Durrani Dynasty
Afghani dynasty. In the conflicts following the death of the Iranian ruler Nadir Shah in 1747 , a former commander in his army, Ahmad Khan Abdali , emerged as the ruler of much of Afghanistan. He adopted the title of Durr-i Dowran (pearl of pearls), which gave the name to the dynasty he established, the Durrani. His clan provided rulers of Afghanistan for more than two centuries, including Abd al-Rahman Khan , who established Afghanistan's international position at the end of the nineteenth century, and the last king, Muhammad Zahir Shah , who was overthrown by a military coup in 1973 .