Dost Mohammed Khan

Dost Mohammed Khan (or Muhammed or Mohammad دوستمحمدخان ), born on December 23rd 1793 and dead on June 9th 1863, wire of Payinda Khan Mohammedzai and grandson of Jamal Khan, was Emir of Afghanistan of 1826 with 1839 and of 1842 until its death. It founded the dynasty of Mohammedzai or Barakzai which directed the Afghanistan until 1974.

His/her older brother, Fatteh Khan, contributed on arrival on the throne of Mahmud Khan in 1800 and to restore his capacity in 1809. In spite of its services, Mahmud Khan assassinated Fatteh Khan in 1818, causing deep inimitable in its tribe. A bloody conflict was followed from there, restricting the possessions of Mahmud at the only town of Hérat, the remainder of the country being divided between the brothers of Fatteh Khan. Dost Mohammad affirmed its capacity as a first sovereign of Mohammadzai, by taking possession into 1826 of Ghazni, Jalalabad and Kabul, the capital, in particular thanks to the support of the Qizilbash.

At the beginning of its reign, it was contronté with Ranjît Singh, Râja Sikh of the Penjab, which instrumentalisa deposed prince Shuja Shah. In 1834, Shuja tried to take again its kingdom but was demolishes by Dost Mohammad in front of the walls of Kandahar, but Ranjit Singh benefitted from it to annex Peshawar, to the great displeasure of the Afghan leader.

Rejecting the openings coming from Russia, it approached the England and accommodated Alexander Burnes in Kabul in 1837. Balls, however, did not manage to intercede in its favor near the governor Lord Auckland. It was meant in Dost Mohammad Khan to give up any claim on Peshawar, and to place its foreign politics under the British supervision, in exchange of a promise of protection of Ranjit Singh, which it did not fear.

It reacts to this proposal while approaching the Russians, in 1838. Lord Auckland raised his troops against him.

In March 1839, the British forces carried out by Sir Willoughby Cotton crossed the Passe of Bolan, to reach Kandahar on April 26th. Shuja Shah was proclaimed emir and entered Kabul the August 7th, while Dost Mohammad took refuge in the mountains of the Hindu Kush. There had to constitute captive the November 4th 1840 and remained captive until the autumn 1842 after the retirement of the English army ordered by Elphinstone and the reconquest of Kabul.

Accommodated in triumph in Kabul on its return, it reaffirmed its capacity and its hostility towards the British and was combined with Sikhs. Nevertheless, it will reconcentra its ambitions on Afghanistan after the defeat of its allies with the Gujarat in 1849. In 1850 it seized Balkh, and took the control of the south of Afghanistan in 1854 by capturing Kandahar.

The March 30th 1855 Dost Mohammad changed policy by concluding an offensive and defensive alliance with the British government, which ends up admitting its authority. In 1857, he declared jointly the war with the Perse with his new allies. In July, he concludes a treaty which enabled him to place the province of Hérat under Barakzai command. He remained neutral at the time of the Révolte of Cipayes, but was confonté soon with riots with Hérat and Bukhara. In 1862, a Persian army benefitted from its disorders to move towards Kandahar. With the head of its army, it could push back them, but suddenly found death in full victory, on June 9th, 1863. It named its third wire, Shir Ali Khan, to succeed it on the Afghan throne.

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List of the Heads of States of Afghanistan

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