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Abdur Rahman Khan (c. 1844 - October 1, 1901), amir of Afghanistan, was the son of Afzul Khan , who was the eldest son of Dost Mahommed Khan, who had established the Barakzai 's family dynasty in Afghanistan.1 Background and early career
Before his death at Herat, on June 9 1863, Dost Mahomed had nominated as his successor Shere Ali , his third son, passing over the two elder brothers, Afzul Khan and Azim Khan . At first, the new amir was quietly recognized. But after a few months Afzul Khan raised an insurrection in the northern province, between the Hindu Kush mountains and the Oxus River, where he had been governing when his father died. This began a fierce contest for power Dost Mahomed's sons, which lasted for nearly five years.
In this war, Abdur Rahman became distinguished for ability and daring energy. Although his father, Afzul Khan, who had none of these qualities, came to terms with the Amir Shere Ali, the son's behaviour in the northern province soon excited the amir's suspicion, and Abdur Rahman, when he was summoned to Kabul, fled across the Oxus into Bokhara. Shere Ali threw Afzul Khan into prison, and a serious revolt followed in southern Afghanistan.
The amir had scarcely suppressed it by winning a desperate battle when Abdur Rahman's reapearance in the north was a signal for a mutiny of the troops stationed in those parts and a gathering of armed bands to his standard. After some delay and desultory fighting, he and his uncle, Azim Khan, occupied Kabul (March 1866). The amir Shere Ali marched up against them from Kandahar; but in the battle that ensued at Sheikhabad on May 10, he was deserted by a large body of his troops, and after his signal defeat Abdur Rahman released his father, Afzul Khan, from prison in GhazniGhazni is a city in central Afghanistan, situated on a plateau at 7280 feet above sea level. It lies on the road between Kandahar and Kabul at 68 18 E. Ghazni is the capital of the Ghazni province. Under the name Ghazna, it was the capital of the Ghaznavi, and installed him upon the throne as amir of Afghanistan.
Notwithstanding the new amir's incapacity, and some jealousy between the real leaders, Abdur Rahman and his uncle, they again routed Shere Ali's forces, and occupied KandaharKandahr (or Qandahr is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. The province has 567,000 people (based on 1979 data), while the city has around 200,000 (based on a 1989 estimate). It is the second largest city in Afghanistan and m in 1867. When Afzul Khan died at the end of the year, Azim Khan became the new ruler, with Abdur Rahman as his governor in the northern province. But towards the end of 1868 Shere Ali's return, and a general rising in his favour, resulted in Abdur Rahman and Azim Khan's defeat at Tinah Khan on January 3, 1869. Both sought refuge in PersiaPersia is the historical name for the state of Iran. The name was used in the West due to the ancient Greek name for Iran, Persis''. Persia is used to describe the nation of Iran, its people, or its ancient empire. The name Persia comes from a province in, whence Abdur Rahman placed himself under RussiaThe Russian Federation ( Russian: , transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija , or Russia (Russian: , transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Withn protection at SamarkandSamarkand (Samarqand or in Uzbek) (population 400,000) is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan, capital of the Samarkand region ( Samarqand Wiloyati). The majority of the city's inhabitants is Tajik. Timur's mausoleum Gur-e Amir at Samarkand History The. Azim died in Persia in October 1869.
2 Period of exile
Abdur Rahman lived in exile for eleven years, until the 1879 death of Shere Ali, who had retired from Kabul when the BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a state in Western Europe, usually known simply as the United Kingdom the UK Britain or less accurately as Great Britain . The UK was formed by a series of Acts of Union which united the formerly armies entered Afghanistan. The Russian governor-general at TashkentTashkent Toshkent or in Uzbek, #x301 in Russian), the current capital of Uzbekistan, has in the past been called Chach Shash and Binkent''. For centuries it was an important stop on the trade route (the Silk Road) from Asia into Europe. Due to the destruc sent for Abdur Rahman, and pressed him to try his fortunes once more across the Oxus. In March 1880 a report reached India that Abdur Rahman was in northern Afghanistan; and the governor-general, Lord Lytton , opened communications with him to the effect that the British government were prepared to withdraw their troops, and to recognize Abdur Rahman as amir of Afghanistan, with the exception of Kandahar and some districts adjacent. After some negotiations, an interview took place between him and Lepel Griffin , the diplomatic representative at Kabul of the Indian government. Griffin described Abdur Rahman as a man of middle height, with an exceedingly intelligent face and frank and courteous manners, shrewd and able in conversation on the business in hand.
