Dost Mohammad Khan
Ruler of Afghanistan
Died when: 69 years 168 days (833 months)Star Sign: Capricorn
Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/Persian: ???? ???? ??? ??????; 23 December 1792 – 9 June 1863), nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, Also titled Amir al-Mu'minin, was a member of the Barakzai dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of the Emirate of Afghanistan.
His 37-year rule was important in the creation of modern Afghanistan. With the decline of the Durrani dynasty, he became the Emir of Kabul in 1826.
He was the 11th son of Payendah Khan, chief of the Barakzai Pashtuns, who was killed in 1799 by Afghan Emperor Zaman Shah Durrani.
Dost Mohammad began his official reign at the beginning of his rule in 1826 when he usurped Kabul. However, he had taken Kabul a few years prior in 1818, as well as later returning to power in 1843 after the First Anglo-Afghan War, where his rule was disputed from 1839 to 1842 by Shah Shuja Durrani.
When Dost Mohammad ascended to the rule of Kabul, the Afghan realm faced a period of decline. Beset by civil war between the sons of Timur Shah Durrani, the formerly large Durrani Empire had split into multiple mutually-hostile principalities.
By the end of his reign, he had reunited all the former split principalities (including Kandahar and Herat) with Kabul.
Dost Mohammad also secured his country's independence from foreign powers in the First Anglo-Afghan War, defeating the British and their attempts to try and restore the former Durrani ruler to the throne, Shah Shuja Durrani.
Dost had ruled for a lengthy 37 years though having been involved in the politics of Afghanistan for much longer. His rule saw the consolidation of Afghanistan, which was long divided following the Durrani civil wars which started in 1793.
The name Afghanistan would be popularized in his later reign, and his Kingdom would be known as Afghanistan, rather than Kabul.
He would eventually triumph and lead his last campaign to unite Afghanistan by capturing Herat, finally conquering it on May 27, 1863.
Dost Mohammad died shortly after this on 9 June 1863 at the age of 70, having accomplished the reunification of Afghanistan.