Chronology of Afghan Rulers
| Name | Year Span | Notes |
| Mirwais Khan Hotak | 1709-1715 | Held hostage by Safavids. Later dies natural death & gives government to his son Mir Mahmood |
| Mir Mahmood Hotak | 1715-1729 | Dethroned by Iranian Nadir Shah of Afshar |
| Nadir Shah Afshar | 1729-1747 | Assassinated near Kandahar on booty laden return from India |
| Ahmad Shah Abdali | 1747-1773 | Founder & elected ruler of Afghanistan after a nine day "Loya Jirga". |
| Taimur Shah Abdali | 1773-1793 | Died as a result of civil war between his twenty sons |
| Zaman Shah Abdali | 1793-1800 | Dethroned by his wazir & imprisoned |
| Shah Mahmood | 1800-1818 | |
| Sultan Ali Shah | 1818-1819 | Son of Taimur Shah |
| Sultan Ayub Shah | 1819-1826 | Deposed Sultan Ali Shah. He himself got deposed later on and was killed |
| Amir Dost Muhammad Khan | 1826-1838 | Painda Khan's son. His government was overthrown by Shah Shuja with help of British & Sikhs |
| Shah Shuja | 1838-1842 | Killed along with British Captain Alexander Burnes on retreat from Afghanistan following civil unrest caused by Dost Muhammad's sons |
| Amir Dost Muhammad Khan | 1842-1863 | Signs peace treaty with British. Goes to conquer Herat from Iranians before dying in 1863 which leaves his twelve sons fighting for the throne |
| Amir Sher Ali Khan | 1863-1878 | Inclined towards the Russians. British moved in to dethrone him. Consequently, his son took control of affairs |
| Amir Yaqub Ali Khan | 1878-1880 | Dethroned & exiled by his nephew living in Tashkent, Tajikistan |
| Amir Abdur Rahman Khan | 1880-1901 | Died a natural death. Left government to his son |
| Amir Habibullah Khan | 1901-1919 | Worked for modernization. Assassinated by either the Bolsheviks or internal elements resisting change |
| Nasrullah Khan | 1919-1919 | Dethroned by his nephew |
| Amanullah Khan | 1919-1929 | Flees Afghanistan after civil unrest |
| Habibullah Ghazi Khan (Bacha Saqo) | 1929-1929 | Deposed & executed (hanged) in October 1929. He was the first Tajik ever to rule Afghanistan |
| Muhammad Nadir Shah | 1929-1933 | Grandson of Dost Muhammad Khan. He was assassinated in 1933 |
| Muhammad Zahir Shah | 1933-1953 | Flees to Rome after civil unrest |
| Sardar Muhammad Daud | 1953-1963 | Resigned from government |
| Sardar Muhammad Daud | 1973-1978 | Overthrown in coup & killed by People's Democratic Party |
| Noor Muhammad Taraki | 1978-1979 | Assassinated |
| Hafizullah Amin | 1979-1979 | Assassinated by Parchamites |
| Babrak Karmal | 1980-1986 | |
| Dr. Najibullah | 1986-1992 | Forced to leave government. Later beaten to death by the Taleban in 1996 |
| Sibghatullah Mujadadi | 1992-1992 | |
| Barhanudin Rabbani | 1992-1996 | Dethroned by Taleban. Went into exile in Tajikistan. By ethnicity, he was a Tajik. |
| Mullah Muhammad Omar | 1996-2001 | Went underground & left control to Americans & their sponsored government. |
| Hamid Karzai | 2001-present |
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