97 Facts About Ahmad Shah Durrani

Ahmad Shah Durrani, known as Ahmad Shah Abdali, was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire.

Ahmad Shah Durrani is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's birth name was Ahmad Khan, born into the Abdali tribe.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's tribe changed the name from Abdali, instead becoming the Durrani.

Ahmad Shah was born between 1720 and 1722 in either Herat, Afghanistan, or Multan, Pakistan.

Zaman Khan had died in 1721, leading to Ahmad Shah being raised alongside his brother Zulfiqar Khan in Shindand and Farah.

Ahmad Shah spent much of his early life in the service of Nader Shah.

Some sources suggest that it was only Zulfiqar Khan that left for Mazandaran, while Ahmad Shah remained in Nader Shah's service as an officer.

Nader Shah requested that Ahmad Shah be generous with his descendants.

In 1744, Ahmad Shah was promoted to a personal staff of Nader Shah.

Ahmad Shah Durrani was ordered to do this at first light.

News of Nader Ahmad Shah Durrani's plan leaked, with the conspirators being forced to act.

Ahmad Shah then entered the tent of Nader Shah, taking the Koh-i-Noor diamond and a signet ring from his body.

Ahmad Shah first settled the dispute of leadership, asserting himself as the leader of Durrani tribesmen by forcing the former leader to step down.

Ahmad Shah killed 'Abd al-Ghani Khan, his uncle and the governor of Kandahar to secure complete power over the Durrani regiments.

The army of Ahmad Shah grew to over 18,000 men, including war elephants.

In reality, Ahmad Shah was brought to power through a nine-man military council.

Scholars state that Ahmad Shah's rise to power was effectively a military coup, rather than an election.

However, Ahmad Shah had no administrative experience, nor did much of his closest advisors.

However, Ahmad Shah had made the positions of his cabinet hereditary, thus making it difficult to dismiss advisors without causing conflict.

The civil service of the empire was dominated by the Qizilbash, as most of the Ahmad Shah Durrani elite were illiterate.

Ahmad Shah envisioned himself as the successor of Nader Shah.

Furthermore, by institutionalizing the casus belli of holy war, Ahmad Shah was able to direct the majority of his campaigns toward India.

The Afghan chiefs and nobility initially saw him as an upstart, and as a result, Ahmad Shah sought victories to legitimize himself and to bring the nobility under him.

Ahmad Shah previously imprisoned Nasir Khan and ransomed him for an annual tribute of 500,000 rupees, and while Nasir Khan was attempting to raise this amount, the Ghilzai tribes refused to pay their taxes toward the Durranis, and only wished to do so to their Mughal sovereign, Muhammad Shah.

Ahmad Shah stormed the fortress of Qalat, bringing the Tokhis to submission and annexing their lands over the following decades.

Ahmad Shah continued to Ghazni, defeating the governor established there and conquering it with little opposition.

Ahmad Shah awarded the Qizilbash by giving them districts in Chindawol and Murad Khani.

Ahmad Shah Durrani Nawaz, having toppled his brother from power to assume control over the Punjab, was opposed by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Ahmad Shah Durrani, who refused to recognize him as governor.

Ahmad Shah Durrani Nawaz accepted this before the Mughal vizier promised to confirm him as governor if he opposed the Afghan invasion instead, which Ahmad Shah Durrani Nawaz accepted.

Ahmad Shah Durrani captured Sirhind and continued advancing, outmaneuvering Mughal forces until they were caught at Manupur, where they battled.

Ahmad Shah Durrani spent the summer of 1748 preparing for his second invasion of India.

Ahmad Shah returned to Afghanistan following the treaty, crossing through Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Between 1749 and 1750, after his second invasion of India, Ahmad Shah launched his first campaign into Khorasan.

Intent on conquering Herat, Ahmad Shah besieged the city for a long period of time until it finally fell in late 1750.

Ahmad Shah Durrani besieged the city and demanded its surrender, which the governor, Jafar Khan, refused despite only having a few thousand men as garrison.

Ahmad Shah ordered the walls to be breached, utilizing cannons, which the Afghans surged through.

The harsh winter weather killed thousands while the Afghans retreated, and Ahmad Shah was forced to leave behind much of his baggage, including his artillery and food supplies.

The conspiracy was quickly quelled and Darwish Ali was imprisoned, where in his stead, Ahmad Shah appointed Timur Shah as the new governor.

The advance of Ahmad Shah triggered mass panic in Lahore, with many fleeing to Delhi or Jammu for safety.

Ahmad Shah accepted the call to arms, forging an alliance with Hajji Bi, and sent thousands of Afghan and Qizilbash men under Allah Khan Turkman.

Ahmad Shah declared a new governor of Balkh, Nawab Khan Alakozai.

Ahmad Shah sent 6,000 men under Shah Wali Khan to face the rebels.

In 1754, Ahmad Shah began preparing for a second campaign to Khorasan.

Ahmad Shah Durrani dispatched Jahan Khan and Nasir Khan, the ruler of the Khanate of Kalat, to devastate the countryside.

Ahmad Shah Durrani would remain close to Ahmad Shah throughout his life.

Ahmad Shah Durrani further married Hazrat Begum, a daughter of Alamgir, whilst marrying his son, Timur Shah Durrani, to another daughter of Alamgir.

Ahmad Shah then ordered all Hindus to wear distinctive marks on their head, as well as forbidding non-Muslims from wearing the turban.

The Mughal nobility refused, to which Ahmad Shah dispatched his own tax collectors, demanding additional tribute.

Ahmad Shah ordered a withdrawal, sparing the city from a sacking.

Ahmad Shah Durrani defended the fort with extensive artillery usage, preventing the Afghans from approaching with cannons.

The total loot Ahmad Shah carried back to Afghanistan is disputed.

Timur Ahmad Shah Durrani, being only eleven years old, saw the Punjab governed mostly by Jahan Khan, who was noted as an experienced warrior, but incapable administrator.

Ahmad Shah Durrani attacked the Sikhs who were celebrating the Diwali festival at Amritsar in 1757, as well as destroying and polluting many Sikh shrines, declaring Jihad.

Ahmad Shah Durrani met Nasir Khan in battle at Mastung, where the forces of Kalat were defeated, prompting Nasir Khan's withdrawal to Kalat, which Ahmad Shah besieged.

Months later, a dervish began a revolt by having an individual named Mir Khush Khan Ahmad Shah Durrani proclaimed as King.

Ahmad Shah Durrani dispatched many of his generals to lead attacks unto them, such as Jahan Khan and Nur ud-Din Bamizai, who were both defeated.

Ahmad Shah Durrani had been invited by numerous rulers and religious leaders across India, including Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, who wrote to Ahmad Shah pleading for him to save the Muslims of India.

Ahmad Shah utilized this in having it declared a jihad by religious leaders in Kandahar.

Ahmad Shah wished to avenge the defeat of his son, Timur Shah, and to reclaim the lost territories of the Punjab.

Jahan Khan advanced from Kandahar to Kabul, and then through the Khyber Pass with an army of 20,000, while Ahmad Shah led a force of 40,000 through the Bolan Pass.

The approach of Ahmad Shah Durrani caused havoc throughout all of Northern India, and Imad ul-Mulk had Alamgir and Intizam-ud-Daulah murdered as a result, placing Shah Jahan III on the Mughal throne.

Ahmad Shah Durrani first sent Imad ul-Mulk to prepare the defenses of the city.

Ahmad Shah accepted, and Najib ud-Daula used this to expel the Marathas from Shikohabad, Phaphund, and Bithoor.

Ahmad Shah held friendly relations with the Rajputs, even declaring to them his intention to invade the Deccan in the winter.

Ahmad Shah was anxious to return to Afghanistan since his settling at Aligarh, as he never intended to form an Afghan empire based in India.

Ahmad Shah was unable to help the defenders of Delhi and Kunjpura due to him being stuck on the other side of the Yamuna.

Najib ud-Daula shut down the idea and Ahmad Shah rejected peace.

At the pivotal moment, Ahmad Shah surged his reinforcements, some 4,000 Qizilbash to the right wing and 10,000 men to the Afghan centre.

Ahmad Shah dispatched his zamburaks, inflicting heavy casualties onto the Marathas.

Ahmad Shah then ordered eight thousand reinforcements from his own tribe to attack, which saw Sadashivrao killed amidst the fray.

The day following the battle, Ahmad Shah entered the city of Panipat wearing jewels such as the Koh-i-Noor.

Ahmad Shah settled the affairs of India by placing Shah Alam II on the Mughal throne with Najib ud-Daula as his Bakhshi, with Jawan Bakht being recognized as heir to Shah Alam.

Shah Pasand Khan was dispatched to crush the revolt, and he arrived before the city, elaborating that Ahmad Shah was alive.

Dilawar Khan fled to Herat where Timur Ahmad Shah Durrani allowed him to become the commander of his personal bodyguard, while Abd al-Khaliq was imprisoned.

Ahmad Shah led his forces including Zain Khan Sirhindi, catching the Sikhs at the village of Kup.

Ahmad Shah had ordered that nobody wearing Indian clothes was to be left alive, with mostly camp followers including women and children being killed.

Ahmad Shah stormed the fortress of Barnala, before Ala Singh produced himself before the Shah, submitting tribute.

Ahmad Shah Durrani firstly sent an expedition toward Kashmir which had declared its independence under Sukh Jiwan Mal, which was successful and Kashmir was re-conquered.

The possible battle was fought under a complete solar eclipse that raged until the night, where Ahmad Shah withdrew to Lahore before returning to see the Sikhs had withdrawn.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's health was significantly affected during the invasion as a result of the summer heat, adding to his wounded nose.

In 1763, Ahmad Shah had dispatched an embassy to the Qing.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's aims in this are unknown an embassy allowed Ahmad Shah to establish himself as an emperor.

Ahmad Shah Durrani accused them of causing devastation and laying false accusations against him.

Mirhan's refusal possibly came out of religious reasons, but the Qing received it as Ahmad Shah declaring himself equal to Qianlong.

Sultan Shah accepted, likely wishing to have Qing military aid, especially against the Durrani Empire.

The death of the Afaqi brothers spurned relations with the Afghans, causing Sultan Shah to plead to the Qing, claiming that Ahmad Shah intended to exact revenge for their deaths.

Qianlong harshly rebutted, blaming Sultan Ahmad Shah Durrani for provoking the conflict with the Afghans and affirmed that he would only fight the Afghans if they actually invaded Qing territory.

Ahmad Shah was buried in the city of Kandahar adjacent to the Shrine of the Cloak, where a large mausoleum was built.

The King of high rank, Ahmad Shah Durrani, Was equal to Kisra in managing the affairs of his government.

Ahmad Shah Durrani 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.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's successors, beginning with his son Timur Shah 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.

Timur Shah consolidated the holdings of the Durrani Empire, quashed civil war and rebellion throughout his reign and led multiple campaigns into Punjab to try and repeat his fathers success.

Ahmad Shah Durrani was later deposed by Mahmud Shah Durrani, his brother, and the Durrani Realm continued to disintegrate in the following years from progressive succession crises, usually between Timur Shah's sons, with Mahmud Shah Durrani, Zaman Shah Durrani, and Shah Shuja Durrani.

Ahmad Shah Durrani wrote a collection of odes in his native Pashto.

Ahmad Shah Durrani was the author of several poems in Persian.