Afghanistanportal |
History of Afghanistan |
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Timeline |
This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709.
The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan tribal chiefs from the Kandahar region against Mughal and Safavid Persian rule. [1] [2] [3]
After a long series of wars, the Hotak Empire was eventually replaced by the Durrani Afghan Empire, founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747. [4] [5]
After the collapse of the Durrani Empire in 1823, the Barakzai dynasty founded the Emirate of Kabul, later known as the Emirate of Afghanistan. The Durrani dynasty regained power in 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War, when former ruler Shah Shujah Durrani seized the throne under the British auspices. Shah Shujah was assassinated in 1842, following the British retreat. Afterwards the Barakzai dynasty regained power, eventually transformed the Emirate into the Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926, and ruled the country (with an interruption in 1929) until the last king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, was deposed in the 1973 coup d'état, led by his first cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan. Despite being part of the Barakzai dynasty, Daoud Khan departed from tradition and did not proclaim himself Shah , instead abolished the monarchy and established the Republic of Afghanistan, with himself as President. [6] [7] The Republic lasted until the PDPA–led Saur Revolution in 1978. [8]
Since 1978, Afghanistan has been in a state of continuous internal conflict and foreign interventions. [9] [10]
President Hamid Karzai became the first ever democratically elected head of state of Afghanistan on 7 December 2004. His successor, Ashraf Ghani, was in power from 29 September 2014 to 15 August 2021, when he fled the country as Kabul fell to the Taliban following its 2021 offensive. [11]
Upon its recapture of Kabul, the Taliban reinstated the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and its supreme leader since 2016, Islamic scholar Hibatullah Akhundzada, de facto succeeded Ghani as head of state. [12]
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
Monarch of Afghanistan | |
---|---|
Details | |
Style | His Majesty |
First monarch | Mirwais Hotak (Emir) |
Last monarch | Mohammad Zahir Shah (King) |
Formation | 1709 |
Abolition | 17 July 1973 |
Residence | Kabul:
|
Appointer | Hereditary |
Pretender(s) | Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan |
Hotak Empire (1709–1738)
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mirwais Hotak
| 1673–1715 | 1709 | 1715 | Established the Hotak dynasty in Kandahar. | Hotak | |
Abdul Aziz Hotak | Died 1717 | 1715 | 1717 | Brother of Mirwais Hotak | Hotak | |
Mahmud Hotak | 1697 – 22 April 1725 | 1717 | 22 April 1725 | Son of Mirwais Hotak | Hotak | |
Ashraf Hotak | Died 1730 | 22 April 1725 | 1730 | Nephew of Mirwais Hotak | Hotak | |
Hussain Hotak | Died 1738 | 1730 | 24 March 1738 (deposed) | Son of Mirwais Hotak Deposed by Nader Shah in Siege of Kandahar | Hotak |
Durrani Empire (1747–1823)
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ahmad Shah Durrani
| 1720/1722 – 4 June 1772 | June 1747 | 4 June 1772 | Established the Durrani dynasty and the Durrani Empire; Considered founder of modern Afghanistan | Durrani | |
Timur Shah Durrani | December 1746 – 20 May 1793 | November 1772 | 20 May 1793 | Son of Ahmad Shah Durrani Preserved the Durrani Empire following the death of his father after fighting off civil war in 1772, and multiple rebellions | Durrani | |
Zaman Shah Durrani | 1770–1844 | 20 May 1793 | 25 July 1801 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani Engaged in civil war with his brothers after the death of his father, later being deposed | Durrani | |
Mahmud Shah Durrani (1st reign)
| 1769 – 18 April 1829 | 25 July 1801 | 13 July 1803 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani Engaged in civil war with his brothers after the death of his father, later being deposed | Durrani | |
Shah Shujah Durrani (1st reign)
| 4 November 1785 – 5 April 1842 | 13 July 1803 | 3 May 1809 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani Engaged in civil war with his brothers after the death of his father, later being deposed, and making multiple attempts to reclaim his throne | Durrani | |
Mahmud Shah Durrani (2nd reign)
| 1769 – 18 April 1829 | 3 May 1809 | 1818 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani Exiled to Herat following his deposition during his second reign | Durrani | |
Ali Shah Durrani | Died 1818/1819 | 1818 | 1819 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani | Durrani | |
Ayub Shah Durrani | Died 1 October 1837 | 1819 | 1823 (deposed) | Son of Timur Shah Durrani | Durrani |
Emirate of Kabul / Emirate of Afghanistan (1823–1926)
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sultan Mohammad Khan
| 1792–1834 | 1823 | 1826 (deposed) | First ruler of the Barakzai dynasty; Son of Sardar Payendah Khan, brother of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Dost Mohammad Khan (1st reign)
| 23 December 1792 – 9 June 1863 | Summer 1826 | 6 August 1839 (deposed) | Son of Sardar Payendah Khan Forged campaigns to re-unite Afghanistan which was divided due to the civil wars between the sons of Timur Shah Durrani. Reign disputed from 1839–1842 by Shah Shujah Durrani in the First Anglo-Afghan War | Barakzai | |
Shah Shujah Durrani (2nd reign)
| 4 November 1785 – 5 April 1842 | 7 August 1839 | 5 April 1842 | Son of Timur Shah Durrani Returned to the throne with the help of the British in the First Anglo-Afghan War, murdered in the aftermath of the 1842 retreat from Kabul | Durrani | |
Akbar Khan
| 1816–1847 | May 1842 | 1843 | Son of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Dost Mohammad Khan (2nd reign)
| 23 December 1792 – 9 June 1863 | 1843 | 9 June 1863 | Son of Sardar Payendah Khan Returned to the throne after the British and Shah Shuja were defeated in the First Anglo-Afghan War. Coined the term "Afghanistan" after an alliance with the British. Went on to defeat the remaining powers inside Afghanistan [note 1] , reunifying the country after a brutal civil war lasting 70 years from 1793–1863 by the time of his death | Barakzai | |
Sher Ali Khan (1st reign) | 1825 – 21 February 1879 | 9 June 1863 | May 1866 (deposed) | Son of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Mohammad Afzal Khan | 1815 – 7 October 1867 | May 1866 | 7 October 1867 | Son of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Mohammad Azam Khan | 1820–1870 | 7 October 1867 | 21 August 1868 | Son of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Sher Ali Khan (2nd reign) | 1825 – 21 February 1879 | 9 September 1868 | 21 February 1879 | Son of Dost Mohammad Khan | Barakzai | |
Mohammad Yaqub Khan | 1849 – 15 November 1923 | 21 February 1879 | 12 October 1879 (deposed) | Son of Sher Ali Khan Deposed during the Second Anglo-Afghan War | Barakzai | |
Ayub Khan
| 1857 – 7 April 1914 | 12 October 1879 | 31 May 1880 (deposed) | Son of Sher Ali Khan Defeated in the Battle of Kandahar and exiled at the end of the Second Anglo-Afghan War | Barakzai | |
Abdur Rahman Khan
| 1840/44 – 1 October 1901 | 31 May 1880 | 1 October 1901 | Son of Mohammad Afzal Khan | Barakzai | |
Habibullah Khan | 3 June 1872 – 20 February 1919 | 1 October 1901 | 20 February 1919 | Son of Abdur Rahman Khan | Barakzai | |
Nasrullah Khan | 1874–1920 | 20 February 1919 | 28 February 1919 (deposed) | Son of Abdur Rahman Khan | Barakzai | |
Amanullah Khan | 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960 | 28 February 1919 | 9 June 1926 | Son of Habibullah Khan | Barakzai |
Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1929)
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
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Amanullah Khan | 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960 | 9 June 1926 | 14 January 1929 (abdicated) | Son of Habibullah Khan | Barakzai | |
Inayatullah Khan | 20 October 1888 – 12 August 1946 | 14 January 1929 | 17 January 1929 (deposed) | Son of Habibullah Khan | Barakzai |
Saqqawist Emirate and the 1928–1929 civil war
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
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Habibullāh Kalakāni
| 19 January 1891 – 3 November 1929 | 17 January 1929 [note 2] | 13 October 1929 | Styled as king and emir [note 3] ; contested the throne during the 1928–29 civil war; [18] deposed and executed [19] | Non-dynastic | |
Ali Ahmad Khan | 1883 – 11 July 1929 | 17 January 1929 | 9 February 1929 | Grandson of Dost Mohammad Khan (maternal) Styled as King; rose in opposition to Kalakāni during the 1928–29 civil war; captured and executed | Barakzai | |
Amanullah Khan | 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960 | March 1929 | 23 May 1929 | Son of Habibullah Khan Former King; returned to Afghanistan to contest the throne during the 1928–29 civil war; eventually retreated back into British India; [20] See also Amanullah loyalism | Barakzai |
Kingdom of Afghanistan (restored; 1929–1973)
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
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Mohammad Nadir Shah | 9 April 1883 – 8 November 1933 | 15 October 1929 [21] | 8 November 1933 | Great-nephew of Dost Mohammed Khan Assassinated by Abdul Khaliq Hazara [22] | Barakzai | |
Mohammad Zahir Shah
| 15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007 | 8 November 1933 | 17 July 1973 (deposed) | Son of Mohammad Nadir Shah Deposed by first cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan in the 1973 coup d'état [6] | Barakzai |
Some rulers tried to take advantage of internal conflicts in Afghanistan to claim the throne. However, their rule was limited only to certain areas.
Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
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Jehandad Khan | Died 1914 | May 1912 | May 1912 (deposed) | Styled as Emir; ruled only in Khost during the 1912 rebellion | Non-dynastic | |
Abd-al Karim | 1897 – 18 February 1927 | July 1924 | 30 January 1925 (deposed) | Son of Mohammad Yaqub Khan Styled as Emir; rule limited to the Southern Province during the 1924–1925 rebellion | Barakzai | |
Salemai | c. 1944 | c. 1946 (deposed) | Styled as King; rule limited to the Eastern Province during the 1944–47 tribal revolts | Non-dynastic |
Name | Portrait | Lifespan | Term of office | Political affiliation | |||
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Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) | |||||||
Mohammad Daoud Khan | 1909–1978 | 17 July 1973 | 28 April 1978 | 4 years, 285 days | Independent (until 1974) | ||
National Revolutionary Party | |||||||
President; Member of the Barakzai dynasty (first cousin of Mohammed Zahir Shah); Assassinated with most of his family during the Saur Revolution; [23] Supposedly killed for refusing to surrender to the new authorities. [24] [8] [25] | |||||||
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992) | |||||||
Colonel Abdul Qadir | 1944–2014 | 28 April 1978 | 30 April 1978 | 2 days | People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Military Revolutionary Council. | |||||||
Nur Muhammad Taraki | 1917–1979 | 30 April 1978 | 14 September 1979 | 1 year, 137 days | People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated by orders of Hafizullah Amin. | |||||||
Hafizullah Amin | 1929–1979 | 14 September 1979 | 27 December 1979 | 104 days | People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated by Soviet special forces during the Operation Storm-333. [26] | |||||||
Babrak Karmal | 1929–1996 | 27 December 1979 | 24 November 1986 | 6 years, 332 days | People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Dismissed. | |||||||
Haji Mohammad Chamkani | 1947–2012 | 24 November 1986 | 30 September 1987 | 310 days | Independent | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Appointed as part of the National Reconciliation process. | |||||||
Mohammad Najibullah | 1947–1996 | 30 September 1987 | 16 April 1992 | 4 years, 199 days | People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) (until 1990) | ||
Homeland Party | |||||||
President (Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council until 30 November 1987); Resigned. | |||||||
Abdul Rahim Hatif | 1926–2013 | 16 April 1992 | 28 April 1992 | 12 days | Homeland Party | ||
Acting President; Deposed. | |||||||
Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002) | |||||||
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi | 1926–2019 | 28 April 1992 | 28 June 1992 | 61 days | National Liberation Front of Afghanistan | ||
Acting President; Resigned. | |||||||
Burhanuddin Rabbani | 1940–2011 | 28 June 1992 | 22 December 2001 | 9 years, 177 days | Jamiat-e Islami | ||
President; Fled Kabul following its fall to the Taliban on 27 September 1996; [27] Continued to serve as president in areas controlled by the Northern Alliance during the 1996–2001 Civil War until being fully reinstated following the recapture of Kabul on 13 November 2001; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory. | |||||||
Hamid Karzai | born 1957 | 22 December 2001 | 13 July 2002 | 203 days | Independent | ||
Chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration; Appointed by the 2001 Bonn Conference. [28] | |||||||
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001) | |||||||
Mullah Mohammed Omar | between 1953 and 1966 [29] – 2013 | 27 September 1996 | 13 November 2001 | 5 years, 47 days | Taliban | ||
Supreme Leader; Deposed during the fall of Kabul, [30] and went into hiding following the fall of Kandahar on 7 December 2001; [31] [32] Continued to claim the position in rebellion during the Taliban insurgency until his death on 23 April 2013; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic Emirate never attained widespread international recognition, despite controlling about 90% of Afghan territory. | |||||||
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004) | |||||||
Hamid Karzai | born 1957 | 13 July 2002 | 7 December 2004 | 2 years, 147 days | Independent | ||
Transitional President; Appointed by the 2002 loya jirga. | |||||||
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021) | |||||||
Hamid Karzai | born 1957 | 7 December 2004 | 29 September 2014 | 9 years, 296 days | Independent | ||
President; First democratically elected head of state; Elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. | |||||||
Ashraf Ghani | born 1949 | 29 September 2014 | 15 August 2021 | 6 years, 320 days | Independent | ||
President; First peaceful transition of power; Elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2019; Deposed during the fall of Kabul. | |||||||
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021–present) | |||||||
Mullah Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada | Birth date not known | 15 August 2021 [12] | Incumbent | 3 years, 106 days | Taliban | ||
Supreme Leader; Claimed the position in rebellion during the Taliban insurgency from 25 May 2016 until the recapture of Kabul. The Islamic Emirate is currently not internationally recognized, despite controlling all Afghan territory. [33] |
Family tree of Afghan monarchs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. According to the World Population review, as of 2023, Afghanistan's population is 43 million. The National Statistics Information Authority of Afghanistan estimated the population to be 32.9 million as of 2020.
The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Afghan Empire, or the Sadozai Kingdom, was an Afghan empire founded by the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns under Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, which spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and the Indian subcontinent. At its peak, it ruled over present-day Afghanistan, much of Pakistan, parts of northeastern and southeastern Iran, eastern Turkmenistan, and northwestern India. Next to the Ottoman Empire, the Durrani Empire is considered to be among the most significant Islamic empires of the second half of the 18th century.
The history of Afghanistan, preceding the establishment of the Emirate of Afghanistan in 1823 is shared with that of neighbouring Iran, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Sadozai monarchy ruled the Afghan Durrani Empire, considered the founding state of modern Afghanistan.
Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of 1,010 m (3,310 ft). It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the capital of Kandahar Province and the centre of the larger cultural region called Loy Kandahar.
The Afghan Civil War was fought from 14 November 1928 to 13 October 1929. Rebelling, and subsequently governing Saqqawist (Saqāwīhā) forces under Habibullāh Kalakāni fought against various opposing tribes and rival monarchs in the Kingdom of Afghanistan, among whom Mohammed Nādir Khān eventually achieved a preponderant role. Despite early successes, such as the capture of Kabul and defeat of Amanullah Khan on 17 January 1929 or the capture of Kandahar on 3 June, the Saqqawists were eventually deposed by anti-Saqqawist forces led by Nadir on 13 October 1929, leading to Nadir's ascension as King of Afghanistan, who ruled until his assassination on 3 November 1933.
Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai, nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, 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 the Emir of Afghanistan in 1826. An ethnic Pashtun, he belonged to the Barakzai tribe. He was the 11th son of Payinda Khan, chief of the Barakzai Pashtuns, who was killed in 1799 by King Zaman Shah Durrani.
The national flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, adopted on 15 August 2021 following the Taliban's victory in the 2001–2021 war, features a white field with a black Shahada inscribed. Since the 20th century, Afghanistan has changed its national flag several times. The national flag had black, red and green colors most of the time during the period.
Kandahār is one of the thirty four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan in the north and Zabul Province in the east. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is Afghanistan's second largest city, which is located on the Arghandab River. The greater region surrounding the province is called Loy Kandahar. The Emir of Afghanistan sends orders to Kabul from Kandahar making it the de facto capital of Afghanistan, although the main government body operates in Kabul. All meetings with the Emir take place in Kandahar, meetings excluding the Emir are in Kabul.
The Durrānī, formerly known as Abdālī (ابدالي), are one of the largest tribes of Pashtuns. Their traditional homeland is in southern Afghanistan, straddling into Toba Achakzai in Balochistan, Pakistan, but they are also settled in other parts of Afghanistan and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mohammadzai, also spelled Moḥammadzay, is a Pashtun sub-tribe or clan of the Barakzai which is part of the Durrani confederacy of tribes. They are primarily centered on Kandahar, Kabul and Ghazni in Afghanistan as well as in the city of Charsadda in neighbouring Pakistan. The Mohammadzai ruled Afghanistan from 1823 to 1978, for a total of 155 years. Their rule ended under Daoud Khan when the Communists took power via a Soviet-backed coup.
Habibullah Kalakani, derided by the Pashtuns as "Bacha-ye Saqao", was the ruler of Afghanistan from 17 January to 13 October 1929, as well as a leader of the Saqqawists. During the Afghan Civil War (1928–1929), he captured vast swathes of Afghanistan and ruled Kabul during what is known in Afghan historiography as the "Saqqawist period". He was an ethnic Tajik. No country recognized Kalakani as ruler of Afghanistan.
Alakozai is a Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan. They are one of the four tribes of the Zirak tribal confederacy of Durrani Pashtuns.
The Barakzai dynasty, also known as the Muhammadzai dynasty, ruled what is now Afghanistan from 1823 to 1978, when the monarchy ended de jure under Musahiban Mohammad Zahir Shah and de facto under his cousin Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan. The Barakzai dynasty was established by Dost Mohammad Khan after the Durrani dynasty of Ahmad Shah Durrani was removed from power. As the Pahlavi era in Iran, the Muhammadzai era was known for its progressivist modernity, practice of Sufism, peaceful security and neutrality, in which Afghanistan was referred to as the "Switzerland of Asia".
Mohammad Nadir Shah was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in November 1933. He became the king after his victory in the Afghan Civil War of 1928–29. Previously, he served as Minister of War, Afghan Ambassador to France, and as a general in the Royal Afghan Army. He and his son Mohammad Zahir Shah, who succeeded him, are part of the Musahiban.
Amir Ali Ahmad Khan, Shaghasi was an Afghan king from the Shaghasi family of the Barakzai tribe who was declared king of Afghanistan twice in 1929. He was first declared amir of Afghanistan by an influential cleric, Naqib Sahib on 20 January 1929, in eastern Afghanistan, but was defeated by Kalakani at Jagdalak on 19 February 1929. He was also declared as the amir of Afghanistan for the second time on 23 June 1929 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, by another highly influential Mufti Abd. Wasi Kandahari, but was defeated and captured by Kalakani on 3 July 1929.
The Emirate of Afghanistan was an unrecognized state in Central Asia ruled by the Saqqawists that existed from January to October 1929. Habibullāh Kalakāni became the state's only emir on 18 January 1929. After the fall of Kalakāni on 13 October 1929, the Emirate ended.
The politics of Afghanistan are based on a totalitarian emirate within the Islamic theocracy in which the Taliban Movement holds a monopoly on power. Dissent is not permitted, and politics are mostly limited to internal Taliban policy debates and power struggles. As the government is provisional, there is no constitution or other basis for the rule of law. The structure is autocratic, with all power concentrated in the hands of the supreme leader and his clerical advisors. According to the V-Dem Democracy indices Afghanistan was as of 2023 the 4th least electoral democratic country in the world.
Fateh Khan Barakzai or Wazir Fateh Khan or simply, Fateh Khan, was Wazir of the Durrani Empire during the reign of Mahmud Shah Durrani until his torture and execution at the hands of Kamran Shah Durrani, the son of the ruler of the Durrani Empire, and Mahmud Shah Durrani, and other prominent conspirators such as Ata Mohammad Khan. Fateh Khan was of the Barakzai tribe, and his death led to his tribe revolting and the eventual deposition of Mahmud Shah Durrani.
Democracy in Afghanistan has been severely limited and characterized by short, unstable historical periods since the formation of the contemporary state of Afghanistan in the 20th century. Following the rise of power of Ghazi Amanullah Khan in 1919, the first elements of a democratic government in the country began to emerge, with the formation of a constitution and increased civil liberties. Amanullah's political reforms resulted in his overthrow and for much of the rest of the 20th century, until 1964, there was limited democratization in the country. With the establishment of a bicameral national legislature in 1964 by King Zahir Shah, political parties began to form; however, none of these reforms were lasting after Zahir Shah's removal from power in 1973 and the formation of an autocratic Afghanistan republic.
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747.