Sher Ali

Sher Ali (shâr älē`) or Shere Ali (shēr älē`, shâr), 1825–79, emir of Afghanistan (1863–79), son of Dost Muhammad. His succession was opposed by other members of his family, notably his brothers. Sher Ali turned from his friendship with the British toward friendly relations with Russia, which was then extending its power into central Asia. Trouble with the British finally brought on the second of the Afghan Wars. Sher Ali's forces were defeated by the British, and he had to flee the country. He died in exile, and his entire party was ousted from Afghanistan in 1880. His pro-British nephew, Abdar-Rahman Khan, became emir.

---

Sher Ali 

Born 1825; died Feb. 20, 1879, in Mazar-i-Sharif. Afghan emir from 1863.

Sher Ali, one of the sons of Dost Muhammad, implemented measures that furthered Afghanistan’s economic and cultural development. Under Sher Ali, the standing army was increased, roads were improved, and the country’s first newspaper, Shams un-Nahar, was published (1875). Sher Ali worked to effect an independent foreign policy and to counteract the plans of the British colonizers, who undertook an aggressive war against Afghanistan in 1878.