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Who was Ahmad Shah Durrani?

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    In the history of Afghanistan, there have been many mighty rulers and sovereigns, however, one stood out from all of them. He was a  pious, patriotic, and merciful man who had all the profound traits of an exceptional leader, and ruled his lands with justice. He not only became the hero of all Afghans but also saved Islam in the subcontinent. In this video, we will go through the chapters of the life of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the Afghan ruler who united the Afghan tribes and became the founder of modern Afghanistan, as well as the father of his nation.   Ahmad Shah Durrani      Ahmad Khan Abdali was born in Herat, in 1723. He was the son of Zaman Khan, and the grandson of Dawlat Khan. He was from the Pashtun Sadouzai Tribe, a sub tribe of the Abdali Tribe. The story starts in  1732 CE, in Farah, Afghanistan, when Ahmad Khan's older brother, Zulfiqar Khan was defeated by his enemies. Zulfiqar Khan took his younger brother Ahmad Khan...

Did George Washington pay taxes to the Ottoman Empire?

    During the periods of Sultan Bayezid II and Sultan Selim I, the Ottoman Navy was expanding and employing experienced sailors. When Barbaros Hayreddin was made Grand Admiral in 1534, the Ottoman Navy would become the most dominant force in the sea, and it would change the course of Ottoman History. Outnumbering, allied Christian fleets would be indefinitely defeated, and Ottoman Sultans would be called "Sultans of the seas". Ottoman Sea warriors in North Africa ventured beyond the Mediterranean into the Atlantic. Ottoman sea power extended to the point that Britain itself was forced to pay taxes to the Ottomans. And so when America gained its independence from Britain, it was forced to do the same when all of its resisting navy ships were captured by the Ottomans. Despite all the money spent on his navy, George Washington was left with no choice but to sign a treaty in Turkish accepting all the terms of the Ottomans, including tax payments. To this day, it is the only ever US treaty to be written in a foreign language, and accepting to pay tax. This was the Barbary Treaty of 1795. 


The Ottoman Navy


    Back in those days, if one crossed the empire's territory, he had to pay tax. In return, the Ottomans would not only let them through their seas and lands, but would also protect their lives, goods, and ships. This was the basic law. However, the US ignored the Ottomans' sovereign rule in the seas, and attempted to trespass and overpower them with their navy. They suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Sea Ghazis. Washington then renovated the US navy and tried once more, only to be defeated once again. Finally, he agreed to pay the annual tribute of tax and also accepted the rest of the terms of the treaty listed by the Ottomans. Not to mention, the Ottoman Sea Ghazis never did any of the horrific acts the European Pirates did. The reality is that they were honorable and esteemed people who stuck to their word. That was why the seas became prosperous, and security proved to be stable.


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