Mīrwais Khān Hotak , also known as
Shāh Mirwais Ghiljī (1673 – November 1715), was an influential
tribal chief of the
Ghilji Pashtuns from
Kandahar,
Afghanistan, who founded the
Hotak dynasty that existed from 1709 to 1738. After revolting and killing the
Safavid Persian governor over the region,
Gurgin Khan in April 1709, he declared what is now southern Afghanistan independent. He is widely known as
Mīrwais Nīkə (ميرويس نيکه) or
Mīrwais Bābā (ميرويس بابا, "Mirwais the father") in the
Pashto language.