Mir Wais Hotak

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Mir Wais Khan Hotak (1673-1715) was a Pashtun[1][2] tribal chief of the Ghilzai clan from Kandahar, who founded the Hotaki dynasty that ruled Persia from 1722 to 1729.[3]

Contents

[edit] Life

Mir Wais Khan was the son of Muhammad Bakir[1], from whom he inherited leadership of one of the Ghilzai clans.[2] He had visited the Saffavid Turk's court[1] and understood their military weaknesses.[2] The Pastun tribes rankled under the ruling Safavids because of their continued attempts to convert the Pashtun from Sunni to Shia Islam.[2] In 1709, Mir Wais organized militia forces against Gurgin Khan, the Georgian governor of the city who ruled in the name of the Turkish Safavid Shah. Gurgin Khan was killed, and the Hotakis took control of the city. Then, Mir Wais successfully defeated a large Saffavid army, sent to regain control over the area.[4] Mir Wais remained in power until his death in 1715 and was succeeded by his son Mir Mahmud Hotaki, who took advantage of the political weakness of the Persian Shahs and conquered the eastern Persian Empire,[5] while the Ottomans took the west.[6]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Malleson, George Bruce (1879) "Chapter 7: The Ghilzai Rule" History of Afghanistan, from the Earliest Period to the Outbreak of the War of 1878 W.H. Allen & Co., London, OCLC 4219393, limited view at Google Books
  2. ^ a b c d Ewans, Martin (2002) Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics HarperCollins, New York, Page 30 ISBN 0-06-050507-9
  3. ^ Axworthy, Michael (2006) The Sword of Persia: Nader Shah, from Tribal Warrior to Conquering Tyrant I.B. Tauris, New York, Page 186, ISBN 1-85043-706-8
  4. ^ Packard Humanities Institute - Persian Literature in Translation - Chapter IV: An Outline Of The History Of Persia During The Last Two Centuries (A.D. 1722-1922)...Link
  5. ^ Afghanland - Mirwais Khan Hotak...
  6. ^ Creasy, Edward Shepherd (1906) Turkey J.D. Morris, Philadelphia, p.298, OCLC 775779

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Preceded by
Gurgin Khan		 King of Afghanistan
1709–1715		 Succeeded by
Mir Mahmud Hotaki