List of heads of state of Afghanistan

This article lists the heads of state of Afghanistan since the foundation of the first Afghan state, the Hotak Empire, in 1709.

The Hotak Empire was formed after a successful uprising led by Mirwais Hotak and other Afghan tribal chiefs from Kandahar against Mughal and Persian rule.

After a long series of wars, the Hotak Empire was eventually replaced by the Durrani Afghan Empire that was founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747.

After the collapse of the Durrani Empire in 1823, the Barakzai dynasty founded the Emirate of Afghanistan, transformed it into the Kingdom of Afghanistan in 1926, and ruled the country until the last King Mohammed Zahir Shah was deposed in the 1973 coup d'état, led by his first cousin Mohammed Daoud Khan. Daoud then established the Republic of Afghanistan, which lasted until the Saur Revolution in 1978.

Since 1978, Afghanistan has been in a state of continuous internal conflict and foreign interventions.

The former president Hamid Karzai became the first ever democratically elected head of state of Afghanistan on 7 December 2004. The current president is Ashraf Ghani, since 29 September 2014.

List of heads of state

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Monarchs

Name	Portrait	Birth–Death	Reign start	Reign end	Dynasty
Hotak Empire (1709–1738)
Mirwais Hotak	File:MIRWAIS HOTAK.png	1673–1715	1709	1715	Hotak
			Emir
Abdul Aziz Hotak		Died 1717	1715	1717	Hotak
			Emir; Brother of Mirwais Hotak
Mahmud Hotak		1697–1725	1717	22 April 1725	Hotak
			Emir; Son of Mirwais Hotak
Ashraf Hotak		Died 1730	22 April 1725	1730	Hotak
			Emir; Nephew of Mirwais Hotak
Hussain Hotak		Died 1738	1730	24 March 1738	Hotak
			Emir; Son of Mirwais Hotak
Afsharid Empire (1738–1747)
Nader Shah Afshar		1688–1747	24 March 1738	October 1747	Afsharid
			Emir
Durrani Empire (1747–1823) Durrani Empire (1747–1823) Name Lifespan Reign start Reign end Notes Family Image Ahmad Shah Durrani the Father of the Nation 1722 – 16 October 1772 1747 16 October 1772 Durrani Timur Shah Durrani 1748 – 18 May 1793 16 October 1772 18 May 1793 Son of Ahmad Shah Durrani Durrani Zaman Shah Durrani 1770–1844 18 May 1793 25 July 1801 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Mahmud Shah Durrani (1st reign) 1769 – 18 April 1829 25 July 1801 13 July 1803 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Shuja Shah Durrani (1st reign) 4 November 1785 – 5 April 1842 13 July 1803 3 May 1809 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Mahmud Shah Durrani (2nd reign) 1769 – 18 April 1829 3 May 1809 1818 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Ali Shah Durrani 1818 1819 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Ayub Shah Durrani Died 1 October 1837 1819 1823 (deposed) Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Emirate of Afghanistan (1823–1926) Name Lifespan Reign start Reign end Notes Family Image Dost Mohammad Khan (1st reign) 23 December 1793 – 9 June 1863 1823 2 August 1839 (deposed) Son of Sardar Payendah Khan Barakzai Shuja Shah Durrani (2nd reign) Shah Shujah 4 November 1785 – 5 April 1842 7 August 1839 5 April 1842 Son of Timur Shah Durrani Durrani Akbar Khan 1816–1845 5 April 1842 1845 Son of Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai Dost Mohammad Khan (2nd reign) 23 December 1793 – 9 June 1863 1845 9 June 1863 Son of Sardar Payendah Khan Barakzai Sher Ali Khan (1st reign) 1825 – 21 February 1879 9 June 1863 1865 (deposed) Son of Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai Mohammad Afzal Khan 1811 – 7 October 1867 1865 7 October 1867 Son of Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai Mohammad Azam Khan Died 21 February 1868 7 October 1867 21 February 1868 Son of Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai Sher Ali Khan (2nd reign) 1825 – 21 February 1879 7 October 1868 21 February 1879 Son of Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai Mohammad Yaqub Khan 1849 – 15 November 1923 21 February 1879 12 October 1879 (deposed) Son of Sher Ali Khan Barakzai Mohammad Ayub Khan 1857 – 7 April 1914 12 October 1879 31 May 1880 (deposed) Son of Sher Ali Khan Barakzai Abdur Rahman Khan 1840/44 – 1 October 1901 31 May 1880 1 October 1901 Son of Mohammad Afzal Khan Barakzai Habibullah Khan 3 June 1872 – 20 February 1919 1 October 1901 20 February 1919 Son of Abdur Rahman Khan Barakzai Nasrullah Khan 1874–1920 20 February 1919 28 February 1919 (deposed) Son of Abdur Rahman Khan Barakzai Amanullah Khan 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960 28 February 1919 9 June 1926 Son of Habibullah Khan Barakzai Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1973) Name Lifespan Reign start Reign end Notes Family Image Amanullah Khan 1 June 1892 – 25 April 1960 9 June 1926 14 January 1929 (deposed) Son of Habibullah Khan Barakzai Inayatullah Khan 20 October 1888 – 12 August 1946 14 January 1929 17 January 1929 (deposed) Son of Habibullah Khan Barakzai Habibullah Kalakani 19 January 1891 – 3 November 1929 17 January 1929 16 October 1929 (deposed) Non-Dynastic Mohammed Nadir Shah 9 April 1883 – 8 November 1933 16 October 1929 8 November 1933 Great-nephew of Dost Mohammed Khan Barakzai Mohammed Zahir Shah 15 October 1914 – 23 July 2007 8 November 1933 17 July 1973 (deposed) Son of Mohammed Nadir Shah Barakzai Local monarchs Some rulers tried to take advantage of internal conflicts in Afghanistan to claim the throne. However, their rule was limited only to certain areas. Name Birth–Death Reign start Reign end Dynasty Jehandad Khan Died 1914 May 1912 May 1912 Non-dynastic Emir; Ruled only in Khost during the 1912 rebellion. Abd-al Karim 1897–1927 July 1924 30 January 1925 Barakzai Emir; Son of Mohammad Yaqub Khan, rule limited to the Southern Province during the 1924–1925 rebellion. Salemai Unknown 1944/45 late 1946 Non-dynastic King; rule limited to the Eastern Province during the 1944–47 tribal revolts. Non-monarchs Name Portrait Birth–Death Took office Left office Political Affiliation Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) rowspan="3" style="background:Template:National Revolutionary Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Mohammed Daoud Khan File:Mohammed Daoud Khan.jpg 1909–1978 17 July 1973 28 April 1978 Independent (until 1976) National Revolutionary Party President; Member of the Barakzai dynasty (first cousin of Mohammed Zahir Shah); Assassinated Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1987) rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Colonel Abdul Qadir 1944–2014 28 April 1978 30 April 1978 People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) Chairman of the Presidium of the Military Revolutionary Council rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Nur Muhammad Taraki 1917–1979 30 April 1978 14 September 1979 People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Hafizullah Amin File:Hafizullah Amin.jpg 1929–1979 14 September 1979 27 December 1979 People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction) Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Babrak Karmal File:Babrak Karmal.png 1929–1996 27 December 1979 24 November 1986 People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Dismissed rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | Haji Mohammad Chamkani 1947–2012 24 November 1986 30 September 1987 Independent Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Mohammad Najibullah 1947–1996 30 September 1987 30 November 1987 People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council Republic of Afghanistan (1987–1992) rowspan="3" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Mohammad Najibullah 1947–1996 30 November 1987 16 April 1992 People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) (until 1990) Homeland Party President; Resigned rowspan="2" style="background:Template:People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan/meta/color" | Abdul Rahim Hatif 1926–2013 16 April 1992 28 April 1992 Homeland Party Acting President; Deposed Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002) Sibghatullah Mojaddedi 1925–2019 28 April 1992 28 June 1992 National Liberation Front Acting President; Resigned rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Jamiat-e Islami/meta/color" | Burhanuddin Rabbani 1940–2011 28 June 1992 22 December 2001 Jamiat-e Islami President; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | Hamid Karzai 1957– 22 December 2001 13 July 2002 Independent Acting President Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001) Mullah Mohammed Omar 1960–2013 27 September 1996 13 November 2001 Taliban Emir and Commander of the Faithful; The Islamic Emirate never attained widespread international recognition, despite controlling about 90% of Afghan territory; Deposed Mullah Mohammad Rabbani 1955–2001 27 September 1996 13 April 2001 Taliban Head of the Supreme Council; Deputy leader of the Taliban; Died in office Maulavi Abdul Kabir 1958/1963– 16 April 2001 13 November 2001 Taliban Acting Head of the Supreme Council; Deposed Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004) rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | Hamid Karzai 1957– 13 July 2002 7 December 2004 Independent Transitional President Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–present) rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | Hamid Karzai 1957– 7 December 2004 29 September 2014 Independent President; First democratically elected head of state rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color" | Ashraf Ghani 1949– 29 September 2014 Incumbent Independent President; First peaceful transfer of power Standards of heads of state Standard of the King of Afghanistan, 1931–1973. Standard of the President of Afghanistan, 2004–2013. Standard of the President of Afghanistan, 2013–present. See also President of Afghanistan Prime Minister of Afghanistan Chief Executive Officer (Afghanistan) Name of Afghanistan History of Afghanistan List of Pashtun empires and dynasties Notes References External links Presidency of Afghanistan