Kandahar Rebellion (1709)

Kandahar Rebellion
Date April 21st, 1709 Location Kandahar, Safavid Iran (modern-day Afghanistan) Result Hotaki victory
Belligerents
Hotak dynasty	Safavid Iran
Commanders and leaders
Mirwais Hotak	Gurgin Khan   †
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Whole Garrison

The Kandahar Rebellion was a major uprising by the Afghan Hotak tribe against Safavid Persian rule in 1709, led by Mir Wais Hotak. The rebellion was triggered by the oppressive and provocative behavior of the Georgian commander Gurgin Khan and his troops, who governed Kandahar on behalf of the Safavid Empire. ^{[1] [2]}

Gurgin Khan's administration imposed heavy taxes on the local Sunni Afghan population and seized goods, women, and children. His predominantly Shi‘ite Georgian soldiers reportedly desecrated Sunni mosques by bringing pigs inside and drinking wine, deeply offending the local population. There were also widespread reports of abuse and killings of Afghan children by the Georgian forces, which intensified resentment among the Afghans. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

Mir Wais Hotak initially sought redress through the Safavid court but was imprisoned. After skillfully regaining favor and receiving a fatwa legitimizing rebellion, he returned to Kandahar to lead the revolt. In April 1709, taking advantage of the absence of most Georgian troops, Afghan forces launched a surprise attack that killed Gurgin Khan and seized control of Kandahar. ^{[3] [4] [1] [2] [6]}

This rebellion marked the start of the Hotak dynasty and significantly weakened Safavid authority in the region.

References

1. Acheson 2023, p. 75.
2. Barfield 2010, pp. 104–106.
3. Matthee 2012, pp. 233–234.
4. Lockhart 1958, p. 87.
5. Matthee & Mashita 2010.
6. Avery, Hambly & Melville 1991, pp. 11–13.

Sources

• Acheson, Ben (2023). The Pashtun Tribes in Afghanistan: Wolves Among Men. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword Military. ISBN   9781399069229.
• Avery, Peter; Hambly, Gavin; Melville, Charles (1991). The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 7: From Nadir Shah to the Islamic Republic (PDF). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521200950 . Retrieved 30 June 2025.
• Barfield, Thomas (2010). Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History. Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics. Vol. 36. Princeton, United States: Princeton University Press. ISBN   9781400834532.
• Lockhart, Laurence (1958). The Fall of the Safavi Dynasty and the Afghan Occupation of Persia. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ASIN   B007BOSRYE.
• Matthee, Rudi (2012). Persia in Crisis: Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan. International Library of Iranian Studies. Vol. 17. London, England: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN   978-1845117450.
• Matthee, Rudi; Mashita, Hiroyuki (2010). "Kandahar: From the Mongol Invasion Through the Safavid Era". Encyclopædia Iranica . Retrieved 30 June 2025.