Editing Afghanistan (section)

===Hotak dynasty===
{{Main|Hotak dynasty}}
[[File:Mapofthehotaks1728.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Map of the Hotak Empire at its height in 1728, disputed between [[Hussain Hotak]] (centered in Kandahar) and [[Ashraf Hotak]] (centered in Isfahan)]]

In 1709, [[Mirwais Hotak]], a local [[Ghilzai]] tribal leader, successfully rebelled against the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavids]]. He defeated [[Gurgin Khan]], the Georgian governor of Kandahar under the Safavids, and established his own kingdom.<ref name="Browne">{{cite web|url=http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D90001014%26ct%3D29 |title=A Literary History of Persia, Volume 4: Modern Times (1500–1924), Chapter IV. An Outline of the History Of Persia During The Last Two Centuries (A.D. 1722–1922) |author=Edward G. Browne |publisher=[[Packard Humanities Institute]] |access-date=9 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726142425/http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D90001014&ct=29 |archive-date=26 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Mirwais died in 1715, and was succeeded by his brother [[Abdul Aziz Hotak|Abdul Aziz]], who was soon killed by Mirwais's son [[Mahmud Hotak|Mahmud]] for possibly planning to sign a peace with the Safavids. Mahmud led the Afghan army in 1722 to the Persian capital of [[Isfahan]], and captured the city after the [[Battle of Gulnabad]] and proclaimed himself King of Persia.<ref name="Browne" /> The Afghan dynasty was ousted from Persia by [[Nader Shah]] after the 1729 [[Battle of Damghan (1729)|Battle of Damghan]].

In 1738, [[Nader Shah]] and his [[Afsharid dynasty|forces]] captured Kandahar in the [[siege of Kandahar]], the last Hotak stronghold, from Shah [[Hussain Hotak]]. Soon after, the Persian and Afghan forces [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|invaded India]], Nader Shah had plundered Delhi, alongside his 16-year-old commander, [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] who had assisted him on these campaigns. Nader Shah was assassinated in 1747.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10162/Ahmad-Shah-Durrani |title=Ahmad Shah Durrani |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica Online |access-date=9 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404104909/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10162/Ahmad-Shah-Durrani |archive-date=4 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/afghanistan/index.htm |title=Afghanistan |access-date=25 August 2010 |author =Friedrich Engels |work=[[Andy Blunden]] |publisher=The New American Cyclopaedia, Vol. I |year=1857|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140427034439/http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1857/afghanistan/index.htm |archive-date=27 April 2014 |author-link=Friedrich Engels}}</ref>