Mohammadzai
| Mohammadzai محمدزی | |
|---|---|
Dost Mohammad Khan, king of Afghanistan, and belonging to the Mohammadzai sub-tribe | |
| Ethnicity | Pashtun |
| Location | Afghanistan, Pakistan |
| Parent tribe | Barakzai |
| Language | Pashto |
| Religion | Islam |
Mohammadzai (Pashto: محمدزی), also spelled Moḥammadzay (meaning "descendants of Mohammad"), is a Pashtun sub-tribe or clan of the Barakzai which is part of the Durrani confederacy of tribes. They are primarily centered on Kandahar, Kabul and Ghazni in Afghanistan as well as in the city of Charsadda in neighbouring Pakistan. The Mohammadzai ruled Afghanistan from 1823 to 1978, for a total of 155 years. Their rule ended under Daoud Khan when the Communists took power via a Soviet-backed coup.