Durrani Empire

In 1738, Nader Shah's conquest of Kandahar, defeating Hussain Hotaki, marked the absorption of Afghanistan into his empire, with Kandahar rebranded as Naderabad. This period also saw the young Ahmad Shah join Nader Shah's ranks during his Indian campaign. The assassination of Nader Shah in 1747 led to the disintegration of the Afsharid empire. Amidst this chaos, 25-year-old Ahmad Khan rallied the Afghans in a loya jirga near Kandahar, where he was chosen as their leader, thereafter known as Ahmad Shah Durrani. Under his leadership, the Durrani Empire, named after the Durrani tribe, emerged as a formidable force, uniting the Pashtun tribes. Ahmad Shah's notable victory against the Maratha Empire at the Battle of Panipat in 1761 further solidified his empire's strength.

Ahmad Shah Durrani's retirement in 1772 and subsequent death in Kandahar left the empire to his son, Timur Shah Durrani, who moved the capital to Kabul. However, the Durrani legacy was marred by internal strife among Timur's successors, leading to the empire's gradual decline. The Durrani Empire included territories across Central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and the Indian Subcontinent, encompassing present-day Afghanistan, much of Pakistan, parts of Iran and Turkmenistan, and northwestern India. It was considered alongside the Ottoman Empire as one of the most significant Islamic empires of the 18th century. The Durrani Empire is heralded as the foundation of the modern Afghan nation-state, with Ahmad Shah Durrani celebrated as the nation's Father.