# Battle of Nimla (1809)

The Battle of Nimla took place on 29 June 1809, due to a conflict between Mahmud Shah Durrani and Shah Shuja Durrani over the succession for the Durrani throne. The battle resulted in a victory for Mahmud Shah and allowed him to secure the throne, where he reigned from 1809 to 1818. This was his second reign before he was deposed.
At the beginning of the conflict, Shah Shuja had managed to depose Mahmud Shah in the wake of a greater conflict that had spilled over after the death of Timur Shah Durrani, leading to a succession crisis where Mahmud Shah would eventually take rule, and be deposed by Shah Shuja, as a result, Mahmud Shah had returned in 1809 and had occupied Kabul, Shah Shuja had rallied his forces near Jalalabad to meet Shah Mahmud in battle near Nimla.

## Background

Following the death of Timur Shah Durrani, the Durrani Empire was plunged into a succession crisis with Timur Shah's 24 sons. Prominent among these sons were Mahmud Shah Durrani, Zaman Shah Durrani, and Shah Shuja Durrani. Zaman Shah Durrani would take the throne after the death of Timur Shah in a succession crisis, where Mahmud Shah Durrani was confined to ruling the Realm of Herat, while Shah Shuja would work for Zaman Shah ordinated at Peshawar. Mahmud Shah would be forced to flee to Persia after Zaman Shah would invade Herat. Mahmud Shah returned on multiple attempts to seize the throne from his brother, finally succeeding in 1801. Shah Shuja Durrani attempted to thwart Mahmud Shah's attempts, but was repelled and was forced to flee.
Shah Shuja would return with rebel leaders, Sher Muhammad Khan to topple Mahmud Shah and would succeed, placing himself on the throne in 1803, making Mahmud Shah's reign last just under 2 years.
Mahmud Shah Durrani returned in 1809, plotting to usurp the throne once again, Mahmud centralized his forces with Fateh Khan and his son, Kamran at Kandahar before marching to Kabul. Shah Shuja Durrani, seeing this had scrambled his forces at Jalalabad and met Mahmud Shah's army at the old Kabul-Jalalabad Road near Nimla. Shah Shuja had previously attempted a campaign in Kashmir, and his forces were repelled, hence he was unable to bring together a proper army to try and repel Mahmud Shah Durrani and his allies. Nonetheless the battle began.

## Battle

The Battle took place on 29 June 1809, where Shah Shuja Durrani was strategizing and aligning his army for battle against Shah Mahmud, upon his arrival. However, during the preparation, Shah Shuja and his forces were ambushed by Shah Mahmud's much larger army, while being strung out across the road. Shah Mahmud's cavalry made several quick attacks on Shah Shuja's split forces, with coordinated attacks, pulling and wiping them apart with lancers. Witnessing these string of victories by Shah Mahmud, many of the noblemen on Shah Shuja's side defected or fled, likely due to bribes from Fateh Khan, Wazir to Shah Mahmud. A split force from the road led by Akram Khan met Fateh Khan. Akram Khan prepared for battle against Fateh Khan and fired a shot at him, which missed and killed an officer next to Fateh Khan. Fateh Khan, infuriated, charged and struck off Akram's head, and raised it in the air. By the time Shah Shuja heard of Akram's death, his army had disintegrated and fallen, resulting in a victory for Shah Mahmud. Shah Shuja was forced to flee from the battle.

## Aftermath

With this victory, Mahmud Shah Durrani was able to usurp and secure the Durrani throne, starting his second reign on the Durrani Empire. Mahmud Shah Durrani reigned until his second deposition in 1818.
Part of a series on the :
History of Afghanistan :
The palace of the emir in 1839 :
Timeline :
Ancient Indus Valley civilisation 2200–1800 BC Oxus civilization 2100–1800 BC Gandhara kingdom 1500–535 BC Median Empire 728–550 BC Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BC Macedonian Empire 330–312 BC Seleucid Empire 312–150 BC Maurya Empire 305–180 BC Greco-Bactrian kingdom 256–125 BC Parthian Empire 247 BC–224 AD Indo-Greek kingdom 180–90 BC Indo-Scythian kingdom 155–80? BC Kushan Empire 135 BC – 248 AD Indo-Parthian kingdom 20 BC – 50? AD Sasanian Empire 230–651 Kidarite kingdom 320–465 Rob Alchon Huns 380–560 Hephthalite Empire 410–557 Nezak Huns 484–711 :
Medieval Kabul Shahi 565–879 Principality of Chaghaniyan 7th–8th centuries Rashidun Caliphate 652–661 Tang China 660–669 Tibetan Empire 660–842 Umayyads 661–750 Zunbils 680–870 Lawik750-977 Abbasids 750–821 Tahirids 821–873 Saffarids 863–900 Samanids 875–999 Ghaznavids 963–1187 Ghurids before 879–1215 Seljuks 1037–1194 Khwarezmids 1215–1231 Mongol Invasion 1219–1226 Chagatai Khanate 1226–1245 Qarlughids 1224–1266 Ilkhanate 1256–1335 Kartids 1245–1381 Timurids 1370–1507 Arghuns 1520–1591 :
Modern Mughals 1501–1738 Safavids 1510–1709 Kunduz Khanate ?–1859 Hotak dynasty 1709–1738 Sadozai Sultanate 1716–1732 Afsharid Iran 1738–1747 Durrani Empire 1747–1823 Maimana Khanate 1747–1892 Herat 1793–1863 Principality of Qandahar1818–1855 Emirate 1823–1926 Saqqawist Emirate 1929 Kingdom 1926–1973 Daoud coup 1973 Republic 1973–1978 Saur Revolution 1978 Democratic Republic 1978–1992 Tanai coup attempt 1990 Islamic State 1992–1996 Islamic Emirate 1996–2001 US invasion 2001 Islamic State (reinstated) 2001 Interim/Transitional Administration 2001–2004 Islamic Republic (politics) 2004–2021 Islamic Emirate (reinstated) since 2021 :
Related historical regions
Arachosia
Aria
Ariana
Bactria
Gandhara
Iran
Kabulistan
Kafiristan
Khorasan
Kushanshahr
Paropamisadae
Sistan
Zabulistan :
Related topics
Political history
Political violence
Culture
Economic history
Name
Afghan (ethnonym)
List of years
List of heads of state
Wars
List of wars
Hinduism history
Hindu and Buddhist heritage
Jewish history
Muslim conquests :
Category
Afghanistan portal :
vte :