The Great Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durani), the founder of modern Afghanistan. This great man and emperor needs no introduction, but still a little short introduction of him, who he was and who he came to be known. To be honest it hurts me inside to see all jokes and foreign puppets using the name and pictures of this giant, it is an insult that every Soviet and USA installed puppet compares himself with Ahmad Shah Abdali, even other local criminals do the same. There is a difference between a genuine pearl of our history and a dirty stain/ shame of our history. Ahmad Khan was son of Mohammad Zaman Khan, chief of the Abdali tribes and governor of Heart at the time, and Zarghona, his father Zaman Khan was a Sadozai, a branch of Popalzai, Durani Pashtun while his mother Zarghona was Alokozai, Durani Pashtun. Ahmad Khan´s father Zaman Khan was was killed by Hotakis in a battle, just not long after Ahmad Khan was born (some parts, west and south of what today is known as Afghanistan were governed by Hotaks, of Hotaki dynasty). 1729 the young Ahmad Khan along with his older brother Zulfikar Khan fled from Herat to Qandahar from the advancing Nader Shah´s troops but both were imprisoned inside a fortress by Shah Husain Hotaki (the Ghilzai ruler) in Qandahar. 1731 Nader Shah Afshar began enlisting Abdali Pashtuns from Heart in his army who conquered Qandahar in 1738, freed Ahmad Khan and his brother Zulfikar Khan and recruited in Nader Shah´s army. Ahmad Khan very soon showed military skills and was promoted by Nader Shah and appointed to a commander over Abdali forces of tribesmen. Ahmad Khan soon was commander over 4000 strong forces of Abdalis. Nader Shah admired the young and skillful commander Ahmad Khan and said “I have not met in Iran, Turan and Hindustan such a man of such talents as Ahmad Khan, remember that after me my kingship will pass on over to you”. Nader Shah was murdered by his guards in 1747, Ahmad Khan and his generals came to his rescue but it was too late, Ahmad Khan cried and felt guilt that he couldn’t defend and save the king but short after he gathered his soldiers and went towards his native homeland Qandahar. Back home the Abdalis saw him as their leader and already called him king/shah. The same year, 1747 the Abdali tribesmen gathered for a meeting, Loya Jirga, to chose a leader, despite the civil leader and chief of Pashtun tribes had been Haji Jamal Barakzai for years, after nine days the tribesmen saw some pluses in Ahmad Khan, that he was a skillful general, that he was a direct descendant of Sado Nika, that he had strong military and that he had ambitions and charisma why Ahmad Khan was chosen and crowned as the new king and Afghanistan was declared as the new independent kingdom. Ahmad Khan was now called Ahmad Shah who also was entitled as “Dur-i Duran”. Ahmad Shah´s alliances were Duranis, Pashtuns, Tajiks and Qizilbash. Ahmad Shah soon started to conquer Ghazni, Kabul to east and went westwards and captured Heart which was ruled by Nader Shah´s grandson Shah Rukh. Ahmad Shah widened his empire, took Punjab region, Nishapur, Mashad, Indus Rivers, Lahore and Sindh and Kashmir. Ahmad Shah went further into Iran but struck a peace deal with Persia´s Shah Rukh. Ahmad Shah invaded India several times and installed a puppet government in Delhi. His most famous battles are of Panipat where Ahmad Shah had a small army but defeated much larger armies of Indians. Ahmad Shah´s Afghan Empire was the third biggest empire of the world at the time. Ahmad Shah Abdali was also known for his love for poetry. Ahmad Shah Abdali however didn’t defeat the battle against cancer which ended his so great and eventful life. Ahmad Shah Abdali died on 16 October 1772 and was buried in the center of Qandahar city adjacent to the Shrine of the Cloak, where a large tomb was built. His successor, from his son Taimor Shah to his grandson Shah Shujah all failed to maintain his legacy and even keep Afghanistan intact and one piece. Afghanistan suffered much because of family/ cousin conflicts over power among his grandsons. Afghanistan lost all territories Ahmad Shah Abdali had conquered. Afghanistan became a divided country till Amir Dost Mohammad Khan took power and united the country again. May his great soul rest in eternal peace, Amen. Habiballah Abdali.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 23:03:48 +0000
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