# Silk Road Books & Photos

## Afghanistan

#### 316 | #### Singh, Ganda | #### Ahmed Shah Durrani
First Indian Edition published in Bombay 1959. The book covers the early life of Ahmed Shah Durrani, his eight invasions of India with the conquests of Lahore, Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi Affairs, struggle with the Maharatas and the campaigns against Balkh, Bokhara and Khurasan. The book also deals with the rebellion of Naseer Khan and the battle of Panipat. A sound historical book on Ahmed Shah Durrani written by an Indian Scholar who consulted original Persian manuscripts to write this book Good -very good hardback no dust wrapper. Foreword by His Excellency Sardar Faiz Muhammad Khan Faizi, Kabul 1331. Faizi states that this book is based on original Persian sources and that the author of this book has "taken great pains to express his fine taste and genius in a charming and beautiful style and, in writing such a history of the Afghans as this, he has placed us, the people of Afghanistan, under a debt of gratitude." The author writes "It was some twenty five years ago that in teh course of my researches in the eighteenth century history of India, Ahmad Shah Durrani first struck me as a great historical figure of Central Asia. I had been born and brought up in prejudices against him and had heard of him only as a robber chief who swooped diwn upon India for plunder and carried away to Afghanistan tons of Indian gold and thousands of Hindu slaves. But the more I read of him, the more impressed I became with the traits of his greatness irresistibly presenting themselves to my mind. To me he appeared to be as great as, if not greater than, Nadir Shah of Iran...In vain did I look for a comprehensive biography of Ahmad Shah. I was surprised that he had not received sufficient attention from scholars and writers and that he had not been given his merited place as a great conqueror and administrator and, above all, as the resucitator and deliverer, if not the founder, of a great Asian nation. " The author states that he has consulted all the relevant Persian Manuscripts in India as well as those in the British Library. Contents: 1 Introduction The Rise of The Abdalis; 2 Early Life of Ahmad Shah; 3 Election and Coronation; 4 Occupation of Kabul and Peshawar; 5 First Invasion of India: The conquest of Lahore: 6 The battle of Manupur; 7 The second invasion of India; 8 The annexation of Heart; 9 The campaigns and conquest of Khurasan; 10 The Third invasion of India:The conquest of the Panjab and Kashmir; 11 Some Minor Affairs ;12 Upheavals in the Panjab:Death of Mir Mannu and After; 13 The Fourth Invasion of India:The Panjab and Delhi Affairs;14 Expedition against the Jats; 15 Taimur Shah in the Panjab;16 Rebellion of Naseer Khan of Kalat; 17 Minor Expeditions to the Panjab; 18 The fifth invasion of India: Struggle with the Marathas; 19 The Battle of Panipat (Jan 14 1761); 20 The Affairs at Home (1760-1761) 21 The Sixth Invasion of India: The Ghalu-ghara and After (1762) Illustrations include Ahmed Shah Durrani, Mausoleum of Sher-i-Surkh, Sardar Jahan Khan, Prince Taimur Shah Durrani, Sardar Charhat Singh Sukkarchakkia, Nawab Najib-ud-Daula Ruhila, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani at Qandahar, Map of Afghan Empire in 1762, Map of Afghan Empire in 1772 at the death of Ahmed Shah. Pages 457 including bibliography. £400
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