Hotak dynasty

The Hotak dynasty, also called the Hotaki Empire, was an Afghan dynasty founded by Ghilji Pashtuns that briefly ruled parts of Iran and Afghanistan in the 1720s. It was established in 1709 when Mirwais Hotak led a rebellion against the declining Safavid empire in the Loy Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan. Mirwais died in 1715 and was succeeded by his brother Abdul Aziz, who was killed by Mirwais's son Mahmud. In 1722 Mahmud defeated the Safavid army at Gulnabad, besieged Isfahan, and forced Shah Sultan Husayn to abdicate, making the Hotaks de facto rulers of most of Persia for seven years. Mahmud was succeeded in 1725 by his cousin Ashraf after a palace coup. Ashraf was defeated by Nader Qoli Beg, later Nader Shah, at Damghan in 1729 and driven back to southern Afghanistan. Hotak rule ended in 1738 when Nader Shah took Kandahar after a long siege and destroyed the last Hotak seat of power held by Hussain Hotak. The dynasty was troubled by succession feuds, and most Persians rejected its rulers as usurpers.