Mohammad Ayub Khan
Who was Mohammad Ayub Khan?
Son of Sher Ali Khan who briefly claimed the Afghan throne in 1879-1880 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Mohammad Ayub Khan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Ghazi Mohammad Ayub Khan Barakzai (1857-1914) was an Afghan military leader and briefly ruled Afghanistan during a key time in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Born in Kabul, he was the son of Emir Sher Ali Khan and became well-known for his military leadership during a chaotic period in Afghanistan. His nickname, 'Victor of Maiwand,' highlights his major victory against British forces.
Ayub Khan was the governor of Herat Province before becoming the Emir of Afghanistan on October 12, 1879. This happened after his cousin Yaqub Khan abdicated during the British occupation of Kabul. His rule lasted until May 31, 1880, during which he actively resisted British forces. His most notable achievement was during the Battle of Maiwand on July 27, 1880, where his troops defeated a British Indian Army brigade, leading to nearly 1,000 British and Indian casualties.
Despite his victory, Ayub Khan's success didn’t last. British forces under General Frederick Roberts counterattacked, leading to his defeat at the Battle of Kandahar in September 1880, ending his claim to the Afghan throne and forcing him into exile. He initially fled to Persia, living there for several years while trying to keep his claim to leadership alive.
In 1888, after talks with Sir Mortimer Durand, the British ambassador to Tehran, Ayub Khan agreed to British terms and became a pensioner under the British Raj. He moved to British India and settled in Lahore, Punjab, where he lived under British protection until he died on April 7, 1914. Even in exile, he kept a large household with eleven wives and twenty-five children. His descendants continued in military roles, with two grandsons rising to the rank of brigadier in the Pakistan Army after partition.
Before Fame
Mohammad Ayub Khan, born in 1857 into the ruling Barakzai family, grew up when Afghanistan faced increasing foreign pressure. His father, Emir Sher Ali Khan, provided him with military and administrative training for leadership roles. The Second Anglo-Afghan War started in 1878 when his father rejected British demands for a permanent mission in Kabul, marking a pivotal moment in Ayub Khan's career.
After Sher Ali Khan died in February 1879, political turmoil allowed Ayub Khan to rise in power. As the governor of Herat, he emerged as a leader of Afghan resistance against the British, eventually claiming the emirate during the political vacuum that followed the British occupation of Kabul.
Key Achievements
- Defeated British Indian Army at the Battle of Maiwand in July 1880
- Served as Emir of Afghanistan from October 1879 to May 1880
- Led Afghan resistance during the Second Anglo-Afghan War
- Governed Herat Province in the Emirate of Afghanistan
- Earned the title 'Victor of Maiwand' for his military success against British forces
Did You Know?
- 01.He was nicknamed 'the Afghan Prince Charlie' by the British, comparing him to the Scottish Jacobite claimant Charles Edward Stuart
- 02.His victory at Maiwand was one of the worst defeats suffered by British forces in Afghanistan, inspiring Rudyard Kipling's poem about the battle
- 03.Despite being exiled by the British, he lived on a British pension in Lahore for 26 years until his death
- 04.He was buried in Peshawar rather than his birthplace of Kabul or his final residence in Lahore
- 05.Two of his grandsons served as brigadiers in the Pakistan Army, continuing the family's military tradition