The Emirate of Afghanistan (, ; , ) was an emirate between Central Asia and South Asia that is now today's Afghanistan and some parts of today's Pakistan (before 1893).
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 European influence in Afghanistan.
The Emirate of Afghanistan continued the Durrani Empire's war with the Sikh Empire, losing control of the former Afghan stronghold of the Valley of Peshawar at the Battle of Nowshera on 14 March 1823.
This was followed in 1839 by the First Anglo-Afghan War with British forces.
The war eventually resulted in victory for Afghans, with the British withdrawal and Dost Mohammad being reinstalled to the throne.
However, during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1880), the British and Afghans signed the Treaty of Gandamak, which allowed the British to take the Afghan territories within modern day Pakistan and took control of Afghanistan's foreign affairs on the condition of a subsidy paid to the Afghans and a full British military withdrawal.
Emir Amanullah Khan signed the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 following the Third Anglo-Afghan War, gaining full Afghan independence.
In 1926, Amanullah Khan reformed the country as the Kingdom of Afghanistan, becoming its first King.
History
Escalated a few years after the establishment of the emirate, the Russian and British interests were in conflict between Muhammad Shah of Iran and Dost Mohammed Khan, which led to the First Anglo-Afghan War, fought between 1839 and 1842.
During the war, Britain occupied the country, in an effort to prevent Afghanistan from coming under Russian control and curb Russian expansion.
The war ended with a temporary victory for the United Kingdom, which, however, had to withdraw so that Dost Muhammad came to power again.
Upon the death of Dost Muhammad in 1863, he was succeeded by his son, Sher Ali Khan.
However, three years later, his older brother Mohammad Afzal Khan overthrew him.
In 1868, Mohammad Afzal Khan was himself overthrown and replaced as Emir by Sher Ali, who returned to the throne after spending few short years in exile in Russia.
His return as Emir led to new conflicts with Britain.
Subsequently, the British marched on 21 November 1878 into Afghanistan and Emir Sher Ali was forced to flee again to Russia, but he died in 1879 in Mazar-i-Sharif.Dupree: Amir Sher Ali Khan  His successor, Mohammad Yaqub Khan, sought solutions for peace with Russia and gave them a greater say in Afghanistan's foreign policy.
Meanwhile, he signed the Treaty of Gandamak with the British on 26 May 1879, relinquishing solely the control of Afghanistan foreign affairs to the British Empire.
However, when the British envoy Sir Louis Cavagnari was killed in Kabul on 3 September 1879, the British offered to accept Abdur Rahman Khan as Emir.
The British concluded a peace treaty with the Afghans in 1880, and withdrew again in 1881 from Afghanistan.
The British in 1893 forced Afghanistan to consent to the Durand Line, which is still straight through the settlement area of the Pashtuns runs and about a third of Afghanistan to British India annexing.
thumb|left|upright=1.4|Afghan warriors, 1922
After the war, Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, who struck down the country reformed and repressed numerous uprisings.
After his death in 1901 his son Habibullah Khan succeeded as emir and continued reforms.
Habibullah Khan sought reconciliation with the UK, where he graduated in 1905 with a peace treaty with Russia, stretching for defeat in the Russo-Japanese War had to withdraw from Afghanistan.
In the First World War, Afghanistan remained, despite German and Ottoman efforts, neutral (Niedermayer–Hentig Expedition).
In 1919 Habibullah Khan was assassinated by political opponents.Islam and Politics in Afghanistan, Olesen, page 101
Habibullah Khan's son Amanullah Khan was in 1919 against the rightful heir apparent Nasrullah Khan, the then Emir of Afghanistan.
Shortly afterwards another war broke which lasted for three months.
This war was ended with the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 after which, the Afghans were able to resume the right to conduct their own foreign affairs as a fully independent state.
Amanullah Khan began the reformation of the country and was crowned 1926 Padshah (king) of Afghanistan and founded the Kingdom of Afghanistan.
See also
Afghanistan–United Kingdom relations
European influence in Afghanistan
Invasions of Afghanistan
List of monarchs of Afghanistan
The Great Game, the Russian and British manoeuvre for influence
References
Further reading
Clements, Frank.
Conflict in Afghanistan: A Historical Encyclopedia (ABC-Clio, 2003), (online).
Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Category:Former countries in South Asia Category:Former countries in Central Asia Category:Former emirates Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Emirate of Afghanistan Category:Former polities of the interwar period Category:History of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
