Ahmad Shah Durrani

founder of the Afghan Durrani Empire (r. 1747–1772)

Ahmad Shah Durrani (c.1723-1773) (Pashto: احمد شاه دراني), also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali (Pashto: احمد شاه ابدالي) and born as Ahmed Khan, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747.

Ahmad Shah Durrani
Shah
Durr-i-Durrani ("pearl of pearls")
Reign1747–1772
CoronationOctober 1747
PredecessorHussain Hotak
SuccessorTimur Shah Durrani
Bornc. 1722
Herat, Afghanistan
Died(1772-10-16)16 October 1772
Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
Burial
Kandahar, Afghanistan
31°37′10″N 65°42′25″E / 31.61944°N 65.70694°E / 31.61944; 65.70694
SpouseHazrat Begum
Full name
Ahmad Shah Abdali Dur-e-Durran
DynastyDurrani
FatherMuhammad Zaman Khan Abdali
MotherZarghuna Alakozai
ReligionSunni Islam

He united the different Afghan tribes and conquered what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, eastern Iran and The Punjab in north western India. He is recognized as the Founding Father of the modern state of Afghanistan.

His mausoleum is located in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, adjacent to the mosque where Muhammad the Prophet's sacred cloak is kept as memorabilia. It is not worshiped.