principality · Central Asia and the Steppe

Principality of Kandahar

1818 CE – 1855 CE (approx.) · capital Kandahar

The principality ruled by the Barakzai 'Kandahar Sardars', half-brothers of Dost Mohammad Khan, between the fall of the Durranis and Afghan reunification.

Origins

As the Durrani Empire fell apart after 1818, the powerful Barakzai brothers divided its lands. Kandahar went to a group of brothers known as the Kandahar Sardars, led by Purdil Khan and later Kohandil Khan, who were half-brothers of Dost Mohammad Khan of Kabul.

Rule and society

The sardars ruled jointly over Kandahar and its Pashtun tribes, relying on tribal levies and revenue from trade on the route to Herat and India. They negotiated with Persia and Russia as well as with their relatives in Kabul. During the First Anglo-Afghan War the British occupied Kandahar from 1839 to 1842, and the sardars took refuge in Persia before returning.

Decline and legacy

After Kohandil Khan died in 1855, Dost Mohammad Khan seized Kandahar and incorporated it into the Emirate of Afghanistan, a key step towards reuniting the Afghan lands.

Lineage

Durrani Empire 1747 CE – 1823 CEPrincipality of KandaharEmirate of Afghanistan 1823 CE – 1926 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Principality of Kandahar. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kandahar
MLA
“Principality of Kandahar.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kandahar. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Principality of Kandahar.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kandahar.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Principality of Kandahar’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/principality-of-kandahar (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻