Sultan Mohammad Khan

Sultan Mohammad Khan (born in 1795 and died in 1861), also known as "Sultan Muhammad Khan Telai" was an Afghan Aristocrat, Chief Minister and regent, who resigned in favor of his younger brother Amir Dost Muhammad Khan. During the reign of his brother he was chief minister and gouvanor of various regions of the Emirate. He was the first Musahiban, an ethnic Pashtun, and the 15th son of Sardar Payendah Khan (chief of the Barakzai tribe) who was killed in 1799 by Zaman Shah Durrani. Sultan Muhammad Khan´s grandfather was Hajji Jamal Khan. His love of clothes led to his family giving him his nickname "Talai", meaning golden.

Background and political power

Sultan Mohammad Khan was born to an influential family in Kandahar, Durrani Empire in the year 1795. His father, Payindah Khan, was chief of the Barakzai tribe and an aristocrat with the title "Sarfraz Khan" in the Durrani dynasty. Their family can be traced back to Abdal (the first and founder of the Abdali tribe), through Hajji Jamal Khan, Yousef, Yaru, Mohammad, Omar Khan, Khisar Khan, Ismail, Nek, Daru, Saifal, and Barak. Abdal had Four sons, Popal, Barak, Achak, and Alako. Sultan Muhammad khan Telai was Emir of Afghanistan in the time of critical power vacuum in the Emirate of Afghanistan. However he has resigned in favor of his younger brother and became Chief minister or Crown Prince under him and simultaneously governor of various Regions of the Emirate. The regions, where he acted as governor, known by historians today, are Kabul from year 1824-1827, Peshawar year 1827-1828 and Kohat from year 1828-1834. He and the Muhammadzais in general were known for having a great number of wives, in order to unify the afghan tribes and ethnic groups.

Notable descendants

• King Amanullah Khan through his mother, sister of Nadir Shah.
• H.M. Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan
• H.M. Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan
• H.R.H. Daoud Khan, Prince, Prime minister and first President of Afghanistan
• H.R.H. General Amir Muhammad Khan, Prince and General
• H.R.H. Prof. Dr. Sardar Abdul Khalek Khan, Prince of Afghanistan, Afghan Pioneer of Science, Afghan Ambassador to the UN, Minister of traffic of the Republic of Afghanistan