Kabul: | A History 1773-1948

Kabul’s modern era began when Timur Shah Durrani (son of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire) moved the capital from Kandahar to Kabul in 1775.

This period saw the rise of the Muhammadza’i dynasty and the onset of the "Great Game," where Kabul became a focal point of British and Russian imperial interests.

: By the late 1940s, Kabul was the undisputed cultural and economic heart of the country, acting as a "symbiosis of Central Asian and Indian influences." Kabul: A History 1773-1948

Following the brief and chaotic rule of Habibullah Kalakani, the Musahiban dynasty (beginning with Nadir Shah) restored order.

Under Amir Abdur Rahman Khan (the "Iron Amir"), Kabul was central to the creation of a centralized, modern state. Kabul’s modern era began when Timur Shah Durrani

: The city survived multiple British occupations during the First (1839–1842) and Second (1878–1880) Anglo-Afghan Wars. These conflicts often left the city’s infrastructure in ruins, including the destruction of the Great Bazaar in 1842.

: He built the Arg, a massive fortress-palace that remains the seat of Afghan government power. Under Amir Abdur Rahman Khan (the "Iron Amir"),

: During this time, Kabul was a "Persianized" city, with the walled Qizilbash district of Chendawol serving as a central hub of literacy and administrative power. 2. The Saduza’i and Muhammadza’i Eras (1793–1880)