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Ahmad Shah Abdali, later known as Ahmad Shah Durrani, was the founder of modern Afghanistan.
Before being elected king in 1747, Abdali was a cavalry general under the
Persian emperor Nadir Shah. After Nadir Shah's assassination, he captured a caravan
with booty coming from India, this provided him the financial backing
he needed to become king. During his reign, he built a vast empire that extended
from eastern Persia (Iran) to northern India, and from the Amu Darya to the Indian Ocean.
Abdali was also a brilliant Pashto poet. He died in 1772, possibly as a result of
skin cancer. Afghans refer to him as Ahmad Shah Baba (Ahmad Shah, the father).
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