at its peak (1722–1729). It was established by the
Hotak-
Ghilji clan of the Bettani confederacy, and mainly encompassed parts of present-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan (
Durr-e Durrānī; the "
founder of Afghanistan"), following a
loya jirga held at
Kandahar in 1747. The modern Durrani tribe is named after him The origin of Pashtuns is unclear and obscure. The early ancestors of modern-day Pashtuns may have belonged to the old Iranian tribes that spread throughout the easternmost Iranian plateau, modern scholars have suggested that a common and singular origin is unlikely due to the Pashtuns historical existence as a tribal confederation. Various theories of varying credibility have been put forth, such descent from Saka, Hepthalites and Pakhtas. Often characterised as a warrior and
martial race, their history is mostly spread among various countries of the eastern
Iranian Plateau and the North West Indian Subcontinent. One theory suggests that the modern Ghilji lineages descended from the medieval
Khalaj or Khilji tribe. Some Bettani lineages, however, are said to have descended in part from the medieval
Ghorid people. The Bettani are named after their folkloric leader or ancestor,
Shaikh Bet Baba (claimed to be among the first
Pashto-language poets), who lived in the Altamur range, located between the
Logar and
Zurmat valleys. He is reported to have been buried in
Ghazni. In the 15th century, the Bettani are known to have mainly inhabited the Logar, Zurmat, and Ghazni regions. In the 16th century,
Taj Khan Karrani of the Karlani tribe founded the
Karrani dynasty, the last dynasty to rule the
Bengal Sultanate. Several Karlani clans served in the
Mughal army. The
Bhopal State, in the present-day
Madhya Pradesh state of Central India, was founded in 1723 by
Dost Mohammad Khan Mirazikhel. He was from the
Orakzai clan of the Karlani tribe, and was a mercenary in the Mughal army. After his death in 1728, his descendants, the
Nawabs of Bhopal, continued ruling the state until
Hamidullah Khan, the last sovereign nawab of the dynasty, officially
acceded the state to
India in 1949.
Ahmad Shah Durrani of the Sadozai clan سدوزائی یا سدھنof the
Abdali tribe (now known as "Durrani" after him) established the
Durrani Empire in 1747 with its capital at
Kandahar. Ahmad Shah adopted the title
Durr-e Durrānī ("pearl of pearls" or "pearl of the age"), and the name of his tribe
Abdali was changed to "Durrani" after him. Ahmad Shah is now regarded as the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan. He controlled areas from
Khorasan in the west up to
Kashmir and Delhi in the east, and from the
Amu Darya in the north up to the
Arabian Sea in the south. It was the second-greatest Muslim empire in the second half of the 18th century, surpassed in size only by the
Ottoman Empire. In 1826,
Dost Mohammad Khan, of the Barakzai clan of the Durrani tribe, founded the
Barakzai dynasty centered at
Kabul. The Barakzai dynasty ruled present-day Afghanistan until 1973 when
Mohammed Zahir Shah, the last Barakzai king, was overthrown in a bloodless coup by his own cousin
Mohammed Daoud Khan. The coup ended the
Barakzai kingdom and established the
Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978). The current
heir apparent and crown prince of the Barakzai kingdom (23 July 2007 – present) is
Ahmad Shah Khan. During the
Delhi Sultanate era, the Pashtun
Lodi dynasty replaced the
Turkic rulers in
North India. Some ruled from the
Bengal Sultanate. Majority Pashtuns fought the
Safavids and
Mughals before obtaining an
independent state in the early 18th century, which began with a successful revolution by
Mirwais Hotak followed by conquests of
Ahmad Shah Durrani. During the 19th and early 20th century, the
Barakzai dynasty found itself involved perforce between an
Anglo-
Russian military and diplomatic confrontation known as the "
Great Game". Pashtuns are the largest dominion
ethnic group in Afghanistan and ruled as the dominant ethno-linguistic group for over 300 years. ==See also==