Editing Durrani Empire (section)

====Foundation of the Afghan state====
In 1709, [[Mirwais Hotak]] chief of the [[Ghilji]] tribe of [[Kandahar Province]], gained independence from the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavid]] Persians. From 1722 to 1725, his son [[Mahmud Hotak]] briefly ruled large parts of [[Iran]] and declared himself as ''Shah of Persia''. However, the [[Hotak dynasty]] came to a complete end in 1738 after being toppled and banished by the [[Afsharid dynasty|Afsharids]] who were led by [[Nader Shah Afshar]] of [[Persia]].

The year 1747 marks the definitive appearance of an Afghan political entity independent of both the Persian and [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] empires.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-x-political-history |title=Afghanistan: x. Political History |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |author=D. Balland |date=December 15, 1983 |access-date=2012-08-08 |archive-date=12 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212102354/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/afghanistan-x-political-history |url-status=live}}</ref> In June of that year a ''[[jirga|loya jirga]]'' (grand council) was called into session. The ''jirga'' lasted for nine days and two chief contestants emerged: Hajji Jamal Khan of the Mohammadzai lineage and Ahmad Khan of the Sadozai. Mohammad Sabir Khan, a noted ''darwish'' (holy man), who had earlier predicted that Ahmad Khan would be the leader of the Afghans, rose in the ''jirga'' and said

{{Blockquote|Why all this verbose talk? God has created Ahmad Khan a much greater man than any of you; his life is the most noble of all the Afghan families. Maintain, therefore, God's work, for His wrath will weigh heavily upon you if you destroy it.}}

Ahmad Khan reputedly hesitated to accept the open decision of the ''jirga'', so Sabir Khan again intervened. He placed some wheat or barley sheaves in Ahmad Khan's turban, and crowned him ''Badshah, Durr-i-Dauran'' (Shah, Pearl of the Age).<ref>{{cite book |last=Dupree |first=Louis |date=1980 |title=Afghanistan |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=333 |isbn=0-691-03006-5}}</ref> The ''jirga'' concluded near the city of Kandahar with [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] being selected as the new leader of the Afghans, thus the Durrani dynasty was founded. Despite being younger than the other contenders, Ahmad Shah had several overriding factors in his favor. He belonged to a respectable family of political background, especially since his father had served as [[list of governors of Herat|Governor of Herat]] who died in a battle defending the Afghans.