28/08/2026
This is a review of Afghanistan’s history from 1747 to 1973. This is not a ranking of the “best” rulers. For each figure, a major change is presented alongside its costs or limitations. All of the portraits are AI-generated interpretations based on historical sources and are not original photographs. The primary sources are the Encyclopaedia Iranica and the U.S. Library of Congress. Timur Shah’s portrait is a low-confidence AI interpretation based on a later image.
Ahmad Shah Durrani founded the Durrani state in 1747, made Kandahar its capital, and established a vast empire. His portrait is an AI interpretation based on a miniature dating to around 1757, held by the National Library of France. Text source: “Political and Administrative History of Afghanistan” in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Timur Shah Durrani moved the capital from Kandahar to Kabul and relied increasingly on Persian-speaking urban officials and administrators. The territory of the state became smaller, taxes remained heavy, and the absence of a clear successor set off decades of political conflict. No contemporary and verified portrait of him is known to exist. This portrait is a low-confidence AI interpretation based on a later image. Text source: “Political and Administrative History of Afghanistan” in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Amir Dost Mohammad Khan brought Kabul, Kandahar, the northern regions, and eventually Herat back under a central government. This reunification was achieved through prolonged wars. He abandoned Afghanistan’s claim to Peshawar and accepted a treaty and financial assistance from Britain. His portrait is an AI interpretation based on a contemporary watercolor held by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Text source: Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Amir Abdur Rahman Khan expanded the central government, provincial administration, and the army, while Afghanistan’s borders were also more clearly defined. This centralization of power was accompanied by mass killings, forced displacement in the Hazarajat, and the forced conversion of people in what is now Nuristan. His portrait is an AI interpretation based on an 1885 photograph by Fray, held in the Wellcome Collection. Text sources: the sections on Hazara history and the political history of Afghanistan in Encyclopaedia Iranica.
Amir Habibullah Khan established Habibia School, the Military School, and a civilian hospital, and expanded Afghanistan’s early electricity infrastructure. However, modernization remained largely confined to Kabul. In 1909, constitutionalists were executed or imprisoned without trial. His portrait is an AI interpretation based on a 1907 photograph by Frank Martin. Text sources: Encyclopaedia Iranica, “Habibullah,” and the history of Afghanistan’s constitution.
Amanullah Khan took control of foreign affairs, introduced the country’s first constitution, and expanded civil rights and girls’ education. However, his rapid top-down centralization, cash taxation, and…
