The Barakzai dynasty (, "Sons of Barak"), also known as the Muhammadzai dynasty ("the ruling sub-clan of the

Barakzai Bārakzai (, plur. , ) is the name of a Pashtun tribe from present-day Kandahar, Afghanistan. '"Barakzai" is a common name among the Pashtuns and it means "son of Barak" in Pashto. According to the Encyclopædia Iranica, "In the detailed Pash ...

"), ruled what is now

Afghanistan 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 Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

from 1823 to 1978, when the monarchy ended

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' (; ; ) describes practices that are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. The phrase is often used in contrast with '' de facto'' ('from fa ...

under

Musahiban The Musahiban (mus-hi-been; the name derives from Persian ''Muṣāḥib'', meaning "courtier" or "aide de camp") are a Mohammadzai family who founded the Afghan Barakzai dynasty, and members of the royal lineage that ruled Afghanistan as emir, ...

Mohammad Zahir Shah Mohammad Zāhir Shāh (15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning from 8 November 1933 until he was deposed on 17 July 1973. Ruling for 40 years, Zahir Shah was the longest-serving ruler of Afghanistan since t ...

and de facto under his cousin

Mohammad Daoud Khan Mohammad Daoud Khan (Dari/) also romanized as Daud Khan or Dawood Khan; 18July 190928April 1978) was an Afghan head of state, military officer and politician who served as prime minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and, as leader of the 1973 ...

. The Barakzai dynasty was established by

Dost Mohammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/; 23 December 1792 – 8 June 1863), 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 ...

after the

Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Afghan Empire, or the Saddozai Kingdom, was an Afghanistan, Afghan empire founded by the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns under Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, which spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian ...

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

was removed from power. As the

Pahlavi era The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

in Iran, the Muhammadzai era was known for its progressivist modernity, practice of

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

, peaceful security and

neutrality Neutral or neutrality may refer to: Mathematics and natural science Biology * Neutral organisms, in ecology, those that obey the unified neutral theory of biodiversity Chemistry and physics * Neutralization (chemistry), a chemical reaction in ...

, in which Afghanistan was referred to as the "Switzerland of Asia".

History and background

Ancestral background

The Barakzai claim descent from the children of Israel in a direct line through the first Israeli King Saul, whose family intermarried with the family of his successor

King David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

. King Saul's grandson the Prince (Malak) Afghana was grown up by

King Solomon King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...

, acting as his commander in chief and Manager in the construction of the

Temple Mount The Temple Mount (), also known as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, 'Haram al-Sharif'), and sometimes as Jerusalem's holy esplanade, is a hill in the Old City of Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem that has been venerated as a ...

. However Prince Afghana sought refuge in a place called "Takht-e-Sulaiman", where he settled as Exil Arch. A direct descendant of Prince Afghana in the 37th generation called Qais heard of the message of the

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

and visited him in

Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...

h. Qais regarded Muhammad as the awaited

Moschiach The Messiah in Judaism () is a savior and liberator figure in Jewish eschatology who is believed to be the future redeemer of the Jews. The concept of messianism originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible a messiah is a king or High Priest o ...

and embraced

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

under him. He changed his name

Qais Qais () is an Arabic given name meaning lover or firm. “Qays” and “Qaiss” are alternatives of Qais. Notable people with the name include: *Imru' al-Qais (496-565), Arabic poet in the 6th century ** Imru al-Qays (disambiguation), for namesak ...

to Abdul Rashid Pathan and married a daughter of

Khalid bin Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career servin ...

. Qais Abdur Rashid's descendant Sulaiman, also known as "Zirak Khan" is regarded as the forefather of the Durrani Pashtuns to whom the Barakzai also belonged, next to the

Popalzai Popalzai or Popalzay (), also known as Popal, are Durrani (formerly called Abdali or Bor Tareen) Pashtuns of Afghanistan. The Popalzai are part of the Zirak confederation of Pashtun tribes. The origin of the Abdali forefathers of the Saddozai ...

and

Alakozai Alakozai ( - meaning ''descendant of Alako'' in Pashto) is a Pashtun tribe in Afghanistan. They are one of the four tribes of the Zirak tribal confederacy of Durrani Pashtuns. Variations Spelling variations include Alakozi, Alakoozi, Alekozai, ...

. It is through Sulaiman's son Barak, that the Barakzai derive their name from, because Barakzai means "children of Barak".

Naming Afghanistan

It was in honor of their ancestor Prince Afghana of Israel, whom some Muslims venerate as a Saint that the first Barakzai King Sultan Mohammed Khan and his brother

Dost Mohammed Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/; 23 December 1792 – 8 June 1863), 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 ...

named their Kingdom "Afghanistan", a fact some

Afghans Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...

tried to hide because of international

antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

sentiments that were present in the late 19th century, peaking in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in the form of

Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

Political background

The Barakzai dynasty was the line of rulers in Afghanistan in the 19th and 20th centuries. Following the fall of the

in 1823, chaos reigned in the domains of

Afghan Empire Afghan or Afgan may refer to: Related to Afghanistan *Afghans, historically refers to the Pashtun people. It is both an ethnicity and nationality. Ethnicity wise, it refers to the Pashtuns. In modern terms, it means both the citizens of Afghanist ...

as various sons of

Timur Shah Timur Shah Durrani (; ;), also known as Timur Shah Abdali or Taimur Shah Abdali (December 1746 – 20 May 1793) was the second ruler of the Afghan Durrani Empire, from November 1772 until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second e ...

struggled for supremacy. The Afghan Empire ceased to exist as a single

nation state A nation state, or nation-state, is a political entity in which the State (polity), state (a centralized political organization ruling over a population within a territory) and the nation (a community based on a common identity) are (broadly ...

, disintegrating for a brief time into a fragmented collection of small units.

gained preeminence alongside his brother,

Sultan Mohammad Khan Sultan Mohammad Khan (Pashto/ Persian: ; 1795 – 1861), also known as Ghazi Sardar Sultan Mohammad Talaei, and known by his epithet, Sultan Mohammad Khan the Golden, was an Afghan chief minister and regent. He was a powerful half-brother of Dost ...

in 1823.

would found the Barakzai dynasty in about 1837. Thereafter, his descendants ruled in direct succession until 1929, when King

Amanullah Khan Ghazi (warrior), Ghazi Amanullah Khan (Pashto/Dari: ; 1 June 1892 – 26 April 1960) was the head of state, sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emirate of Afghanistan, Emir and after 1926 as Kingdom of Afghanistan, King, until his abdic ...

and his brother

Inayatullah Khan Inayatullah Khan (Pashto/Dari: ), (20 October 1888 – 12 August 1946) was the King of Afghanistan for three days in January 1929. He was the son of former Afghan Emir, Habibullah Khan. Inayatullah's brief reign ended with his abdication. ...

abdicated and their cousin

Mohammed Nadir Shah Mohammad Nadir Shah (Pashto/Dari: محمد نادر شاه April 1883 – 8 November 1933) 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 ...

secured the throne after defeating

Habibullah Kalakani Habibullah () also spelled Habib Ullah, Habibollah, Habeeb-Allah, is a male Muslim given name meaning in ''Beloved of God'', stemming from the male form of the name Habib. It may refer to: People named Habib Ullah * Habib Ullah Khan (politici ...

. The most prominent and powerful sub-clan of the Barakzai Pashtun tribe is the

Mohammadzai Mohammadzai (), also spelled Moḥammadzay (meaning "descendants of Mohammad"), 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 Af ...

, from which the 1823–1973 Afghanistan ruling dynasty comes. Prior the seizing of the Durrani empire by the Barakzai dynasty, Loy Qandahar was captured by the Dil Brothers,

Sardar Pur Dil Khan Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

Sardar Kohan Dil Khan Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

Sardar Sher Dil Khan Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

Sardar Mir Dil Khan Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

Sardar Rahim Dil Khan Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

, in the year 1818 and declared their independence, which lasted as an independent state until 1855, when Amir Dost Mohammad Khan unified Qandahar with Kabul. At the start of Barakzai rule over

Emirate of Kabul The Emirate of Afghanistan, known as the Emirate of Kabul until 1855, was an emirate in Central Asia and South Asia that encompassed present-day Afghanistan and parts of present-day Pakistan (before 1893). The emirate emerged from the Durrani ...

in March 1823, the Afghans lost their former stronghold of the

Peshawar Valley The Valley of Peshawar (; ) is a broad area situated in the central part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The valley is in area, and is traversed by the Kabul River. It has a mean elevation of . The valley takes its name from the c ...

to the

Sikh Khalsa Army The Sikh Khalsa Army (), also known as Khalsaji or simply Sikh Army, was the military force of the Sikh Empire. With its roots in the Khalsa founded by Guru Gobind Singh, the army was later modernised on Franco-British principles by Maharaja Ranji ...

Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia M ...

at the

Battle of Nowshera The Battle of Nowshera (; , ) was fought in Nowshera in March 1823 collectively by the Yusufzai and Khattak tribesmen, supported by the Peshawar sardars, alongside Azim Khan Barakzai, the Afghan governor of Peshawar, where they would face ...

. The Afghan forces in the battle were supported by

Azim Khan Sardar Mohammad Azim Khan Barakzai () was the last Durrani Afghan governor of Kashmir (1812–1819). He was the second son of the Barakzai chief Payinda Sarfaraz Khan, while his elder brother Fateh Khan was the kingmaker and Vizier to Mahmud S ...

, half-brother of Dost Mohammad Khan. During the Barakzai era, Afghanistan saw much of its territory lost to the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in the south and east,

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

in the west, and Russia in the north. There were also many conflicts within Afghanistan, including the three major

Anglo-Afghan wars Anglo-Afghan Wars may refer to: * Expedition of Shah Shujah Durrani (1833–1834) * First Anglo-Afghan War (1838–1842) * Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) * Hazara Expedition (1888) * Chitral Expedition (1895) * Tochi Expedition (1897� ...

and the 1928–29 civil war.

Definition and cadet branches

The Royal Barakzai or "Muhammadzai" are the descendants of the founder of the Barakzai dynasty the Emir ul Umara (Emir of all Emirs) Payindah Mohammed Khan, who plotted against the Durrani Imperial Family, proclaiming himself Emir. The hereditary title

Sardar Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...

(

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

) is bestowed upon all descendants of Emir Payindah Mohammed.

Seraj

The Seraj cadet-branch are the descendants of Emir

, who alongside his predecessor and brother

consolidated Barakzai rule in Afghanistan. The Seraj were mainly the Emirs of the first

Emirate of Afghanistan The Emirate of Afghanistan, known as the Emirate of Kabul until 1855, was an emirate in Central Asia and South Asia that encompassed present-day Afghanistan and parts of present-day Pakistan (before 1893). The emirate emerged from the Durrani ...

that ended with the Saqqawist Coup led by

. With support from the royal family, the Telai cadet branch killed Kalakani and re-established the second Barakzai Kingdom.

Telai

The Telai cadet-branch are the descendants of

"Telai", 2nd Emir of Afghanistan succeeding his father Payindah Mohammed Khan. The descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Yahya Khan Telai ( Yahya-Khel) to whom Nadir Shah and

Zahir Shah Mohammad Zāhir Shāh (15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning from 8 November 1933 until he was deposed on 17 July 1973. Ruling for 40 years, Zahir Shah was the longest-serving ruler of Afghanistan since t ...

belonged were closely related to

through marriages. Sardar Telai

Another Telai branch that had immense power in Afghanistan's military was that of His Royal Highness Field Marshal Prince Abdul Aziz Khan Telai and his children. Prince Abdul Aziz Telai was son of the Afghan King HM Sultan Mohammed Khan Telai and acted as a Field Marshal of the Afghan Army, preceding his grand-nephew Muhammad Nadir Shah as Minister of war under his other grand-nephew

King Amanullah Khan Ghazi Amanullah Khan (Pashto/Dari: ; 1 June 1892 – 26 April 1960) was the sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emir and after 1926 as King, until his abdication in 1929. After the end of the Third Anglo-Afghan War in August 1919, Afgh ...

. Prince Abdul Aziz additionally acted as Governor of

Kandahar Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...

and

Badakhshan Badakhshan is a historical region comprising the Wakhan Corridor in northeast Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in China. Badakhshan Province is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Much of historic ...

. His eldest son was Prince Abdul Qayyum Khan, who acted as Governor of many central Afghan Provinces. Prince Abdul Qayyum Khan's son was the Afghan father of physics and Royal Afghan UN ambassador Professor Prince Abdul Khalek Khan Telai, who was a

Murid In Sufism, a (Arabic ) is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title , or . A or Sufi follower only becomes a when he makes a pledge () to a . The equivalent Pers ...

(religious novice) of his father-in-law Mir Muhammad Jan son of Mir Fazlullah Agha. Prince Abdul Khalek's descendants consequently call themselves the Mir Muhammad Jan Khel and chose the surname Dakik (Persian for "Exact") after the

Saur Revolution The Saur Revolution (; ), also known as the April Revolution or the April Coup, was a violent coup d'état and uprising staged on 27–28 April 1978 (, ) by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), which overthrew President of Afghan ...

. Next to the title Sultan (above

/Prince but below

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

/King), they also bear the title

Mir ''Mir'' (, ; ) was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russia, Russian Federation. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to ...

and

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

to denote their descent to

through General Mir Muhammad Jan.Buyers in Royal Ark, Chapter: Telai IIIAdamek in Who is Who in Afghanistan Another known son of Prince Abdul Aziz was Field Marshal Prince Amir Muhammad Khan Telai, who proclaimed himself Shah in exile in Peshawar contesting the rule of his rival cousin

Mohammad Nadir Shah Mohammad Nadir Shah (Pashto/Dari: محمد نادر شاه April 1883 – 8 November 1933) 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 1 ...

, siding with the

. His son Assadullah, whose nickname was "Sharza" became a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

in the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, representing Telai interests in

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. Another well known son of Prince Abdul Aziz was Brigade General Sardar Abdul Ghafar Khan, who acted as commander of the Personal Royal Brigade of his cousin King Nadir Shah. Prince Abdul Ghafar Khan executed the Amanist Charkhi family, who had plotted against his cousin HM King Nadir Shah. These executions made by Prince Abdul Ghaffar Khan led to Ghulam Nabi Khan Charkhi's daughter convincing a Hazara Amanist called Abdul Khaliq Hazaragi to take revenge for the Charkhi family's massacre and murder King Nadir Shah.

Shaghasi

The Shaghasi cadet-branch is another prominent and powerful sub-tribe of Barakzai, descending from the brothers of Emir Sultan Mohammed Khan and Emir Dost Mohammed Khan. Shaghasi Khel are descendants of Mirdaad Khan Barakzai, ''Işik Aqasi'' (Minister of the Royal Court "Chemberlain") during the reign of the Kandahari ''Sardars'' ( Dost Muhammad Khan's brothers), as well as the reign of

Dost Muhammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/; 23 December 1792 – 8 June 1863), 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 ...

1863 – 1866 and 1868 – 1879. His father, Bazar Khan Barakzai was a local Barakzai chief, and his grandfather was ''Sardar'' Yasin Khan ''Omar Khanzai'' (Barakzai)'','' resident of Maruf District (at that time part of Arghistan District) of Kandahar, and one of the notable Sardars of Kandahar during the reigns of

Timur Shah Durrani Timur Shah Durrani (; ;), also known as Timur Shah Abdali or Taimur Shah Abdali (December 1746 – 20 May 1793) was the second ruler of the Afghan Durrani Empire, from November 1772 until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second e ...

and brother to Muhammad of the

. The Shaghasi's were even more powerful than the Mohammadzai's during the ruling of Emir

Sher Ali Khan Sher Ali Khan (Dari/; c. 1825 – 21 February 1879) 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. Life Sher Al ...

– Emir of Afghanistan, and Emir

– Emir of Afghanistan (February 28, 1919 – 1926), later King of Afghanistan (1926 – January 14, 1929). Prominent Afghan historian, Abdul Hai Habibi denotes that during King

's reign, the former governor of Kabul was Mahmoud Khan Yawar and the later one was Ali Ahmad Khan (both Shaghasi) Barakzai. Abdul Aziz Khan (later Minister of war, and Prime Minister, Mohammad Sarwar Khan and Abdul Karim Khan were ''Naib -ul- Hukuma's'' (all of them were Shaghasi) Barakzai. In Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat Abdul Karim and Mohammad Ibrahim Khan (later Minister) were also ''Khan Naib -ul- Hukuma's,'' and Abdul Rahman and Nik Mohammad Khan were ''Firqa Meshar'' (all of them were Shaghasi) Barakzai. Abdul Karim Khan in Paktya, and Dost Mahammad Khan Nazim (later ''Naib'' ''Salar, Sipah'' HRH Field Marshal Prince Abdul Aziz Khan Telai

HRH Field Marshal Prince Abdul Aziz Khan Telai

''Salar, Dar-ul-Adalat, and Hakim-e-Ala'') in Ghazni, Uruzgan and Kandahar were equally (Shaghasi) Barakzai, Mohammad Alam Khan in Lugar and Kuchi and other governors were the same. To the Shaghasi Khel is related King Amanullah Khan's mother Queen Sarwar Sultana Begum, ''Siraj'' ''ul-Khwatin'', the ''Aliya'' ''Hazrat'' (''b''. at Kabul, 1875; ''d''. at Istanbul, Turkey, 1965), eldest daughter of ''Loinab'' Sher Dil Khan Shaghasi, by his third wife, Benazir Begum, a lady from the Popalzai clan. Ali Ahmad Khan ''Shaghasi'' (1883–1929) who was declared Emir of Afghanistan twice in 1929 son of General ''Loinab'' Khushdil Khan, sometime Governor of Kabul and Kandahar, by his wife Sahira Begum, daughter of ''Amir al-Mumenin, Amir al-Kabir,'' Amir Dost Muhammad Khan, Amir of Afghanistan, by his wife, a daughter of Agha Muhammad Qizilbash was also Shaghasi Barakzai. Ali Ahmad's sister, ''the Ulya Mukhadara'' Zarin Jan Begum was the mother of

Humaira Begum Humaira Begum (; 24 July 1918 – 26 June 2002) was the wife and first cousin of King Mohammed Zahir Shah and the last Queen of Afghanistan. Marriage Humaira Begum was the daughter of ''Sardar'' Ahmad Shah Khan, brother of the royal consort ...

who was the Queen consort of Afghanistan.

List of Barakzai rulers

Principality of Qandahar The Principality of Kandahar () was a state that existed in Kandahar from 1818 to 1855. It was ruled by the Dil brothers, members of the Barakzai dynasty, as a confederation. In 1855 the principality was conquered by the Kabul-based half-brother ...

(1818–1855)

(Emirate of Kabul 1823–1855)

Kingdom of Afghanistan The Kingdom of Afghanistan (; ) was a monarchy in Southern Central Asia that was established in 1926 as a successor state to the Emirate of Afghanistan. It was proclaimed by its first king, Amanullah Khan, seven years after he acceded to the ...

(1926–1929) Saqqawist Emirate and the 1928–1929 civil war

(restored; 1929–1973) Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)

Heads of the House of Barakzai since 1973

Mohammed Daoud Khan Mohammad Daoud Khan (Dari/) also romanized as Daud Khan or Dawood Khan; 18July 190928April 1978) was an Afghan head of state, military officer and politician who served as prime minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and, as leader of the 19 ...

As first president of Afghanistan, renouncing the title

after taking power (1973–1978) *Abdul Khaliq Khan, for Saratanists as lone Barakzai survivor of the Saur Purge (1978–1992) *

Mohammed Zahir Shah Mohammad Zāhir Shāh (15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007) was the last King of Afghanistan, reigning from 8 November 1933 until he was deposed on 17 July 1973. Ruling for 40 years, Zahir Shah was the longest-serving ruler of Afghanistan since t ...

(17 July 1978 – 23 July 2007) *

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Sardar Ahmad Shah Khan (

1964 Constitution of Afghanistan The 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan was the supreme law of the Kingdom of Afghanistan from 1964 to 1973. It was annulled following a coup d'état, though parts of the constitution were restored by future governments from 2002 to 2004 and from 202 ...

) (23 July 2007 – 4 June 2024) * Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan (4 June 2024 – Present)

Languages

The principal language of the Barakzai is

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

. Formerly,

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

was used as the language for records and correspondence; until the late nineteenth century tombstones were also inscribed in Persian. The language of the Barakzai tribes in Pishin,

Quetta Quetta is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is the ninth largest city in Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 1.6 million in 2024. It is situated in the south-west of the country, lying in a ...

Gulistan Gulistan, Golestan or Golastan () means "flower land" in Persian language (''gol'' meaning "flower", and ''-stan'' meaning "land"). It may refer to: Places Iran "Golestan" most often refers to: *Golestan province in northeast Iran. * Goles ...

and Dukki (District. Loralai) is just like the language spoken in

. Those who have settled away from Pishin speak local languages (Pushto), such as

Multani Multani may refer to: People With the surname * Ali Haider Multani (1690–1785), Punjabi Sufi poet * Ayn al-Mulk Multani, commander of the Delhi Sultanate in India * Har Karan Ibn Mathuradas Kamboh Multani, writer during the Mughal Empire Ethni ...

or Saraiki in

Multan Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...

Hindko Hindko (, , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Pun ...

Hazara Hazara may refer to: Places and ethnic groups Afghanistan * Hazaras, an ethnic group and a principal component of the population of Afghanistan ** Hazarajat, or Hazaristan, a historic region of Afghanistan ** List of Hazara tribes Pakistan * H ...

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

and Sindhi in

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

. Barakzai, a dialect of

, is the language spoken by

Harnai Harnai (, ) town serves as the administrative headquarters of Harnai District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Until 2007, the town was in Sibi District. It is located in the northeast of Balochistan province. The town is surrounded ...

Barakzai.

Religion

The Barakzai are adherents to the Sunni Sufi branch of Islam, following mostly the Hanafi school of Jurispudence and Maturidi school of theology. In the history

Ata Mohammad Khan Barakzai, another brother of Sultan Mohammed Khan Telai, acting as Governor of

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

under

Shah Shuja Durrani Shah Shuja Durrani (Pashto/ Persian: ; November 1785 – 5 April 1842) was the ruler of the Durrani Empire from 1803 to 1809. He then ruled from 1839 until his death in 1842. A son of Timur Shah Durrani, Shuja was of the Saddozai line of the A ...

issued coins in honor of the Sufi Saint

Nund Rishi Nund Rishi ( c. 1377 – c. 1438; born Noor-ud-Din) was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher. Nund Rishi was among the founders of the Rishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region, and is also known by the titles ''Sheikh- ...

and renovated his shrine. Some Barakzai including the Mir Muhammad Jan Khel sub-cadet branch of the Telai (known by the surname Dakik) are following the Hanbali school of jurispudence and Athari school of Theology.

Custodianship of the Hazrat Ali Mazar

Sufis Sufism ( or ) is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, and asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as "Sufis" (from , ), and ...

the Barakzais are devotees of

's cousin and son in law

Ali ibn Abi Talib Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until Assassination of Ali, his assassination in 661, as well as the first imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muha ...

, who according to

is buried in Mazar Sharif. The

Emirs Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

and

Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Kings: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations. *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'', an 11th-century epic Persia ...

acted as custodians of the " Hazrat Ali Mazar". Kings who are buried in the Hazrat Ali Shrine Complex are the following: *

Wazir Akbar Khan Wazir Akbar Khān (1816–1847) also known as Mohammad Akbar Khān or Amīr Akbar Khān was a Barakzai prince and military commander who served as emir of Afghanistan from 1842 to 1843. He also served as vizier and heir apparent to his fathe ...

It is because of this emphasis made by the Barakzai that some claim that the Mosque in the

Afghan Flag The national flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (; ), adopted on 15 August 2021 due to the Taliban's victory in the 2001–2021 war, features a white field with a black ''Shahada'' inscribed. Since the 20th century, Afghanistan has cha ...

stands for the Hazrat Ali Mazar.

Anti-fundamentalism

Although many Barakzai were practicing the faith of Islam, and integrating conservative

Sharia Law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...

in their legal system, they were known for their anti-

fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...

policies, regarding fundamentalists as primarily politically motivated, rather than religiously motivated. Abdur Rahman Khan's chief justice Sayyid Mir Fazlullah Agha contributed essentially to the definition of the conservative

ratio legis In mathematics, a ratio () shows how many times one number contains another. For example, if there are eight oranges and six lemons in a bowl of fruit, then the ratio of oranges to lemons is eight to six (that is, 8:6, which is equivalent to the ...

of the Emirate of Afghanistan, that was later adopted in the Kingdom. Sayyid Mir Fazlullah Agha was especially suspicious towards fundamentalist Shiite Movements, whom he regarded as fundamentalist proxies of the Shiite Qajar Dynasty. He was also credited for anti-corruption enforcement and

rule of law The essence of the rule of law is that all people and institutions within a Body politic, political body are subject to the same laws. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". Acco ...

in Afghanistan by forcing

Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan (Pashto: ) (between 1840 and 1844 – 1 October 1901) also known by his epithet, The Iron Amir, was Amir of Afghanistan from 1880 to his death in 1901. He is known for perpetrating the Hazara genocide, but also uniting the ...

to adhere to the Law despite being a King. Under Prince Daoud Khan's regime,

fundamentalists Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...

were regarded as political enemies of the regime, being suppressed along with

Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...

Royal standards

National flags

Flag of Afghanistan pre-1901.svg, Flag of Afghanistan before 1901 Flag of Afghanistan (1919-1928).svg, Flag of Afghanistan after 1901 File:Flag of Afghanistan 1930.svg, Flag of Afghanistan during His Majesty King Zahir Shah's Kingdom Flag of Afghanistan (1974–1978).svg, Flag of Afghanistan under His Royal Highness Prince Daoud Khan's regime

Coat of arms

File:Emblem of Afghanistan (1919-1926).svg, Emblem of the

File:Emblem of Afghanistan (1931–1973).svg, Emblem of the

File:Emblem of Afghanistan (1974-1978) new.svg, Emblem of Prince Daoud Khan's regime

Private standards

File:Royal standard of Afghan Kings(1931~1973).svg, Private Standard of His Majesty King Zahir Shah and Sardar Ahmad Shah Khan File:Flag of Afghanistan (1974–1978) (Variant).svg, Presidential seal of

Daoud Khan Mohammad Daoud Khan (Dari/) also romanized as Daud Khan or Dawood Khan; 18July 190928April 1978) was an Afghan head of state, military officer and politician who served as prime minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and, as leader of the 1973 ...

Contemporary role

After the fall of the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

in the year 2001, negotiations about the reestablishment of the

were held, including negotiations about the re-installation of

as the

king of Afghanistan The Emir of Afghanistan or also later the King of Afghanistan was the monarch and head of state of Afghanistan from the establishment of the Emirate of Afghanistan, Emirate in the 18th century until the monarchy was abolished in 1973. The title ...

. However, pressure from the side of Ethnic Tajiks who threatened to revolt against Zahir Shah and pressure from the government of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

on the question of the

Durand Line The Durand Line (; ; ), also known as the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, is a international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia. The western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to the border with China. The D ...

, forced Zahir Shah to renounce his claim to the throne, he accepted the title of ''Baba-e-Millat'' (), which weakened his political role. Since then Prince Ali of the Seraj cadet branch and Prince Nadir Naeem of the Yahya-Khel of the Telai cadet branch ran for Presidency of Afghanistan in 2009 and 2014. After the Fall of Kabul in 2021, Prince Raphael Dakik of the Mir Muhammad Jan-Khel of the Telai cadet branch, assessed the reestablishment of the Barakzai dynasty through lobbyist measures conducted by an anti-Taliban lobby group called "Royal Afghan Government in Exile" (RAGE). Next to

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

politicians, especially from the

Swiss People's Party The Swiss People's Party (, SVP; , PPS), also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre (, UDC; , UDC), is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Marcel Dettling, it is the largest party in ...

, senior

WEF The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer Klaus Schwab. The foundation's s ...

officials and research experts on

lobbying Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agency, regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by va ...

anti-corruption Anti-corruption (or anticorruption) comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive measur ...

and

diplomacy Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...

, some of his special envoys are former US congressmen, including Steve Watkins and

Curt Weldon Wayne Curtis Weldon (born July 22, 1947) is an American educator and politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania. He was defeated in ...

. Envoys of Prince Raphael's lobby group, RAGE, were invited in an ambassador conference in

Vaduz Vaduz (; or ; High Alemannic pronunciation: [])Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: ''Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein.'' Band 2: ''Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan.'' ...

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

, which attracted media attention. Although Prince Raphael's private office shares a strong relationship with the princely

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein (), from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only Dynasty#Dynast, dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the thro ...

, RAGE was not accredited as an official government by

foreign ministry In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

in order to avoid international clashes of interest.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barakzai Dynasty Former monarchies of Asia Modern history of Afghanistan Pashtun dynasties Sunni dynasties Heads of state of Afghanistan . Emirate of Afghanistan . Kingdom of Afghanistan Culture of Afghanistan Pashtun culture Durrani Pashtun tribes Sarbani Pashtun tribes Groups claiming Israelite descent Surnames . . 1823 establishments in Afghanistan 1973 disestablishments in Afghanistan