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Afghanistan: Engraving of Shuja Shah Abdali Durrani (1785-1842) from L'Ile de Ceylan et ses curiosites naturelles by Octave Sachot (1824-1905), 1869

Shuja Shah Abdali Durrani (1785-1842), also known as Shoja Shah, was the fifth Emir of Afghanistan, first ruling the Durrani Empire from 1803 to 1809. After he forced the deposition of his brother Zaman Shah in 1801 by having him blinded, he proclaimed himself King of Afghanistan, but did not formally ascend until 1803, after defeating his half-brother Mahmud Shah.

Shuja was overthrown by Mahmud Shah in 1809, going into exile in The Punjab and India. He became cruel and petty, often removing various body parts from his courtiers and slaves for the slightest of displeasures, such as having a slave castrated on the spot for not erecting a tent firmly enough when it was blown down by the wind.

Shuja was restored to power in 1838 by the British, who had believed that the Afghans would welcome the return of their 'rightful ruler', when most had already forgotten him. His barbarity became apparent to the British on the campaign trail when he had 50 prisoners beheaded on the spot, and they began to second-guess their decision to reinstate him. He considered his people to be 'dogs', and began exacting his cruel vengeance on them due to feelings of betrayal. It came as no surprise when he was assassinated in 1842.