Ahmad Shah Bābā احمد شاه بابا

Ahmad Shah Durrani احمد شاه درانی (born in 1722 either in Herat or Multan; died in 1773, Kandahar), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī احمد شاه ابدالي was the founder of the Durrani Afghan Empire is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan when he united the land in 1747.

Born as Ahmad Khan, Ahmad Shah rose quickly to become a commander of four thousand Abdali (later known as Durrani) Pashtoon soldiers following his enlistment in the military of the Afsharid kingdom. In June 1747 following the death of Nader Shah Afshar of Persia, Ahmad Shah became the the Emir of Khorasan. Able to mobilise the Pashtoon tribes and allies, he pushed east towards the Mughal and the Maratha Empire of India as well as west towards the disintegrating Afsharid Empire of Persia and north toward the Khanate of Bukhara.

Within a few years he had conquered all of today's Afghanistan and much of northeastern Iran. After a failed attempt to gain the Panjab in 1748, Ahmad Shah returned two years later and displaced Mir Mannu, the Mughal-heir apparent and governor of Panjab. His incursions into India roused the oppostion of the Sikhs and the Maratha rulers on several occasions leading to the defeat of the Marathas eight times, including the major victory at the 1761 Battle of Panipat which was fought north of Delhi.

Western advances of the Sikhs, better organised and disciplined in opposition led to Ahmad Shah returning to Panjab in 1764 and 1767 to defend Lahore, but the threat of internal strife and mutiny of his troops over pay, meant that on his retreat, Lahore was eventually taken followed by the Sikh advance further into Panjab. Ahmad Shah focused his efforts on retaining hold of Peshawar and the country west of Attock. Even today, for Afghans who oppose the British laid Durrand Line, these areas would still be included in a "Greater Afghanistan".  

Ahmad Shah's mausoleum is located in Kandahar, Afghanistan, adjacent to the famous Mosque of the Cloak of the Prophet Mohammed PBUH in the center of the city. Today he referred to as Ahmad Shah Bābā, احمد شاه بابا,  the Father of Afghanistan and the man who united the Pashtoons into one country.

A Tale of Two Summers and a Place In-Between

Some things burn in the back of your mind and for a long time, I have wanted to mention an essential piece of reading. Last summer, an old colleague of mine recommended a book that even beyond reading, I have continued to find inspirational. In fact, in many ways, it stands as an example of some of the things that I want achieve, InshAllah. The Places In-Between is a rather unconventional travelogue by Rory Stewart, a Scottish writer in which he documents the 2002 winter walk that he undertook from Herat* to Kabul (though his travels actually went beyond Afghanistan). He walked cross country at a time when bombs reigned down from the skies following the US invasion. Sometimes he was accompanied, often not; a non-Muslim stranger in a Muslim land, following in the intrepid footsteps of the Mughal Emperor Babur's journey across Afghanistan.

Rory Stewart now heads the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul which sets out to equip Afghans with the skills, knowledge and enterprise to bring commercial viability to traditional crafts. At a time when people have mixed feelings on the foreign occupation in Afghanistan, I take much inspiration from people like Rory.

And here is where this summer comes in. Exactly one summer ago, I made the decision that travel to Afghanistan was a possibility. Last week, just as I was about to depart for Kabul, the Taleban took control of a semi-constructed building in Pul-e-Alam, Logar and started firing missiles and rocket launchers into a nearby government target. This summer happens to be election season in Afghanistan, and violence has reached a dangerous level.

My destination was Logar where I intended to stay with a very dear friend who had been asking me to visit all summer. Three hours before I was due to board my plane from Dubai, I was advised by very well meaning Afghan friends, not to go. The irony? I, a Pashtoon, who can blend in and am ethnic Afghan, am caught in that place in-between.

*Qutb Shah father of my paternal ancestors, the Awan, was a ruler of Herat.