Mohammad Yaqub Khan

Emir of Afghanistan

1849 Kabul, Afghanistan

November 15, 1923(1923-11-15) (73–74) Shimla, British India

NamesMohammad Azam Khan

Amir of Afghanistan Mohammad Yaqub Khan (Pashto/Dari: محمد يعقوب خان ; 1849 – November 15, 1923) was Emir of Afghanistan from February 21 to October 12, 1879. He was the son of the previous ruler, Sher Ali Khan. Mohammad Yaqub Khan was appointed as the governor of Herat province in 1863. In 1870 he decided to rebel against his father but failed and was imprisoned in 1874. The Second Anglo-Afghan War erupted in 1878, leading Sher Ali Khan to flee the capital of Afghanistan, and eventually die in February 1879 in the north of the country. As Sher Ali's successor, Yaqub signed the Treaty of Gandamak with Britain in May 1879, relinquishing sole control of Afghanistan foreign affairs to the British Empire. An uprising against this agreement led by Ayub Khan in October of the same year led to the abdication of Yaqub Khan. He was succeeded by the new ruler, Amir Ayub Khan.