List of heads of state of Afghanistan explained

This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first modern Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709.

History

The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan tribal chiefs from the Kandahar region against Mughal and Safavid Persian rule.[1] [2] [3]

After a long series of wars, the Hotak Empire was eventually replaced by the Durrani Afghan Empire, founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747.[4] [5]

After the collapse of the Durrani Empire in 1823, the Barakzai dynasty founded the Emirate of Kabul, later known as the Emirate of Afghanistan. The Durrani dynasty regained power in 1839, during the First Anglo-Afghan War, when former ruler Shah Shujah Durrani seized the throne under the British auspices. Shah Shujah was assassinated in 1842, following the British retreat. Afterwards the Barakzai dynasty regained power, eventually transformed the Emirate into the Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926, and ruled the country (with an interruption in 1929) until the last king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, was deposed in the 1973 coup d'état, led by his first cousin Mohammad Daoud Khan. Despite being part of the Barakzai dynasty, Daoud Khan departed from tradition and did not proclaim himself Shah, instead abolished the monarchy and established the Republic of Afghanistan, with himself as President.[6] [7] The Republic lasted until the PDPA–led Saur Revolution in 1978.[8]

Since 1978, Afghanistan has been in a state of continuous internal conflict and foreign interventions.

President Hamid Karzai became the first ever democratically elected head of state of Afghanistan on 7 December 2004. His successor, Ashraf Ghani, was in power from 29 September 2014 to 15 August 2021, when he fled the country as Kabul fell to the Taliban following its 2021 offensive.[9]

Upon its recapture of Kabul, the Taliban reinstated the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and its supreme leader since 2016, Islamic scholar Hibatullah Akhundzada, de facto succeeded Ghani as head of state.[10]

List of heads of state

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Monarchs

Royal Title:Monarch
Realm:Afghanistan
Coatofarms:Royal standard of Afghan Kings(1931~1973).svgborder
Coatofarmscaption:Royal Standard
(1931–1973)
Type:other
His/Her:His
Formation:1709
Abolition:17 July 1973
Residence:Kabul
Appointer:Hereditary
Pretender:Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan

Hotak Empire (1709–1738)

Durrani Empire (1747–1823)

Emirate of Kabul / Emirate of Afghanistan (1823–1926)

Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1929)

Saqqawist Emirate and the 1928–1929 civil war

Kingdom of Afghanistan (restored; 1929–1973)

Local monarchs

Some rulers tried to take advantage of internal conflicts in Afghanistan to claim the throne. However, their rule was limited only to certain areas.

Non-monarchs

NamePortrait LifespanTerm of officePolitical affiliation
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)
Mohammad Daoud Khan1909–197817 July 197328 April 1978Independent
National Revolutionary Party
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)
Colonel
Abdul Qadir		1944–201428 April 197830 April 1978People's Democratic Party
Nur Muhammad Taraki1917–197930 April 197814 September 1979People's Democratic Party
Hafizullah Amin1929–197914 September 197927 December 1979People's Democratic Party
Babrak Karmal1929–199627 December 197924 November 1986People's Democratic Party
Haji Mohammad Chamkani1947–201224 November 198630 September 1987Independent
Mohammad Najibullah1947–199630 September 198716 April 1992People's Democratic Party

Homeland Party
Abdul Rahim Hatif1926–201316 April 199228 April 1992Homeland Party
Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002)
Sibghatullah Mojaddedi1926–201928 April 199228 June 1992National Liberation Front of Afghanistan
Burhanuddin Rabbani1940–201128 June 199222 December 2001Jamiat-e Islami
Hamid Karzaiborn 195722 December 200113 July 2002Independent
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)
Mullah
Mohammed Omar		between 1953 and 1966[11] – 201327 September 199613 November 2001Taliban
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004)
Hamid Karzaiborn 195713 July 20027 December 2004Independent
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)
Hamid Karzaiborn 19577 December 200429 September 2014Independent
Ashraf Ghaniborn 194929 September 201415 August 2021Independent
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021–present)
Mullah
Mawlawi
Hibatullah Akhundzada		Birth date not known15 August 2021IncumbentTaliban

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: An Outline Of The History Of Persia During The Last Two Centuries (A.D. 1722-1922). 29. Edward Granville Browne. Packard Humanities Institute. London. 2010-09-24.
  2. Book: Afghanistan. Otfinoski. Steven. 2004. Infobase Publishing. 0-8160-5056-2. 7. 2010-09-27.
  3. Book: History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878. Malleson. George Bruce. 1878. Elibron.com. London. 1-4021-7278-8. 227. 2010-09-27.
  4. Web site: Afghanistan. https://web.archive.org/web/20090726155457/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2028.html?countryName=Afghanistan&countryCode=AF&regionCode=sas&#af. dead. July 26, 2009. Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747.. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2010-10-23.
  5. Encyclopedia: Last Afghan empire . Louis Dupree, Nancy Hatch Dupree and others . Encyclopædia Britannica Online Version. 2010-09-24.
  6. Web site: The New York Times . Afghan King Overthrown; A Republic Is Proclaimed . 18 July 1973 . 3 May 2020.
  7. Book: Barfield . Thomas . Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics) . 25 March 2012 . Princeton University Press . 978-0691154411 .
  8. Web site: The New York Times . William Borders . Coup Is Reported in Afghanistan . 28 April 1978 . 3 August 2021.
  9. News: 2021-08-15. President Ashraf Ghani flees Afghanistan as Taliban enters Kabul. en. South China Morning Post. Reuters. 2021-08-15.
  11. Web site: Security Council 1988 Committee Amends 105 Entries on Its Sanctions List Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. 2021-09-08. www.un.org. 22 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160222025944/https://www.un.org/press/en/2011/sc10465.doc.htm. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of heads of state of Afghanistan".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.