Sultan Ahmad Khan bin Sardar 'Azim Mohammadzai (), also known as Sultan Jan () was the ruler of the Principality of Herat from September 1857 to April 1863. He was a nephew of Dost Mohammad Khan. In 1855-56, Sultan Ahmad Khan sent a petition to the

Shahanshah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

. If they would support Sultan Ahmad Khan with an army he would overthrow the Amir-i Kabir and annex Afghanistan into the Guarded Domains. He was intercepted by Dost Mohammad Khan though and exiled Sultan Ahmad Khan to Iran. When the

Anglo-Persian War The Anglo-Persian War or the Anglo-Iranian War () lasted between 1 November 1856 and 4 April 1857, and was fought between the United Kingdom and Iran, which was ruled by the Qajar dynasty. The war had the British oppose an attempt by Iran to pre ...

ended he was installed as ruler of

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...

by the Iranians. On May 24, 1857, he arrived in Herat. The Iranians evacuated Herat in September 1857 in accordance with the

Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France: Treaties 1200s and 1300s * Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade * Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France * Trea ...

.Edward Balfour.
The cyclopædia of India and of eastern and southern Asia
Bernard Quaritch, 1885 During his reign, he was completely dependent on Iran and not only minted coins in the Shahanshah's name, but also repeatedly given support upon request against the Mohammadzais. Naser al-Din Shah bestowed the title of Sirkar on Sultan Ahmad Khan and bestowed the title of Amir Panji on Sultan Ahmad Khan's son, Shah Nawaz Khan. Khan captured Farah soon after in March 1862, which was controlled by the Barakzai Emirs since 30th October 1856. This became

Dost Mohammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/Persian: ; 23 December 17929 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 ...

casus belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...

to launch an attack on Herat. On June 29 or July 8 Farah was captured by the Muhammadzais. On July 22,

Sabzawar Sabzwār ( fa, سبزوار) is a town and the center of the Sabzwar District, Herat Province, Afghanistan. It is located at at 1,066 m altitude on the Harut River. The Sabzwar Air Base is located about 15 miles northeast of the town. S ...

was captured. By July 28, Herat was besieged. During the 10-month siege Ahmad died on March 6, 1863, being succeeded by his son Shah Nawaz Khan. Shortly before his death, he had been affected by a disease that causes limb paralysis. On May 27, 1863, Herat would finally fall to the Amir.

References

19th-century Afghan monarchs History of Herat Province 1857 deaths Year of birth missing {{afghanistan-politician-stub

See also

References