ABSTRACT
The accession to the throne of Nadir Khan showed that the tribes, in spite ofthe policies of Amir Abdur Rahman and King Amanullah, had retained their force not only as 'king-breakers' but also as 'kingmakers'. The skilful handling of tribal politics in combination with traditionally accepted Mohammadzai claims to the throne were the means whereby General Nadir Khan ousted Bacha Saqqao. Hence the 'tribal model of legitimacy' was still in force and in accordance with the realities of power politics.1
