Sher Ali Khan (Pashto: شېر علي خان)(c. 1825 – February 21, 1879) was Amir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 until his death in 1879. He was one of the sons of Dost Mohammed Khan,founder of the Barakzai Dynasty in Afghanistan.
Sher Ali Khan initially seized power when his father died, but was quickly ousted by his older brother, Mohammad Afzal Khan. Internecine warfare followed until Sher Ali Khan defeated his brother and regained the title of Emir.
Sher Ali Khan’s reign as Amir is often remembered for his attempts at reforming Barakzai rule in Afghanistan. Changes brought during the period of Sher Ali Khan’s rule include the creation of official governmental posts, military reform,
the introduction of the first postal service in Afghanistan and the first attempts of an Afghan leader at promoting the Pashto language. Sher Ali Khan’s rule was hindered by pressure from both the British Empire and the Russian Empire,
though Sher Ali Khan attempted to keep Afghanistan neutral during their conflict. In 1878, the fragile neutrality fell apart with Sher Ali Khan’s resisting of
British demands for Afghanistan to accept a permanent envoy in Kabul. The British viewing this as confirmation of Sher Ali Khan’s inclination towards Russia, gathered their forces and marched on Kabul.
Sher Ali Khan opted to leave Kabul in order to seek political and military aid from the Russian Empire. He died in Mazar-e Sharif, leaving the throne to his son Mohammad Yaqub Khan.
