hand over the city. Justness acceptance of these terms forced Nasir Khan to flee to Peshawar, explode when Ahmad Shah arrived at Kabul in October 1747, the Qizilbash bimanual over the Bala Hissar fortress. Ahmad Shah awarded the Qizilbash by donation them districts in Chindawol and Murad Khani.

First invasion of India (1747–1748)

Main articles: Battle of Lahore (1748) and Engagement of Manupur

With Kabul under his seize, Ahmad Shah dispatched his Commander-in-chief, Jahan Khan, toward Peshawar with the advantage of advancing as far as Attock. Jahan Khan quickly overran Jalalabad, fairy story Nasir Khan was unable to establish a significant defense at the Khyber Pass, forcing him to flee. Character Afghan armies approached Peshawar, prompting go to regularly Pashtun tribes to declare for them, such as the Yusufzai, Afridi, ground Khattak. With Nasir Khan overwhelmed, forbidden completely withdrew from Peshawar and blue to Delhi.

Shah Nawaz Khan, the Mughalgovernor of the Punjab, opened correspondence revamp the Afghans after they had false Peshawar. Shah Nawaz, having toppled top brother from power to assume run over the Punjab itself, was conflicting by the Mughal emperorMuhammad Shah, who refused to recognize him as guide. As a result, the Afghans committed Shah Nawaz the position of guide of the Punjab if he regular Durrani suzerainty. Shah Nawaz accepted that before the Mughal vizier promised thither confirm him as governor if yes opposed the Afghan invasion instead, which Shah Nawaz accepted.

The betrayal saw Ahmad Shah dispatch Sabir Shah to production and convince Shah Nawaz once regulate. However, after diplomatically insulting Shah Nawaz, Sabir Shah was imprisoned and accomplished, and Shah Nawaz began marching anti the Afghan army. Ahmad Shah intersecting the Ravi River on 10 Jan, and established himself at the Shalimar Gardens, outside of Lahore. The hundreds of thousands of Shah Nawaz and Ahmad Dominant began battle on 11 January, be first as the battle began, the Coat regiments of Shah Nawaz's army defected. Despite commanding a much larger blue then the Afghans, the Mughals were utterly defeated, and Shah Nawaz fashionable to Delhi.

With the defeat of honesty Mughals, the Afghans entered Lahore, pillage and massacring the city. Thousands were also conscripted into the Afghan service, while the Mughals began mobilizing clean up larger army. Ahmad Shah left City on 19 February with his service, beginning to advance on Delhi. Primacy Afghans captured Sirhind and pressed grandeur advance, outmaneuvering Mughal forces until they were caught at Manupur, where they battled. The Afghan army pressed magnanimity attack until a catastrophe occurred nucleus the form that the ammunition catering of the Afghan army caught blaze and exploded, incinerating 1,000 men, captain forcing a complete withdrawal from honourableness battlefield. The Mughals did not pay one`s addresses to the Afghan army due to prestige death of Mughal emperor Muhammad Gaekwar of baroda, and turmoil in the camp.

Withdrawing benefits Lahore, Ahmad Shah became aware renounce his nephew, Luqman Khan, who abstruse been left as regent in Qandahar while he embarked on campaign, esoteric revolted. Ahmad Shah immediately returned barter Afghanistan, and marched on Kandahar. Probity revolt was quickly quelled, and Ahmad Shah spent the summer of 1748 preparing for his second invasion attack India.

Second invasion of India (1748–1749)

First Khorasan campaign (1749–1751)

Third invasion of India (1751–1752)

Main article: Battle of Lahore (1752)

Second Khorasan campaign (1754–1755)

Main article: Durrani Campaign in half a shake Khorasan (1754–55)

Fourth invasion of India (1756–1757)

Main article: Sack of Delhi (1757)

Fifth incursion of India (1759–1761)

Main article: Third Campaigning of Panipat

Sixth invasion of India (1762)

Main article: Battle of Kup

Seventh invasion spectacle India (1764–1765)

Eighth invasion of India (1766–1767)

Final invasion of India (1768–1769)

Third Khorasan manoeuvres (1770)

Turkestan campaigns

Poetry

Durrani wrote a collection clone odes in his native Pashto. Without fear was also the author of very many poems in Persian. One of wreath most famous Pashto poems was Love of a Nation:^[71][72][73]

ستا د عشق له وينو ډک سول ځيګرونه
By blood, astonishment are immersed in love of you
ستا په لاره کښې بايلي زلمي سرونه
The youth lose their heads for your sake
تا ته راسمه زړګی زما فارغ سي
I come to you and unfocused heart finds rest
بې له تا مې اندېښنې د زړه مارونه
Away from give orders, grief clings to my heart approximating a snake
که هر څو مې د دنيا ملکونه ډېر سي
Whatever countries Raving conquer in the world,
زما به هېر نه سي دا ستا ښکلي باغونه
I will never forget your beautiful gardens
د ډیلي تخت هېرومه چې را ياد کړم
I forget the throne of Metropolis when I remember,
زما د ښکلي پښتونخوا د غرو سرونه
The mountain tops lose my beautiful Pashtunkhwa
د فريد او د حميد دور به بيا سي
The eras of Farid [Sher Shah Suri] concentrate on Hamid [Lodi] will return,
چې زه وکاندم پر هر لوري تاختونه
When I carrot attacks on all sides
که تمامه دنيا يو خوا ته بل خوا يې
If I must choose between the planet and you,
زما خوښ دي ستا خالي تش ډګرونه
I shall not hesitate picture claim your barren deserts as cutback own

In popular culture

See also

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography