Mir Wais Hotak
Encyclopedia
Hajji
Mirwais Khan Hotak, also known as Mir Vais Ghilzai (1673 – November 1715), was an influential tribal chief
of the Ghilzai
Pashtuns
from Kandahar
, Afghanistan
, who founded the Hotaki dynasty that ruled a wide area in Persia
and Afghanistan from 1709 to 1738. After revolting and killing Gurgin Khan
in April 1709, he then twice defeated the powerful Safavid
Persian armies in southern Afghanistan. He is widely known as Mirwais Neeka ("Mirwais the grandfather" in the Pashto language
).
area. His family had long been involved in social and community services. He was the son of Salim Khan and Nazo Tokhi (also known as "Nazo Anaa"), grandson of Karum Khan, and great-grandson of Ismail Khan, a descendant of Malikyar, the ancient head of Hottaki or Hotaks. The Hottaki is a strong branch of Ghilzai
, one of the main tribes among the Pashtun people
. Hajji Amanullah Hottak reports in his book that the Ghilzai tribe is the original residents of Ghor or Gherj. This tribe migrated later to obtain lands in southeastern Afghanistan and multiplied in these areas. Mirwais was married to Khanzada Sadozai, who belonged to the rival Abdali
tribe of Pashtuns.
Persian Safavids
and the Sunni
Moghuls of India. Mirwais Khan, a Sunni tribal chief whose influence with his fellow-countrymen made him an object of suspicion, was held as a political prisoner by Gurgin Khan
and sent to the Safavid court at Isfahan. He was later freed and even allowed to meet with the Shah, Sultan Husayn, on a regular basis. Having ingratiated himself with the Persian Court, Mirwais sought and obtained permission to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca
in Ottoman empire
(after which he was known as Hajji
). He has studied carefully all the military weaknesses of the Safavids while he spent time there in their court.
While in Mecca, he sought from the leading authorities a fatwa
against the Shia foreign rulers who were persecuting his people in his homeland. The Pashtun tribes
rankled under the ruling Safavids because of their continued attempts to forcefully convert them from Sunni to Shia Islam. The fatwa was granted and he carried it with him to Iṣfahan and subsequently to Kandahar, with permission to return and strong recommendations to Gurgin Khan. In 1709 he began organizing his countrymen for a major uprising, and in April 1709, when a large part of the Persian garrison was on an expedition outside the city, he and his followers fell on the remainder and killed the greater number of them, including Gurgin Khan. After Gurgin Khan and his escort were killed, the Hotaki soldiers took control of the city and then the province. Mirwais entered Kandahar and made an important speech to its dwellers.
Mirwais and his forces then defeated a large Persian army that was sent to regain control over the area.
Mirwais Khan became the Governor of the Greater Kandahar region, which covered most of present-day southwestern Afghanistan and part of Balochistan, Pakistan. To the northwest was the Abdali
Pashtuns and to the east began the Moghul Empire. Refusing the title of a king, Mirwais was referred to as "Prince of Qandahár and General of the national troops" by his Afghan countrymen.
Mirwais is buried at his mausoleum
in the Kokaran section of Kandahar, which is in the western end of the city. He is regarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest national heroes and admired by many Afghans, especially the Pashtuns. Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan's George Washington
in his 2004 book Afghanistan.
There is a neighborhood called Mirwais Mina as well as a hospital called Mirwais Hospital
, a high school
and a business center
named after him in Kandahar. Not only in Kandahar but there are also schools and other institutions or places across Afghanistan built to honor him. A few direct descendants of Mirwais are living today among the Hotak
tribe.
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
Mirwais Khan Hotak, also known as Mir Vais Ghilzai (1673 – November 1715), was an influential tribal chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
of the Ghilzai
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
Pashtuns
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
from Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, who founded the Hotaki dynasty that ruled a wide area in Persia
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
and Afghanistan from 1709 to 1738. After revolting and killing Gurgin Khan
George XI of Kartli
George XI was a Georgian monarch who ruled Eastern Georgia from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle against the Safavid Persia which dominated his weakened kingdom. Being an Eastern Orthodox Christian, he converted to Islam prior to his appointment as...
in April 1709, he then twice defeated the powerful Safavid
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
Persian armies in southern Afghanistan. He is widely known as Mirwais Neeka ("Mirwais the grandfather" in the Pashto language
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
).
Early life
Mirwais Hotak was born in a well-known, rich and political family in the KandaharKandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
area. His family had long been involved in social and community services. He was the son of Salim Khan and Nazo Tokhi (also known as "Nazo Anaa"), grandson of Karum Khan, and great-grandson of Ismail Khan, a descendant of Malikyar, the ancient head of Hottaki or Hotaks. The Hottaki is a strong branch of Ghilzai
Ghilzai
Ghilzai are the largest Pashtun tribal confederacy found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are also known historically as Ghilji, Khilji, Ghalji, Ghilzye, and possibly Gharzai...
, one of the main tribes among the Pashtun people
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
. Hajji Amanullah Hottak reports in his book that the Ghilzai tribe is the original residents of Ghor or Gherj. This tribe migrated later to obtain lands in southeastern Afghanistan and multiplied in these areas. Mirwais was married to Khanzada Sadozai, who belonged to the rival Abdali
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
tribe of Pashtuns.
Rise to power
In 1707, Kandahar was in a state of chaos, fought over by the Shi'aShi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
Persian Safavids
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
and the Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Moghuls of India. Mirwais Khan, a Sunni tribal chief whose influence with his fellow-countrymen made him an object of suspicion, was held as a political prisoner by Gurgin Khan
George XI of Kartli
George XI was a Georgian monarch who ruled Eastern Georgia from 1676 to 1688 and again from 1703 to 1709. He is best known for his struggle against the Safavid Persia which dominated his weakened kingdom. Being an Eastern Orthodox Christian, he converted to Islam prior to his appointment as...
and sent to the Safavid court at Isfahan. He was later freed and even allowed to meet with the Shah, Sultan Husayn, on a regular basis. Having ingratiated himself with the Persian Court, Mirwais sought and obtained permission to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in Ottoman empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
(after which he was known as Hajji
Hajji
Hajji or El-Hajj, is an honorific title given to a Muslim person who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca, and is often used to refer to an elder, since it can take time to accumulate the wealth to fund the travel. The title is placed before a person's name...
). He has studied carefully all the military weaknesses of the Safavids while he spent time there in their court.
While in Mecca, he sought from the leading authorities a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
against the Shia foreign rulers who were persecuting his people in his homeland. The Pashtun tribes
Pashtun tribes
The Pashtun people are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and the second largest in Pakistan. Pashtun, tribes are divided into four supertribal confederacies: the Arbanee , Betanee , Gharghasht, and Karlanee .Traditionally, according to folklore, all Pashtuns are said to have descended, at...
rankled under the ruling Safavids because of their continued attempts to forcefully convert them from Sunni to Shia Islam. The fatwa was granted and he carried it with him to Iṣfahan and subsequently to Kandahar, with permission to return and strong recommendations to Gurgin Khan. In 1709 he began organizing his countrymen for a major uprising, and in April 1709, when a large part of the Persian garrison was on an expedition outside the city, he and his followers fell on the remainder and killed the greater number of them, including Gurgin Khan. After Gurgin Khan and his escort were killed, the Hotaki soldiers took control of the city and then the province. Mirwais entered Kandahar and made an important speech to its dwellers.
Mirwais and his forces then defeated a large Persian army that was sent to regain control over the area.
Mirwais Khan became the Governor of the Greater Kandahar region, which covered most of present-day southwestern Afghanistan and part of Balochistan, Pakistan. To the northwest was the Abdali
Durrani
Durrani or Abdali is the name of a chief Pashtun tribal confederation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Originally known by their ancient name Abdali later as Durrani they have been called Durrani since the beginning of the Durrani Empire in 1747. The number of Durranis are estimated to be roughly 16%...
Pashtuns and to the east began the Moghul Empire. Refusing the title of a king, Mirwais was referred to as "Prince of Qandahár and General of the national troops" by his Afghan countrymen.
Death and legacy
Mirwais remained in power until his death in November 1715 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was later killed by Mirwais' son Mahmud, allegedly for planning to give Kandahar's sovereignty back to Persia. In 1717, Mahmud took advantage of the political weakness of the Persian Shah (Sultan Husayn) and conquered Persia.Mirwais is buried at his mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
in the Kokaran section of Kandahar, which is in the western end of the city. He is regarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest national heroes and admired by many Afghans, especially the Pashtuns. Steven Otfinoski referred to him as Afghanistan's George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in his 2004 book Afghanistan.
There is a neighborhood called Mirwais Mina as well as a hospital called Mirwais Hospital
Mirwais Hospital
The Mirwais Hospital is a hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan. It is named after Mirwais Hotak, who is known in the area as Mirwais Neeka . It along with a hospital in Quetta are the only advance medical facilities in the area....
, a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and a business center
Business center
-Places:* Central business district or Commercial district* Business Center, Germany* ABA Business Center, the tallest building in Tirana, Albania* Abbey business centres, UK* Business Center Niederösterreich, Austria* City Business Center, Bratislava...
named after him in Kandahar. Not only in Kandahar but there are also schools and other institutions or places across Afghanistan built to honor him. A few direct descendants of Mirwais are living today among the Hotak
Hotak
Hotak is an Afghan royal family name among the Pashtun people.The Hotaki started long ago as a rich and well known political family. The first king to take power in Kandahar, Afghanistan, was Mirwais Hotak . After his death many different Hotakis took the power of the throne, such as Mahmud...
tribe.
See also
- Hotaki dynasty
- History of AfghanistanHistory of AfghanistanThe written history of Afghanistan can be traced back to the Achaemenid Empire ca. 500 BCE, although evidence indicates that an advanced degree of urbanized culture has existed in the land since between 3000 and 2000 BCE. Alexander the Great and his Macedonian army arrived to Afghanistan in 330 BCE...
- Safavid conversion of Iran from Sunnism to Shiism