List of heads of state of Afghanistan

Monarch of Afghanistan
Former Monarchy
	<img alt="Royal Standard of the King of Afghanistan (1931–1973).svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Royal_Standard_of_the_King_of_Afghanistan_%281931%E2%80%931973%29.svg/120px-Royal_Standard_of_the_King_of_Afghanistan_%281931%E2%80%931973%29.svg.png" decoding="async" width="120" height="80" class="thumbborder" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="400">
	Royal Standard ; (1931–1973)
	<img alt="King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan in 1963.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/King_Zahir_Shah_of_Afghanistan_in_1963.jpg/120px-King_Zahir_Shah_of_Afghanistan_in_1963.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="157" data-file-width="306" data-file-height="400">
	Last to reign: ; Mohammed Zahir Shah ; 8 November 1933 – 17 July 1973
First monarch	Mirwais Hotak (Emir)
Last monarch	Mohammed Zahir Shah (King)
Official residence	Kabul: Bala Hissar ; (18th century – 1880); Arg-e-Shahi ; (19th century – 1973);
Appointer	Hereditary
Monarchy started	{{{began}}}
Monarchy ended	{{{ended}}}
Current pretender	Ahmad Shah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan

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

List of heads of state

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Monarchs

Hotak Empire (1709–1738) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

Durrani Empire (1747–1823) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

Emirate of Afghanistan (1823–1926) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

Kingdom of Afghanistan (1926–1929) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

Saqqawist Emirate and the 1928–1929 civil war Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

Kingdom of Afghanistan (restored; 1929–1973) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Succession table monarch/messages' not found.

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.

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Non-monarchs

Name		Portrait	Lifespan	Term of office			Political party
Name		Portrait	Lifespan	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978)
	Mohammed Daoud Khan		1909–1978	17 July 1973	28 April 1978	4 years, 285 days	Independent (until 1976)
				17 July 1973	28 April 1978	4 years, 285 days	National Revolutionary Party
				President; Member of the Barakzai dynasty (first cousin of Mohammed Zahir Shah); Assassinated with most of his family during the Saur Revolution.^[1] Shortly afterwards, the new military leaders announced that Khan was killed for refusing to surrender.^[2]
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992)
	Colonel Abdul Qadir		1944–2014	28 April 1978	30 April 1978	2 days	People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction)
	Colonel Abdul Qadir		1944–2014	Chairman of the Presidium of the Military Revolutionary Council
	Nur Muhammad Taraki		1917–1979	30 April 1978	14 September 1979	1 year, 137 days	People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction)
	Nur Muhammad Taraki		1917–1979	Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated by orders of Hafizullah Amin
	Hafizullah Amin		1929–1979	14 September 1979	27 December 1979	104 days	People's Democratic Party (Khalq faction)
	Hafizullah Amin		1929–1979	Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Assassinated by Soviet special forces during the Operation Storm-333^[3]
	Babrak Karmal		1929–1996	27 December 1979	24 November 1986	6 years, 332 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction)
	Babrak Karmal		1929–1996	Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Dismissed
	Haji Mohammad Chamkani		1947–2012	24 November 1986	30 September 1987	310 days	Independent
	Haji Mohammad Chamkani		1947–2012	Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council; Appointed as part of the National Reconciliation process
	Mohammad Najibullah		1947–1996	30 September 1987	16 April 1992	4 years, 199 days	People's Democratic Party (Parcham faction) (until 1990)
				30 September 1987	16 April 1992	4 years, 199 days	Homeland Party
				President (Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council until 30 November 1987); Resigned
	Abdul Rahim Hatif		1926–2013	16 April 1992	28 April 1992	12 days	Homeland Party
	Abdul Rahim Hatif		1926–2013	Acting President; Deposed
Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992–2002)
	Sibghatullah Mojaddedi		1926–2019	28 April 1992	28 June 1992	61 days	National Liberation Front of Afghanistan
	Sibghatullah Mojaddedi		1926–2019	Acting President; Resigned
	Burhanuddin Rabbani		1940–2011	28 June 1992	22 December 2001	9 years, 167 days	Jamiat-e Islami
	Burhanuddin Rabbani		1940–2011	President; Between 1996 and 2001, the Islamic State remained the internationally recognized government, despite only controlling about 10% of Afghan territory
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	22 December 2001	13 July 2002	203 days	Independent
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	Acting President
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)
	Mullah Mohammed Omar		1960–2013	27 September 1996	13 November 2001	5 years, 47 days	Taliban
	Mullah Mohammed Omar		1960–2013	Head of the Supreme Council, 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	4 years, 198 days	Taliban
	Mullah Mohammad Rabbani		1955–2001	Prime Minister and Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Deputy leader of the Taliban; Died in office
	Mawlawi Abdul Kabir		born 1958	16 April 2001	13 November 2001	211 days	Taliban
	Mawlawi Abdul Kabir		born 1958	Acting Prime Minister and Acting Deputy Head of the Supreme Council; Deposed
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (2002–2004)
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	13 July 2002	7 December 2004	2 years, 147 days	Independent
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	Transitional President; Appointed at the 2002 loya jirga
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021)
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	7 December 2004	29 September 2014	9 years, 296 days	Independent
	Hamid Karzai		born 1957	President; First democratically elected head of state; Elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2009
	Ashraf Ghani		born 1949	29 September 2014	15 August 2021	6 years, 320 days	Independent
	Ashraf Ghani		born 1949	President; First peaceful transition of power; Elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2019; Deposed
	Amrullah Saleh		born 1972	17 August 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 128 days	Basej-e Milli
	Amrullah Saleh		born 1972	Former First Vice President; Claimed the position of caretaker president based on Article 67 of the 2004 Constitution;^[4] Announced the formation of an anti-Taliban front in Panjshir^[5]
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (2021–present)
	Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada		born 1961	15 August 2021	Incumbent	3 years, 130 days	Taliban
	Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada		born 1961	Emir and Commander of the Faithful; The Islamic Emirate is currently not internationally recognized, despite controlling the majority of Afghan territory

List Of Heads Of State Of Afghanistan Media

Portrait of Mohammed Daoud Khan

References

↑ "There was, therefore, little to hinder the assault mounted by the rebel 4th Armored Brigade, led by Major Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, who had also been prominent in Daoud's own coup five years before. Watanjar first secured the airport, where the other coup leader, Colonel Abdul Qadir, left by helicopter for the Bagram air base. There he took charge and organized air strikes on the presidential palace, where Daoud and the presidential guard were conducting a desperate defense. Fighting continued the whole day and into the night, when the defenders were finally overwhelmed. Daoud and almost all of his family members, including women and children, died in the fighting. Altogether there were possibly as many as two thousand fatalities, both military and civilian." p. 88 of Ewans, Martin (2002) Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics HarperCollins, New York, Page 88 ISBN 0-06-050507-9
↑ "1978: Afghan coup rebels claim victory". April 29, 1978 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
↑ "How Soviet troops stormed Kabul palace". BBC. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
↑ Landay, Jonathan; Macfie, Nick; Boyle, John (17 August 2021). "Afghan vice president says he is "caretaker" president". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/afghan-vice-president-says-he-is-caretaker-president-2021-08-17/. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
↑ "An anti-Taliban front forming in Panjshir? Ex top spy Saleh, son of 'Lion of Panjshir' meet at citadel". The Week. Retrieved 2021-08-17.

Notes

Other websites

Presidency of Afghanistan

[1] "There was, therefore, little to hinder the assault mounted by the rebel 4th Armored Brigade, led by Major Mohammad Aslam Watanjar, who had also been prominent in Daoud's own coup five years before. Watanjar first secured the airport, where the other coup leader, Colonel Abdul Qadir, left by helicopter for the Bagram air base. There he took charge and organized air strikes on the presidential palace, where Daoud and the presidential guard were conducting a desperate defense. Fighting continued the whole day and into the night, when the defenders were finally overwhelmed. Daoud and almost all of his family members, including women and children, died in the fighting. Altogether there were possibly as many as two thousand fatalities, both military and civilian." p. 88 of Ewans, Martin (2002) Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics HarperCollins, New York, Page 88 ISBN 0-06-050507-9

[2] "1978: Afghan coup rebels claim victory". April 29, 1978 – via news.bbc.co.uk.

[3] "How Soviet troops stormed Kabul palace". BBC. 27 December 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2021.

[Saleh_caretaker_president-4] Landay, Jonathan; Macfie, Nick; Boyle, John (17 August 2021). "Afghan vice president says he is "caretaker" president". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/afghan-vice-president-says-he-is-caretaker-president-2021-08-17/. Retrieved 17 August 2021.

[Panjshir_resistance_announced-5] "An anti-Taliban front forming in Panjshir? Ex top spy Saleh, son of 'Lion of Panjshir' meet at citadel". The Week. Retrieved 2021-08-17.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Monarch of Afghanistan
Former Monarchy


Royal Standard (1931–1973)

Last to reign: Mohammed Zahir Shah 8 November 1933 – 17 July 1973
First monarch	Mirwais Hotak (Emir)
Last monarch	Mohammed Zahir Shah (King)
Official residence	Kabul: Bala Hissar (18th century – 1880) Arg-e-Shahi (19th century – 1973)
Appointer	Hereditary
Monarchy started	{{{began}}}
Monarchy ended	{{{ended}}}
Current pretender	Ahmad Shah Khan, Crown Prince of Afghanistan