Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Abdurrahman Khan

ABDURRAHMAN KHAN, Ameer of Afghanistan, was born in 1845, the eldest son of Ufzul Khan, and nephew of the Ameer Shere Ali. During the civil war, in 1864, in Afghanistan, the great victories of Shaikhabad and Khelat-i-Ghilzai were mainly due to his ability. In 1868, however, he was unable to offer a successful resistance to his cousin, Yakoub Khan, who defeated him at Tinah Khan. Abdurrahman then fled from the country. The Russian General Kaufmann permitted him to reside at Samarcand. Here he remained until 1879, when he slowly made his way through Balkh to the Kabul frontier, and in July of 1880 he was formally chosen by the leading men of Kabul and acknowledged by the British Indian Government as Ameer of Afghanistan. In March, 1900, he made an official declaration of his sympathy with England. Died Oct. 1, 1901, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Habibullah Khan.