Ahmad Shah

:See Ahmad Shah Qajar for the Persian ruler (1909-1925).

Related Topics:
Ahmad Shah Qajar - Persia - 1909 - 1925

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Ahmad Shah (1724?1773), founder of the Durrani dynasty in Afghanistan, was the son of Zaman-Khan, hereditary chief of the Abdali tribe. Ahmad Shah changed the Abdali tribe into durrani tribe. Nader Shah gave him the command of a body of cavalry composed chiefly of Abdalis.On the assassination of Nadir in 1747, Abdali, seized the Persian treasures, retreated to Afghanistan and persuaded local tribes to join him for a jihad against hindus. He began making his crown with the koh e noor which Nadir Avshar's widow gave him in gratitude for keeping their honour and saving them from turkman looters.

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He first crossed the Indus River in 1748, when he took Lahore; and in 1751, He inflicted heavy defeats on the Sikhs of Lahore.In 1750 he took Nishapur, and in 1752 subdued Kashmir. His great expedition to Delhi was undertaken in 1756 which he striped and looted every corner of dehli and took the valueble treasures of the Mughul empire.Ahmad Shah entered Delhi with his army in triumph.The Maratha chiefs began a traditional sikh holy war on Abdali and Abdali crossed the Indus again and attacked them and despite being outnumbered 5 to 1, crushed the Indian armies.In 1758 the Marathas obtained possession of the Punjab, but on the 6th of January 1761 they were totally routed by Abdali in the great battle of Panipat.In a later expedition he inflicted a severe defeat upon the Sikhs, but had to hasten westward immediately afterwards in order to quell an insurrection in Afghanistan. Meanwhile the Sikhs again rose, and Ahmad was now forced to abandon all hope of retaining the command of the Punjab.

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He died in 1773, leaving to his son Timor the great kingdom he had founded.

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