Ahmad Shah Durrani, A pearl of pearls
Altafullah
Ahmad Shah Durranis the first king of Afghanistan, role in the
history of the region is never well evaluated. None of the many
historians ever bothered to place him within his proper historical and
socio-political perspective. The reason why Ahmad Shahs merit was
never recognised was his rise at a time when the Indian and Persian
empires were disintegrating and the alien invaders from the West were
scrambling into fill the vacuum. Whatever Ahmad Shah
accomplished benefitted the alien invaders and his achievements were
eclipsed by the volatility of the time.
Ahmad Shah was a conquerer, a great administrative genius, but his
successors were not gifted with his qualities. The inability of his
successors even to hold on to his accomplishments manifestly
contributed to his relative obscurity. Their lack of administrative and
governing potential was exploited by the British colonialists to further
their sinister designs. They, on one hand banked upon his victories
against the Indian rulers annihilating a people weakened by his armies.
On the other hand, they manipulated the weakened heir to Ahmad
Shah to let them use a Afghanistan as a buffer zone against the
Russians in the Great Game.
People a great majority of them, interested in the history of
Afghanistan view Ahmad Shah as a great conquer; a general who
channelised formidable jingoism of the savage Afghans to play havoc
with northern India. Not many, however, have been able to appreciate
the services of the great king rendered while governing, at the
uneasiest of times, the most unpredictable of people and the most
confounding of land.
He surged the tide of fortune as all great men in human history did.
The times he lived in were most opportune for the great man make
history. But the way he manoeuvred to reach the zenith of Pakhtun
history needed quite an extraordinary mind to use circumstances to his
advantage.
Ahmad Shah was a soldier in the persian army of Nadir Shah Afshar
who had adopted a reconciliation stance towards the Afghans
knowing he could not afford indefinite rivalry with them. He gave
precedence to Abdales over Ghilzais due to their superior fighting
capabilities. Ahmad Shah progressed from a Yasawal (personal
servant) to the rank of the commander of the Abdali regiment. Quite
a few writers believe that the death of Nadir Shah Afshar at the hands
of the Qizalbash soldiers was an act of jealousy. They are critical of
Ahmad Shahs growing importance. This seems to be a remote
conclusion. The Qizalbash must had been wary of growing Afghan
influence, and Ahmad Shahs significance and relevance must be
seen as part of it. So it was a matter of group jealousy with personal
jealousy put in for good measure. But the every growing prestige of this
young man was sufficient testament to his diplomatic skill and
personal charisma.
The death of the mentor didnŐt end the career of the young man. He
not only showed great honour and loyalty by providing security to the
family of the late king but convened a Jirga another testimony of his
ingenuity. Not only this, he also sent letters to different tribal elders on
his way to attend the Jirga. This prior communication must have had
an effect upon the elders who readily accepted him as their leader.
Ahmad Shah may have won the hearts of the jingoistic Pakhtuns
through military skill and 5000 strong army, but by communicating
with them, leader prior to the Jirga, he must had been able to dispel
the misgivings of the Afghan leaders. They must have got the implicit
message that the young general was no tyrant but simply considering
himself worthy enough to become first among the equals. And this
must have been the reason for his accession to throne as the first king
of Afghanistan in October, 1747, near the tomb of Shaikh Surkh,
adjacent to Nadir Abad Fort.
It was not awe but humility that made Haji Jamal Khan Muhammad
Zai abdicate his claim to leadership. Thus making a way for Ahmad
Shah to become a king more easily. Pir Sabir Shah, the spiritual guide
of the time, showered his praise for the young Ahmad Shah by
declaring him Dar-e-Durran (pearl of the pearls) not because that he
was a milititary giant but for his humanity a definite quality of
statesman.
Ahmad Shah fought like a soldier but ruled like a statesman giving a
sense of participation to his fellows. His council of nine ministers had
always been at his side and he even advised his successors to keep the
institution alive. But it was never meant to be. They were neither
intelligent nor fortunate enough to put to good use their available
resources.
Ahmad Shah Durrani was greatly skilled in managing human
resources for his advantage. He always honoured the tribal traditions
of the Pakhtuns. All the tribes were ruled by the men of their choice in
his reign, and he never tried to interfere into the affairs of internal
administration of the allied tribes. He organised a special force with
men from all tribes in commanding positions. The Durranis were
placed at the top.
When Ahmad Shah made advanced on Peshawar after conquering
Kabul, he interfered negligibly in the affairs of the tribes of this land.
The Afridis and Shinwaris remained the toll collectors and Ahmad
Shah refrained from posing any threat to their autonomy and
authority. These were the traits of a statesman who brought the area
from Swat to Balochistan under his command. The rest of our present
day NWFP was under his rule by December 1747.
He not only rewarded his own race but also respected worthy enemies
of other stocks. His courtesy to Mir Muneer, the governor of Lahore, is
an ample proof of his manliness and grace.
There were many Pakhtun tribes who didn't pay homage to him but
he never pressed them hard to do so. The Khattaks of Lanri, living in
the mountains were never forced to submit. And when they aided him
against the Marhattas, he duly rewarded them.
Above all these merits was his quality to rever the pious, Pir Sabir
Shahs love for Ahmad Shah is well known. He sacrificed his life
defending the honour of the king. But this was not because of the over
powering personality of Ahmad Shah. It was in fact, due to his
allegiance, and devotion to the pious. His fondness for Mian
Muhammad Umar of Chamkani is known to all.
Although these acts endeared him to his fellowmen, one must not
jump to the conclusion that these were simply acts of statesmanship:
Gimmicks of political Shrewdness. These were in fact, expressions of
great piety. His sufic influences can be easily traced in his style of
governance. His consultative attitude towards his fellowmen can not
be easily found in other men of his time. His conquests and subsequent
bestowal of the conquered land upon the worthy among the defeated
also indicates his greatness and selflessness a great desire to rule
judiciously.
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