Emirate of Afghanistan

Emirate of Afghanistan
د افغانستان امارت Da Afghānistān Amārat
British Protectorate (1879–1919)
1823–1926
Flag Emblem
Afghanistan before the 1893 Durand Line Agreement
Capital		Kabul
Languages		Pashto
Religion		Sunni Islam
Government		Emirate
Emir
•	1823–1829 (first)	Dost Mohammad Khan
•	1919–1926 (last)	Amanullah Khan
Legislature		Loya Jirga
Historical era		19th century
•	Established	1823
•	Disestablished	1926
Area
•	1893	652,225 km² (251,825 sq mi)
Currency		Afghan rupee
Preceded by Succeeded by Durrani Empire Kingdom of Afghanistan British Raj Russian Empire
Today part of		Afghanistan  Iran  Pakistan  Turkmenistan  Uzbekistan

The Emirate of Afghanistan (Pashto: د افغانستان امارت‎ Da Afghānistān Amārat) was an emirate between Central Asia and South Asia, which is today's Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The emirate emerged from the Durrani Empire, when Dost Mohammed Khan, the founder of the Barakzai dynasty in Kabul, prevailed. The history of the Emirate was dominated by 'the Great Game' between the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom for supremacy in Central Asia. This period was characterized by the expansion of European colonial interests in South Asia. The Emirate of Afghanistan continued the war with the Sikh Empire, which led to the invasion of Afghanistan by British-led Indian forces who completely wiped out the Afghans in 1842 but did not fulfil their initial war objectives. However, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the British again defeated the Afghans and this time the British took control of Afghanistan's foreign affairs until Emir Amanullah Khan regained them after the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 was signed following the Third Anglo-Afghan War.