The Afghan Civil War was fought from 9 June 1863 to January 1869. It began as a result of Dost Mohammad Khan's death on 9 June 1863 and the subsequent power struggles among his sons. Dost Mohammad consolidated his power in the second half of his reign within his inner family. His sons were appointed governors of provinces and effectively acted autonomous from the central government. This would inevitably lead to his sons fighting for control after his death.
46-425: Sher Ali Khan reached Kabul first and was enthroned as Emir . However, his half brothers Mohammad Afzal Khan (at the time serving as governor of Afghan Turkestan ) and Mohammad A'zam Khan conspired together against him and planned to seize the throne for themselves. In the spring of 1864 Sher 'Ali Khan discovered the correspondence between Azam Khan and Afzal Khan and marched north against them both. A'zam Khan
92-569: A battery of mountain guns and several howitzers by the British in 1868, Sher Ali realised the potential of breech-loading artillery and was determined to modernise Afghanistan 's arsenal. Whilst his early attempts failed, Sher Ali's craftsmen had soon established new workshops at the Bala Hissar Arsenal and began to produce four to five modern breechloaders each month. Despite his successes in producing relatively modern weapons and equipment,
138-741: A group of influential men to convince 'Amin Khan to accept the Amir's rule. This mission was unsuccessful, and 'Amin Khan gave secret orders that anyone along the Qandahar-Kabul road who was caught giving the Amir's entourage provisions should be punished. This act only resulted in Sher 'Ali Khan plundering the fields as far as Ghazni. While at Ghazni, he received a letter of apology from Mohammad A'zam Khan for his conduct. The Amir desired to see him in person and proceeded to Zurmat, whereupon A'zam Khan agreed to meet him if some of
184-757: A lack of competent officers and poor discipline meant the new cannons were quickly captured by the British during the Second Anglo-Afghan War . British forces captured more than 250 guns from the Afghans during their campaign. Sher Ali Khan's rule was hindered by pressure from both the British Empire and the Russian Empire , though Sher Ali Khan attempted to keep Afghanistan neutral during their conflict. His neutrality resulted in Afghanistan being invaded by
230-535: A pistol. Mohammad Afzal Khan prevented Aslam Khan from carrying out this assassination, but he made his own plans to prevent Sher 'Ali Khan from gaining the throne. Sher Ali Khan spent three days in mourning the passing of his father, before being enthroned on June 12, 1863, in the Friday Mosque of Herat . A'zam Khan obtained oaths of allegiance to Sher 'Ali Khan from the people in the mosque. However, he wrote to Afzal Khan at Balkh begging him to march on Kabul and take
276-399: A son of Wazir Akbar Khan , Fayz Muhammad Khan, defected to him. In September 1867 Fayz Mohammad Khan was defeated near Jabal Siraj , dying from a cannonball in the midst of the battle. However, shortly after this Mohammad Afzal Khan succumbed to cholera , and as a result Abdur Rahman Khan and Mohammad Azam Khan fought over the succession. This would give Sher 'Ali Khan a chance to take back
322-440: Is more likely that they were guerilla leaders of the revolt. 20 days after the execution, Jahandad Khan of Badakhshan learned of their arrest and sent an envoy to request they be freed. However, the envoy was harshly sent back to Badakhshan. 'Abd al-Rahman Khan sent 3,600 infantry and 3,000 cavalry against Jahandad Khan, first reaching Taleqan and then capturing the town of Farkar . Jahandad Khan had requested Bukharan aid to make
368-454: The Bamian district under the command of Najm al-Din and had left for Kabul, deserting him. His brother, Mohammad Hasan Khan, advised him to submit to the Amir, and Aslam Khan agreed on the condition that Hasan Khan should negotiate with the Amir on his behalf. Sher 'Ali Khan refused to compromise, and the remaining two regiments in the region deserted Aslam Khan. To make matters worse for Aslam Khan,
414-668: The British which started the Second Anglo-Afghan War . This war resulted in a British victory and a devastating loss to Afghanistan as Sher Ali Khan was forced to give away a large amount of territory to British India including the city of Quetta . In 1878, the fragile neutrality fell apart with Sher Ali Khan's resisting of British demands for Afghanistan to accept a permanent envoy in Kabul. The British viewing this as confirmation of Sher Ali Khan's inclination towards Russia, gathered their forces and marched on Kabul . Sher Ali Khan opted to leave Kabul in order to seek political and military aid from
460-642: The Chahar Wilayat . Fayz Mohammad Khan and Mohammad Zaman Khan, commanders at Sheberghan and Sar-i Pol respectively, defected to Sher 'Ali Khan. Shortly after, Ghazanfar Khan of Andkhui declared his independence and expelled the Afghan garrison from the city. Afzal Khan was forced to recall all troops to Aqcha and defend Balkh against Uzbek incursions. He would soon be faced with a revolt in Qataghan . The Mir Ataliq of Qunduz, who had been in exile for some time, saw
506-761: The Fitr and Nowruz festivals ended. In late February 1864, when Bukharan forces conquered the principality of Kulab , Afzal Khan aided the Bukharan army due to previous Kulabi raids on Qataghan and in return received the submission of the Mir Ataliq, who had fled there when the Qataghan rebellion was crushed a year previously. By March 1864, the relationship between Afzal Khan and Sher 'Ali Khan would finally explode. The Amir discovered correspondence between Afzal Khan and A'zam Khan, which included notes by A'zam Khan urging Afzal Khan to take
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#1732851264412552-522: The Logar district. Mohammad 'Ali Khan, the governor of Kabul, sent forces to apprehend him. As Logar's population began to switch allegiance, A'zam Khan retreated to his jagir (comprising the districts of Khost , Zurmat , and Kurram ). The soldiers sent after A'zam Khan stayed in Logar until further orders. Mohammad Aslam Khan also separated himself from the royal entourage as he intended to retire to his jagir in
598-535: The Second Anglo-Afghan War . During the war the Durrani tribes of Helmand fought on the side of Sher 'Ali Khan. On June 9, 1863, Dost Mohammad Khan died 12 days after the capture of Herat. Just before his death, he put a turban on Sher 'Ali Khan's head, calling him the "Lion of Ali". However, Sher 'Ali Khan's brothers opposed his succession. Reportedly, even before Dost Mohammad Khan was buried Sher 'Ali Khan's younger brother Mohammad Aslam Khan planned to kill him with
644-528: The Siraj al-Tawarikh , the garrison pelted the door of 'Abd al-Rahman Khan's house and looted property in the town, only being suppressed upon 'Abd al-Rahman Khan's troops arriving at the city. Afzal Khan forced the ruler of Andkhui, Ghazanfar Khan, to join the campaign against Maimana, disrupting the caravan routes with Bukhara. However, despite clashes between the Afghan and Maimanagi troops, neither side could gain an advantage. Afzal Khan began to lose much ground in
690-444: The mirs of Badakhshan to aid him), and 3,000 Qataghani troops were taken captive by the Afghans. Afzal Khan fined the region 12 lakh (1.2 million) rupees. Some Badakhshani remnants of the rebellion disguised themselves as merchants and had inflicted a number of casualties on the Afghan camp. However, they were eventually executed by being blown from cannons . The Siraj al-Tawarikh accuses them of being thieves but according to Lee, it
736-425: The Afghan conquest of the region, his claims were not regarded as genuine. This and the fact that opposition to Sher 'Ali Khan was scattered throughout the country allowed the Amir to divide and conquer his enemies. In Kurram, the Amir's forces invaded and occupied that district and forced A'zam Khan to flee to India . Mohammad 'Ali Khan, the son of the Amir, marched towards Bamiyan unopposed. As he marched members of
782-559: The Balkh army at Bajgah. His forces climbed the heights around the enemy, catching them while they were still sleeping and bombarding them with artillery. Na'ib Ghulam Ahmad Khan, who commanded the Balkh army, fled from the carnage. Afzal Khan, who heard the sounds further up the road, sent men to aid the devastated vanguard. However, they failed to send scouts ahead and moved right towards an ambush. Mohammad 'Ali Khan's artillery bombarded them, leaving very few survivors. Afzal Khan, realizing all hope
828-476: The Hazarajat. However he was intercepted and captured along the way and brought to the Amir's presence. Sher 'Ali Khan at first scolded him, but soon forgave him and restored his privileges. After four days Mohammad Aslam Khan escaped and joined his brother Sardar Mohammad Husain Khan. Mohammad 'Amin Khan, a half-brother of the Amir and the governor of Qandahar, was also dissatisfied with Sher 'Ali Khan. The Amir sent
874-454: The Hazaras revolted against him and forced him to ask help from Afzal Khan. Afzal Khan dispatched 1,000 men to protect Aslam Khan and his family, allowing them to be extradited to Turkestan. Although 'Abd al-Rahman Khan distrusted Aslam Khan and wished to see him gone, Afzal Khan shut down his complaints on the guise that he sought refuge and was unjust for him to be driven out. Around the time of
920-737: The Russian Empire. He died in Mazar-e Sharif trying to reach the Russian border, leaving the throne to his son Mohammad Yaqub Khan . This Afghanistan biographical article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Muzaffar bin Nasrullah Muzaffar bin Nasrullah ( Chagatai and Persian : مظفر بن نصرالله ) was the Uzbek ruler ( Emir ) of Bukhara from 1860 to 1885. His father
966-603: The Uzbek khanates of the region. As a result, the local rulers rebelled and for the most part sided with Sher 'Ali Khan throughout the war. Husain Khan Ming, the ruler of Maimana, defected to Sher 'Ali Khan and began to attack garrisons around Khairabad and Daulatabad . He was encouraged by the Emir of Bukhara, Muzaffar Khan , who promised a Bukharan army would cross the Amu Darya and liberate
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#17328512644121012-444: The administration as a brother ought to do. " A'zam Khan apologized for his misdeeds and promised to join the Amir's entourage after 3 months. He also gave his son, Mohammad Sarwar Khan, as a hostage. With affairs in the region settled, Sher 'Ali Khan proceeded to Kabul and entered the city. Meanwhile, Aslam Khan had gone over to his jagir in the Hazarajat. He soon found out that one of his regiments, consisting of 800 men, had plundered
1058-465: The area from the Afghans. At the same time, however, Afzal Khan sent ambassadors to Bukhara on possible assistance for his cause. In early August 1863, the Bukharans sent their own envoy to Takhtapul to discuss the alliance. However, the negotiations failed and Afzal Khan reneged on his promise for autonomy due to widespread revolts in the area, including a revolt by the garrison of Khanabad . According to
1104-463: The area. Sher 'Ali Khan also promised the native rulers of Afghan Turkestan autonomy in order for them to support his cause, sending Ishan Uraq to spread anti-Afzalid propaganda in the province. When Mohammad Afzal Khan heard of Sher Ali Khan's decision, he inserted his own name into the khutbah and marched towards Bajgah in order to reinforce it. He also tried to counter Ishan Uraq's propaganda with his own promises of autonomy, however due to his role in
1150-401: The city before Sher 'Ali Khan arrived. Mohammad Afzal Khan opposed Sher 'Ali Khan's ascension to the throne and sought help from the local Uzbek rulers of the area. In July 1863 he promised them autonomy in exchange for supporting his march on the Afghan capital. However, he had been the governor of Afghan Turkestan for quite some time and in fact was the primary instigator in the destruction of
1196-500: The civil war as an opportunity to take back Qataghan from Afghan domination. While Sher 'Ali Khan was still in Herat, the Mir Ataliq sent his son, Sultan Murad, into the area to stir up discontent. 'Abd al-Rahman Khan sent 3 infantry regiments, 1,000 cavalry, 12 field guns, and 2,000 khasadars under the leadership of Mohammad 'Alam Khan and Ghulam Mohammad Khan to suppress the revolt. Mohammad 'Alam Khan marched ahead and reached Nahrin before
1242-505: The emir maintained peaceful relations with the Russian Empire . A number of Russian embassies were sent to him. The reception ceremonies for the ambassadors were carried out in the Uzbek language. In 1873, he was forced by the Russians to ban the Bukharan slave trade ; he was also obliged to promise the Russians to abolish slavery itself in 1883, but never did so. Emir Muzaffar himself honored
1288-505: The field. The bitter battle lasted into the evening, and the Afghan forces adopted the British tactic of the infantry square , tearing into Qataghani forces. As a result, 10,000 Qataghanis were killed or wounded while only 21 Afghans (Mohammad 'Alam Khan and his companions) were killed and 10 were wounded. The battle of Nahrin shattered the revolt and the locals were forced to submit. Sultan Murad fled with 6,000 men (3,000 of which had been sent by
1334-646: The internal weakness of the Bukhara Emirate soon came to light. From 1868, the Bukhara Emirate was subordinated to Tsarist Russia. Despite repeated attempts to change military tactics and the support of Turkish military specialists, the Bukhara troops were defeated three times by the troops of the Russian Empire under the leadership of K.P. von Kaufmann in the battles of Irjar (1866), Chupan Ata (1868) and Zerabulak (1868). From July 1868 until his death in 1885,
1380-491: The loss of the Chahar Wilayat showed the reality of the situation. He was forced to proclaim the khutbah and strike coins in Sher 'Ali Khan's name. Sher 'Ali Khan stayed in Herat for a few months before leaving for Kabul, appointing his son, Mohammad Yaqub Khan as governor of Herat. Mohammad A'zam Khan, dissatisfied with the Amir, left his camp and proceeded in the direction of Kabul; eventually he reached Baraki Rajan in
1426-435: The mirdom a Bukharan protectorate, but he was informed that Badakhshan was in Kabul's sphere of influence and he should submit to them, although if they were oppressed by Kabul the Bukharan government would intervene. Jahandad Khan was forced into submission and was to pay tribute to the Afghans, aiming to avoid the fate of the Mir Ataliq. In the end though, by September 1863 Afzal Khan was forced to submit to Sher 'Ali Khan, as
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1472-431: The nobility would visit A'zam Khan. Sher 'Ali Khan acceded to his request, and A'zam Khan was received with due honor. Sher Ali Khan said to him: " You were the first to pledge allegiance to me, and you called upon all the people to do the same. Now, you are the first to desert me. If you have a desire to ascend the throne, you are welcome, and I will serve you as a loyal and obedient brother; otherwise you should help me in
1518-505: The power of the Barakzai sardars. He didn't allow his sons to administer provinces and instead appointed governors loyal to him. He also had a council of 12 members to advise him on matters of state. He created various ministerial offices like Prime Minister (Sadr-i Azam/صدر اعظم), minister of finance, minister of the interior, minister of war, minister of foreign affairs, and minister of the treasury. Under Sher Ali Khan's reign, Afghanistan
1564-466: The reign of Muzaffar, his Qushbegi (prime minister), Muhammad Biy (1811-1889), a Persian by origin, enjoyed great influence. Having unlimited influence over Muzaffar, he was able to bring other members of his family to higher positions. The beginning of the reign of Emir Muzaffar was accompanied by some successes in foreign policy. With the support of Bukhara, Khudayar Khan came to power in Kokand. However,
1610-423: The rest of the army. However, he and his 200 horsemen had ridden into an ambush. 2,000 Uzbek cavalry charged towards him. Mohammad 'Alam Khan's cavalry deserted him until he had only 20 left, and they were all massacred by the Uzbek swords. They attempted to seize Mohammad 'Alam Khan's head but suffered 300 casualties due to the main Afghan army arriving. The next day, the Afghans faced the 40,000 Qataghani troops in
1656-418: The revolt and managed to kill Muhammad Amin Khan, Sher Ali's son and heir was also killed, which took a toll on his mental health resulting in his abdication. Mohammad Afzal Khan's forces took advantage of this to defeat Sher 'Ali Khan's forces in the spring of 1866 and take Kabul. Sher Ali Khan would continue to suffer defeat after defeat although gaining some success when the new governor of Afghan Turkestan and
1702-478: The revolt of Sultan Mohammad Khan Mohmand, Ata Mohammad Khan of Najil rebelled and fortified his stronghold. Sardar Mohammad 'Ali Khan, son of Sher 'Ali Khan and the governor of Jalalabad , sent troops to Laghman . They destroyed the fort and seized Ata Mohammad Khan. Afzal Khan's submission to Sher 'Ali Khan finally restored, if only temporarily, peace towards the province in the winter of 1863/64. Rumors continued to circle that Afzal Khan would march on Kabul once
1748-509: The royal family switched their allegiance to him, such as Sardar Wali Mohammad (who commanded the garrison of Takhtapul). When he reached Saighan , he took a defensive position south of the Bajgah pass in order to wait for reinforcements. The Balkh army began raiding his camp, seeing their forces as stronger. These raids riled up his men, who forced Mohammad 'Ali Khan to allow them to retaliate. On May 17, 1864, Mohammad 'Ali Khan launched an attack on
1794-458: The throne, and a letter from Afzal Khan stating that he planned to march towards Kabul around April 24. Sher Ali Khan had the conspirators arrested, and on March 20 he held a conference with his closest advisors on what to do with the rebellious Afghan princes. The following day on March 21, Sher Ali Khan sent his son Mohammad 'Ali Khan from Jalalabad to attack Bajgah and gave Mohammad Yaqub Khan orders to oppose Afzal Khan if he attempted to attack
1840-620: The throne. He developed a plan: The local rulers of Turkestan would resist Abd al-Rahman Khan for as long as possible, while he would recapture Qandahar and march on Kabul. His plan worked, and in May 1868 the armies of Sher Ali Khan entered Kandahar in triumph while Abd al-Rahman Khan was stuck besieging Maimana . From there A'zam Khan's fall was rapid. His armies were routed and Sher 'Ali Khan triumphantly entered Kabul on 8 September 1868. Mohammad A'zam Khan fled to Iran and died there, while 'Abd al-Rahman Khan fled to Samarqand , living there in exile until
1886-466: The title of Amir. Sher Ali Khan's reign as Amir is often remembered for his attempts at reforming Barakzai rule in Afghanistan. Changes brought during the period of Sher Ali Khan's rule include the creation of government posts, military reform, the introduction of the first postal service in Afghanistan and the first attempts of an Afghan leader at promoting the Pashto language. Sher Ali Khan tried to limit
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1932-465: Was Amir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 until his death in 1879. He was one of the sons of Dost Mohammed Khan , founder of the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan. Sher Ali Khan was born into a Pashtun Barakzai family. Initially he seized power after his father died, but was quickly ousted by his older brother, Mohammad Afzal Khan . Afghan Civil War (1863-1869) followed and ended after Sher Ali Khan defeated his brother and regained
1978-498: Was Emir Nasrullah . Emir Nasrullah died in 1860 and was succeeded by his son Muzaffar. Having entrenched himself on the throne, Emir Muzaffar removed the senior officials appointed by his father from their posts, confiscated their property and appointed his loyal people in their places. However, the city of Shakhrisabz became independent. With great difficulty, he suppressed the separatist movement in Hisar , Kulab and Baljuvan . During
2024-577: Was defeated in Khost and fled to India , but Sher Ali Khan changed his mind and settled his dispute with Mohammad Afzal Khan after a battle at Bajgah in the late spring of 1864. However, the prospect of peace was ruined when Abdur Rahman Khan , the son of Mohammad Afzal Khan, made plans to overthrow Sher Ali Khan. Afzal was imprisoned and Rahman fled to Bukhara to escape the same fate. In 1865 Sher Ali Khan moved against Kandahar to defeat his rebellious uterine brother , Muhammad Amin Khan. Although he crushed
2070-410: Was divided into 5 provinces: Kabul, Herat, Afghan Turkestan, Kandahar, and Farah. Formerly Farah had been subject to Herat, but instead he made it a separate province and gave it to his cousin, Sardar Mohammad Afzal (not to be confused with Mohammad Afzal Khan ). During his reign, Sher Ali Khan embarked on a project to modernise his armed forces, standardising uniforms and equipment. After being gifted
2116-522: Was lost, led his army in retreat towards Doab . Mohammad 'Ali Khan reported to his father on the victory at Bajgah and a 51-gun salute was fired in Kabul in recognition of his services. Five days later he marched towards Rui , a holdout of the Balkh army's remnants, and annihalated them. Local leaders, such as Sultan Murad of Qunduz and Hakim Khan of Sheberghan , came to tender their submission. Sher Ali Khan Sher Ali Khan ( Persian and Pashto : شیر علی خان ; c. 1825 – 21 February 1879)
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