Ahmad Shah

**Ahmad Shah** (b. 1934) is the current King of the Kingdom of Afghanistan since he ascended the throne of Afghanistan after the death of his father Mohammad Zahir Shah. Ahmad Shah had become King of an Afghanistan that is recovering from helping its master state recover from an expansionist campaign in India.

## History

At the time of his birth he was second in the line of succession to the throne after his older brother Muhammed Akbar Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan. However, following the death of his brother on 26 November 1942, he became first in the line of succession and the heir apparent and Crown Prince.

He was educated first at Esteqlal High School, and College of Military Science, in Kabul. Later he attended the University of Oxford, the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (IEP) and later spent time working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.

His father's reign ended on 17 July 1973, when he was ousted by a coup with Afghanistan being declared a republic by Mohammed Daoud Khan, a member of the royal family. The Crown Prince was one of fourteen members of the royal family arrested following the coup. He was allowed to leave the country for Rome on 26 July. Following the overthrow of the monarchy, the Crown Prince settled in the state of Virginia, United States, and took to writing poetry.

### Restoration of Afghan Monarchy

Ahmad Shah had regained his title of Crown Prince after his father Mohammad Zahir Shah was restored as King of Afghanistan. His eldest son had married the eldest daughter of Mukarram Jah and his second son had married Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's youngest daughter Princess Leila in order to establish heirs to the newly restored Afghan throne. Ahmad Shah had also helped contribute to establishing morale boosters for the Afghan soldiers fighting in Iran's expansionism war in the Indian subcontinent.

### Ascension to the Afghan throne

His father Mohammad Zahir Shah had died in the year 2007 and Ahmad Shah had ascended the throne in his place as King of Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah had become the King of an Afghanistan that was drained of its resources for an expansionism campaign in the Indian Subcontinent. Ahmad Shah had tried to implement reforms to save the country from collapse, but it caused rebellions against the Kingdom by the Tribal Warlords and Religious leaders and this resulted in Ahmad Shah only enforcing those reforms in the urban areas and not reforming the rural areas. The civilians in the rural areas were angry that Ahmad Shah did not do anything to make their lives easier, but Ahmad Shah ignored their discontent in order to appease the tribal warlords and religious leaders.

Ahmad Shah married his grandchildren to young people within their age range that are members of Sunni Muslim families in order to maintain political alliances with the countries that they rule and to get Afghanistan more allies in order to quell rebellions of all kinds against the Afghan monarchy.

## Personal Life

He was married at Chilstoon Palace in Kabul on 22 November 1961 to Princess Khatul Begum (born 1940), daughter of *Sardar* Muhammad Umar Khan Zikeria, by his wife, Princess Sultana Begum, fourth daughter of Mohammed Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan (d. 1933). He has two sons and one daughter:

* Crown Prince Muhammad Zahir Khan (born 26 May 1962), he married Sahibzadi Shehkyar Unisa Begum (b. 1964) and they have 3 sons:
	+ Prince Ahmad Amanullah Khan (b. 1992), married Sahebzadi Nilufer Unisa Begum (b. 1992), they have 2 sons
		- Prince Mohammad Rahmatullah Khan (b. 2012)
		- Prince Nadir Khan (b. 2013)
	+ Prince Hymayatullah (b. 1994), married Sara Ali Khan (b. 1995) in 2018 and they have 3 children
		- Prince Amanullah (b. 2019)
		- Prince Hynayatullah (b. 2020)
		- Princess Soraya (b. 2021)
* Prince Muhammad Emel Khan (born 1969), married Princess Leila Pahlavi (b. 1970), they have one daughter
	+ Princess Leila Farah Begum (b. 1997)
* Princess Hawa Khanum (born 27 October 1963). She married Sultan Muhammad Nawaz (b. 1963) and later divorced