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Mohammad Shah Khan Babakarkhail ( Ghilzai )
Born	1790 Laghman, Barakzay Dynasty
Died	1847 Laghman, Barakzay Dynasty
Cause of death	illness
Buried	Mehtralam Baba Shrine in Laghman
Allegiance	Barakzay Dynasty
Years of service	1820-1844
Rank	Military Advisor and Chief of Ghilzai Tribe
Battles / wars	First Anglo-Afghan war Great Games
Relations	Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Dost Mohammad khan ( Emir of Afghanistan)

Mohammad Shah Khan Ghiljay (Ghilzai) was a notable figure and chief of the Ghilzai (Gheljay) tribe in Afghanistan. The Ghilzai tribe is one of the largest and most prominent Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan, historically known for their influence in the country's politics, military, and society.

Life and Achievements

Ghazi Mohammad Shah Ghiljai (Babakar Khel), one of the prominent and influential national figures during the First Anglo-Afghan War was Mohammad Shah Khan Ghilji, belonging to the Babakr Khel branch and a resident of Badia Abad in Laghman. Mohammad Shah Khan was among the passionate national fighters and a fierce enemy of the British. He was a very close and dear friend of Wazir Akbar Khan, and the Wazir held him in such high regard that he did not keep any secrets from him. He even shared with this sincere and loyal friend the private letter from his father, Amir Dost Mohammad Khan, advising him to retreat, and sought his opinion on the matter, ultimately acting according to his advice.

According to the Akbarnama, Mohammad Shah Khan was the first person, under the orders of the Kabul leaders' assembly, to block the Kabul-Jalalabad road along with his tribesmen and Abdul Aziz Khan Jabarkhil in Gandamak, Jagdalak, Tizin, and other places, and inflicted severe blows on the British forces.

After the arrival of Sardar Akbar Khan with his forces, Mohammad Shah Khan Babakr Khel joined the fighters in Kabul and continued his struggles against the British alongside Sardar Akbar Khan and Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan. He not only played an active and effective role in the negotiations with the British, the killing of Macnaghten, and the capture of his companions, but also in escorting the defeated British forces from Kabul to Jalalabad, in the battles of Jalalabad against the British and General Sale, in the Khyber Pass against General Pollock, in guarding and provisioning the British prisoners in the fortress of Badia Abad in Laghman, and in returning them to Kabul. He also played a very active role in the return and restoration of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan from India to the country.

Mohammad Shah Khan Babakr Khel is the influential man who, through his mediation, successfully facilitated the reconciliation between Sardar Akbar Khan and Naib Aminullah Khan and the son of Shah Shuja, Fath Jang. He decided that Fath Jang should be the king, and Sardar Akbar Khan his minister. To further remove any animosity and strengthen the bonds between the two sides, it was agreed that Naib Aminullah Khan's daughter would be married to Sardar Akbar Khan. In this way, he extinguished the flames of conflict that had been burning among the leaders of the Mujahideen in Kabul during April, May, and June of 1842. From this time onward, Sardar Akbar Khan became known as Wazir Muhammad Akbar Khan.

The bravery, strategies, and sharpness of Mohammad Shah Khan Babakr Khel must be studied and analyzed in connection with the achievements of Wazir Akbar Khan and Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan. These three national figures were like one soul in three bodies. Sardar Akbar Khan never undertook any action without consulting Mohammad Shah Khan, and therefore, any victory that Sardar Akbar Khan achieved in the political arena was the result of the consultation and exchange of ideas among these three individuals. Mohammad Shah Khan Babakr Khel was one of the three national leaders who sat face-to-face with William Hay Macnaghten on the day of negotiations with the British envoy in Kabul, and he was also the first to say to Sardar Akbar Khan in Pashto, 'Time is running out, hurry up and finish the talk!' To better understand his role in the struggle and confrontation with the British, we will cite several accounts from historians and foreign writers to provide a clearer and more accurate understanding of the truth of the matter.

Mohammad Shah Khan's Role in Negotiations with Macnaghten:

Prince Ali Quli, son of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, writes on behalf of one of the eyewitnesses to the meeting of national leaders, namely Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan: "After Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan sent Naib Aminullah Khan's letter to the British Envoy, he convened a meeting with Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan and Muhammad Shah Khan to consult on this matter. [Ghubar (557) mentions that Naib Aminullah Khan's letter was delivered to Macnaghten by Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan on the night of December 22. Therefore, if Sultan Ahmad Khan was the bearer of the letter, these three allies must have consulted with each other before sending the letter, not after.] Muhammad Shah Khan asked them, 'What is your plan for tomorrow's meeting?' They replied that it would be wise to arrest the British Envoy during the meeting, bring him to the city in chains, and hold him until Amir Dost Mohammad Khan and our other family members are released. Then we will set him free. Muhammad Shah Khan said, 'I fear that this plan might not go as expected, and nearly a hundred of your people who are in their (the British's) hands will all be killed. This will lead to public blame on us for our recklessness.' Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan said, 'Even if, as you suggest, this scenario comes to pass, the killing of a hundred people and public blame for this action is preferable to the humiliation of Islam.' After this statement was made, all three of them stood up in agreement and resolved to carry out their plan."

Mohan Lal, the British Spy:

Mohan Lal, a British spy who closely monitored every move and meeting of the national leaders and was informed of their actions through his agents, discovered the secrets of the private meeting of these three close friends through the servants of the leaders. He immediately reported the danger of the December 23 meeting to Macnaghten. He writes: "Mirza Khudadad, the secretary of Sultanjan, and Muhammad Sadiq Khan, who was present in the room where Muhammad Akbar Khan was consulting with Muhammad Shah Khan about the details of this bloody conspiracy, both informed me of this secret plot. Mirza Khudadad told me that Akbar Khan had devised a deep plan to trap the High Representative, Macnaghten. If Akbar Khan succeeded in bringing Macnaghten alive to the city, he would force him to hand over all the weapons, treasury, and other supplies of the British forces to the Afghan leaders. Then he would kill Macnaghten with either poison or the same pistol that Macnaghten had gifted him the night before. Mirza Khudadad told me all this at 10 AM on December 23, 1841, and I immediately sent Qurban Ali with a note to Macnaghten, detailing everything Mirza Khudadad had told me. When Qurban Ali arrived, Macnaghten was discussing Akbar Khan's agreement with the accountant general (Abdul Razzaq Khan) and was preparing to head to the deadly meeting and conference with Akbar Khan. At that moment, my messenger delivered the message to him and whispered in his ear that a plot was underway against him. The color of Sir William Macnaghten's face changed, as if he had become anxious. However, at that moment, he had no other option but to accept any danger to preserve the name and honor of his country and government. Macnaghten asked the officers of his army to have two battalions (according to Lawrence, two squadrons) of troops ready outside the fort so that if Muhammad Akbar Khan was honest and committed to the agreement, Macnaghten could use these battalions to attack the positions of Aminullah Khan Logari. But if Akbar Khan was not honest, these battalions would take a defensive stance to protect him. Captains Lawrence, Mackenzie, and Trevor warned Macnaghten of the danger ahead, but Macnaghten replied, 'It is certainly dangerous, but if this plan succeeds, it is worth accepting all risks. In any case, I would rather face death a hundred times than repeat the events of the past six weeks. A conspiracy is in place; leave me to deal with it and trust me to handle it.

Report by prince Aliqoli:

Earlier, it was mentioned that Sardar Muhammad Akbar Khan, Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan, and Muhammad Shah Khan had consulted on the capture of Macnaghten. Now, let's continue with the rest of Prince Aliqoli's report, which states: "All three unanimously rose and prepared themselves for action, and they went with 200 horsemen near the camp. The British envoy also came out. First, Sultan Ahmad Khan advanced and reassured the envoy that everything had been carefully arranged. When the envoy got closer to Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan, [he greeted him and shook his hand]. The envoy then addressed Akbar Khan, presenting him with a horse worth 3,000 rupees as a gift. Muhammad Akbar Khan expressed [his gratitude] and led the envoy away from the camp to have a conversation. Despite the envoy's insistence that this location was suitable for sitting and talking, Muhammad Akbar Khan pointed out the snow and wet ground as reasons to move to a dry place about 200 steps away from the camp, where they spread out a blanket and sat down.

From the English side, the envoy, Trevour, and (Mackenzie) were seated, while Lawrence stood with a pistol aimed at the envoy. Four soldiers, with flintlock rifles, held their horses, two mounted soldiers stood a short distance away, and 16 more mounted soldiers stood about twenty paces further. On the Afghan side, Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan, Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan, and Muhammad Shah Khan were seated, while Dost Muhammad Khan, Khuda Bakhsh Khan (Muhammad Shah Khan's brothers), and Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan Ghilzai stood, with several riflemen on foot holding the commanders' horses.

The envoy and Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan were engaged in questions and answers, each inquiring about the other's sincerity in their promises. The conversation lasted nearly fifteen minutes. Suddenly, Muhammad Shah Khan said to Muhammad Akbar Khan in Pashto, “Time is running out, there is no time to delay, we must act.” [The Pashto translation of this sentence is: “وخت تیریگی، زر شه خبره تمامه کړه!”]. Immediately, Muhammad Shah Khan jumped up, struck the envoy under the ribs, and said in Pashto, “This is not the place for discussion; matters will be settled in the city.”

Fearing that Lawrence might harm Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan with the pistol, Muhammad Shah Khan jumped up and grabbed him. They struggled together. Despite Muhammad Shah Khan's efforts to take Lawrence's pistol, he was unsuccessful until he placed an Afghan dagger on Lawrence's side. Lawrence cried out that it was enough. Muhammad Shah Khan said, “Then move on,” and pushed him away while still holding the dagger. Dost Muhammad Khan fought with Trevour, and Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan fought with Mackenzie, driving both opponents away. The Afghan foot soldiers targeted the four English soldiers, took their horses, and retreated.

Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan and Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan both engaged with the envoy. Since [Macnaghten] was very large and strong, the fight continued for a long time. Suddenly, the sixteen English horsemen simultaneously fired at the Afghan foot soldiers and the two commanders, killing two of the foot soldiers and hitting Minister Muhammad Akbar Khan in the back, though it did not cause serious harm. Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan considered it crucial to repel them; like a fierce lion, he turned towards them, aimed at one of the envoy's attendants with his pistol, and attacked with his drawn sword, causing all of them to flee and scatter.

As the envoy and Muhammad Akbar Khan struggled with each other, the envoy took the opportunity to draw a weapon hidden in his walking stick and attempted to strike Muhammad Akbar Khan, but it was forcefully taken from him and thrown aside. At that moment, Sultan Ahmad Khan arrived with his sword drawn. The envoy, terrified, turned towards him, with his back to Muhammad Akbar Khan. Sultan Ahmad Khan said in Pashto, “It is impossible to keep him alive; his fate must be sealed.” [Translation of Pashto: “ژوندی بیول ئی ناممکن دی، کارئی ور ختموه!”]. Then, Minister Akbar Khan fired the same double-barreled pistol, which he had previously sent with a carriage as a gift for the envoy, into the envoy's back, causing him to cry out in pain. Sultan Ahmad Khan then struck him with his sword from behind, causing him to fall, and severed his head, which he took to his own horsemen. On the way, they encountered Trevour, who was being carried by Dost Muhammad Khan. Sultan Ahmad Khan killed him with a sword blow and sent men to bind the bodies of the slain with ropes and bring them to the city, where they were hung in the market square.

Muhammad Shah Khan, alongside Sardar Akbar Khan and Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan, was continually present in subsequent negotiations with the English and in their expulsion from the country. He was also among those who escorted the enemy's army along with Sardar Akbar Khan. As a prominent and influential figure among the Ghilzai tribes in the eastern region, he had the capability to mobilize thousands of warriors from that area to confront the British forces stationed in Jalalabad. Once, he, together with Sardar Sultan Ahmad Khan, led three thousand Nangarhari fighters to confront General Pollock's army as far as the Khyber Pass. However, since the enemy forces were numerous and well-equipped with artillery, the Afghans were unable to prevent their advance and were forced to return to Jalalabad, seeking assistance from Kabul. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Mujahideen in Kabul were at odds with each other, fighting among themselves to secure their positions, and the aid for Sardar Akbar Khan in Jalalabad was forgotten.