Durrani Empire: Map & History
The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Kingdom of Afghanistan, the Afghan Empire, or the Sadozai Kingdom, was an Afghan empire founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, of the Pashtun Durrani tribe.
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The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Kingdom of Afghanistan, the Afghan Empire, or the Sadozai Kingdom, was an Afghan empire founded in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, of the Pashtun Durrani tribe. The empire 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. Alongside the Ottoman Empire, the Durrani Empire is considered one of the most significant Islamic empires of the second half of the 18th century.
Modern Countries Once Part of Durrani Empire
At its mapped extent, Durrani Empire covered territory in 5 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Pakistan1752–1827 CE · nearly all
- Afghanistan1748–1827 CE · nearly all
- Turkmenistan1752–1790 CE · a large part
- India1757–1819 CE · a small part
- Iran1752–1796 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Durrani Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Durrani Empire in Depth
History
In 1709, Mirwais Hotak, chief of the Ghilji tribe of Kandahar Province, gained independence from the Safavid Persians. From 1722 to 1725, his son Mahmud Hotak briefly ruled large parts of Iran and declared himself as Shah of Persia. However, the Hotak dynasty came to a complete end in 1738 after being toppled and banished by the Afsharids who were led by Nader Shah Afshar of Persia.
Why all this verbose talk? God has created Ahmad Khan a much greater man than any of you; his life is the most noble of all the Afghan families. Maintain, therefore, God's work, for His wrath will weigh heavily upon you if you destroy it.
Ahmad Khan reputedly hesitated to accept the open decision of the jirga, so Sabir Khan again intervened.
Military
The Durrani military was based on cavalry armed with flintlocks who performed hit-and-run attacks, combining new technology in firearms with Turco-Mongol tactics. The core of the Durrani army were the 10,000 sher-bacha (blunderbuss)-carrying mounted ghulams (slave-soldiers) of which a third were previously Shia soldiers (Qizilbash) of Nader Shah. Many others were also former troops of Nader Shah. The bulk of the army were Afghan irregular tribal cavalry armed with lance and broadsword. Mounted archers were still used but were uncommon due to the difficulty of training them. Infantry played a very small role in the Durrani army and, with the exception of light swivel guns mounted on camels, the Zamburak, so did artillery.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Durrani Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Durrani Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Durrani Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Durrani Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 2,195,447 km² in 1766 CE.
Durrani Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Durrani Empire exist?
The Durrani Empire is dated to 1748 CE – 1827 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
What was the capital of the Durrani Empire?
The capital of the Durrani Empire was Kandahar (1747–1776), Kabul (1776–1823), Peshawar (1776–1823), Herat (1793–1863).
How large was the Durrani Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1766 the Durrani Empire covered about 2,195,447 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
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Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad