Yaqut Khan
Yaqut Khan (died 1775) was an Afghan eunuch who served Emperor Ahmad Shah Durrani in the 18th century. He supported Timur Shah Durrani in his fight for the throne against his elder brother Sulaiman. Later, Yaqut Khan helped plan an assassination of Timur Shah. The plot failed and he was executed.
After Ahmad Shah’s death, Timur Shah was declared heir, but Shah Wali Khan favored Sulaiman instead. Sulaiman took the throne despite the opposition of other nobles. To hide Ahmad Shah’s death, his body was placed on a litter with tall curtains, and Shah Wali said Ahmad Shah was ill and not to be disturbed. Yaqut Khan, the chief eunuch, brought food to maintain the deception, but he secretly sent a message to Timur Shah informing him of Sulaiman’s usurpation.
Timur Shah marched toward Kandahar as support for Sulaiman faded. Shah Wali Khan and Sadar Jahan Khan came to Timur’s camp asking for mercy; Timur Shah executed them for not allowing him to see his father’s deathbed. Sulaiman fled to India, and Timur Shah entered Kandahar and became the ruler.
In 1775 Yaqut Khan joined a plot against Timur Shah led by Arsala Khan. Arsala was allowed to enter Peshawar to prepare for campaigns in Punjab. During a celebration in Kandahar, Arsala Khan and 2,500 men distracted the guards, while Faizullah and Yaqut Khan forced a back gate and moved toward Timur Shah. Timur Shah signaled for help, and his guards killed or captured most of the conspirators. Yaqut Khan and Faizullah Khan were executed, while Arsala Khan escaped.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:36 (CET).