| Sultan Muhammad Khan Talaei سلطان محمد خان | |
|---|---|
| Emir of Afghanistan | |
 Depiction of Sultan Mohammad Khan Talaei, c. 1865 | |
| Emir of Afghanistan | |
| Reign | 1823–1826 |
| Predecessor | Ayub Shah Durrani |
| Successor | Dost Mohammad Khan |
| Head of House of Barakzai | |
| Born | 1795 Kandahar, Durrani Empire |
| Died | 1861 Kabul, Emirate of Afghanistan |
| Burial | Maranjan Hill, Kabul, Afghanistan[1] |
| Spouses |
|
| Issue | 50 sons and 9 daughters[citation needed] |
| House | Musahiban |
| Dynasty | Barakzai dynasty |
| Father | Sardar Payinda Muhammad Khan |
| Mother | an Alakozai lady |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Sultan Mohammad Khan (Pashto/Dari: سلطان محمد خان; 1795 – 1861), also known as Ghazi Sardar Sultan Mohammad Talaei,[1] and known by his epithet, Sultan Mohammad Khan the Golden[2] was an Afghan chief minister and regent. He was a powerful brother of Emir Dost Mohammad Khan, the eventual ruler of Afghanistan who seized control of Kabul from him. Prior to and during the reign of Dost Mohammad Khan, Sultan Muhammad Khan Telai was chief minister and governor of various regions of Afghanistan, including Kabul, Peshawar and Kohat. He was the first of the Musahiban, a Mohammadzai dynasty that began with him and ruled Afghanistan for more than 150 years, in various forms such as emir, king or president from 1823 to 1978.[3]
An ethnic Pashtun, Mohammad Khan Talaei was the 15th son of Sardar Payendah Khan (chief of the Barakzai tribe), who was killed in 1799 by Zaman Shah Durrani.[4] Sultan Muhammad Khan's grandfather was Hajji Jamal Khan.
Sultan Mohammad Khan's wealth, along with his immense love for fine goods like luxurious robes, led to his family giving him his nickname "Telai", meaning golden.[5]
Sultan Mohammad Khan was born in 1795 to an influential Pashtun family in Kandahar, Durrani Empire (present-day Kandahar, Afghanistan).[6] His father, Payinda Khan, was chief of the Barakzai tribe and an aristocrat with the title "Sarfraz Khan" in the Durrani dynasty. Their family can be traced back to Abdal (the first and founder of the Abdali tribe) through Hajji Jamal Khan, Yousef, Yaru, Mohammad, Omar Khan, Khisar Khan, Ismail, Nek, Daru, Saifal, and Barak. Abdal had four sons, Popal, Barak, Achak, and Alako.[7]
Sultan Muhammad Khan assumed rule of Kabul in 1824 from Yar Mohammad Khan Barakzai and held it until 1826 when he was expelled by Dost Mohammad Khan.[6] Following his exile, he governed over Peshawar from 1826-1828 and Kohat from 1828-1834. He and the Muhammadzai leaders in general were known for having a great number of wives in order to unify the Afghan tribes and ethnic groups. In 1838, Afghanistan was invaded by the British who had captured Kandahar and Kabul by the end of 1839. Sultan Mohammad later reconciled with Dost Mohammad.[1][8]
He died in 1861, and his mausoleum rests on Maranjan Hill in Kabul, Afghanistan.[1][9]
