Mahmud Shah Durrani

Mahmud Shah Durrani (Pashto/Persian: ) ; 1769 – 18 April 1829) was born prince and later ruler of the Durrani Empire (Afghanistan) between 1801 and 1803, and again between 1809 and 1818. From 1818 to 1829 he was the ruler of Herat. An ethnic Sadduzai tribe section of the Popalzai sub clan of the Durrani Pashtuns, he was the son of Timur Shah Durrani and grandson of Ahmad Shah Durrani.

Reign
Mahmud Shah Durrani was the half-brother of his predecessor, Zaman Shah. On July 25, 1801, Zaman Shah was deposed, and Mahmud Shah ascended to ruler-ship. He had a chequered career, being deposed in 1803, restored in 1809, and finally deposed again in 1818.

Struggles with the Barakzais
The elder brother of Dost Mohammad Khan, the chief of the Barakzai, Fateh Khan, took an important part in raising Mahmud Shah Durrani to the sovereignty of Afghanistan in 1800 and in restoring him to the throne in 1809. The son of Mahmud Shah Durrani, Shahzada Kamran Durrani, was always in trouble with Fateh Khan, the brother of Dost Muhammad Khan. Mahmud Shah repaid Fateh Khan's services by having him assassinated in 1818. The assassination of Fateh Khan Barakzai, incurred the enmity of his tribe and with it began the fall of the Durrani Empire. After a bloody conflict, Mahmud Shah was deprived of all his possessions except Herat. The rest of his dominions were divided among Fateh Khan's brothers. King Mahmud Shah Durrani died in 1829. The country was then ruled by Shuja Shah Durrani; another of his half-brothers.