During Kamran Mirza's early life, a lengthy struggle for control of the capital Kabul occurred between his father and the latters half-brother, Shah Shujah Durrani (r. 1804–1809).

Most assessments are negative about Kamran's personality and style of government, with European and Persian records typically referring to his traits as being related to debauchery.

[3] Besides ruling much of northern India and eastern Iran, Ahmad Shah's domains also included the cities of Kandahar (his capital), Kabul, Herat, and Balkh, corresponding to modern-day Afghanistan.

[5] After Timur Shah's death, the Durrani kingdom started losing territory, including its western part to Qajar Iran in 1795 and the majority of its Indian holdings to the Sikh Empire between 1818 and 1821.

[4] During Kamran Mirza's early life, a lengthy struggle for control of Kabul occurred between his father and the latter's half-brother, Shah Shujah Durrani (r. 1804–1809).

[1] The violent succession of Mahmud Shah had weakened the Durrani kingdom, disrupting the balance of power in Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat.

Kamran Mirza sent messages to Fateh Khan, stating that he had come to deliver Mahmud Shah's congratulations on his victory over Iran, hiding his real purpose.

[14] The rebellion forced Mahmud Shah, the rest of his family (including Kamran Mirza) and a handful of loyal followers to withdraw to Herat,[15] which became the last stronghold of the Durrani dynasty.

[13] Removed from Herat's fortress by Kamran Mirza in 1819, Mahmud Shah sought safety at the Shrine of Khwaja Abd Allah in the Gazurgah village.

[1] After Hasan Ali Mirza was summoned back to Tehran in January 1827, his achievements were reversed after less than three months under the governorship of his son Hulaku Khan.

[20] Abbas Mirza wanted to capture Herat to show his military capabilities, but his advance also served the objectives of the Russian Empire.

A treaty was shortly made afterwards, in which Kamran Mirza was required to send one of his sons as a hostage, have the name of the Iranian shah mentioned on coin engravings and Friday prayers, and provide 15,000 toman and 50 rolls of cashmere wool as a "gift".

[20] Even though Herat was officially under Iranian control, the income generated from there had significantly decreased since 1817 and, compared to the more established provinces in Iran, was insignificant.

[20] He insisted that Kamran Mirza abandon the title of shah, mention his name on coin engravings and Friday prayers, and pay an annual fee.

Kamran Mirza declined, claiming that it was his right due to his ancestor Saddu Khan being named Mir-i Afghaniha and given the title of sultan by an Iranian ruler.

[23] Kamran Mirza characterized Mohammad Shah's imminent offensive as an attempt to exterminate Sunni Muslims, and appealed to other Afghan chiefs for support.

In an attempt to convince Mohammad Shah to change his mind, McNeill dispatched his military secretary Charles Stoddart to go with the Iranian troops.

According to the modern historian Jonathan L. Lee; "He did indeed rally Herat's dispirited defenders and organize its defences, but his real achievement was cajoling Shah Kamran and Wazir Yar Muhammad Khan not to surrender.

They claimed that McNeill went into Herat twice to support Kamran Mirza and Yar Muhammad Khan both financially and morally, rather than pursuing peace negotiations.

Reasoning became impossible when Kamran Mirza started demanding the evacuation of Ghuriyan,[26] which had been recently captured by another Iranian force, led by the governor of Khorasan, Asef al-Dowleh.

[29] On 3 June 1838, McNeill severed diplomatic ties with Iran and left Mohammad Shah's camp after failing to persuade the latter to make peace with Herat.

[26] McNeill had warned Mohammad Shah to get ready for war with Britain, claiming that the Iranian consent to Russian assistance for the siege of Herat was against the terms of the 1814 treaty.

[31] On 24 June, with the backing of Russian officers, Mohammad Shah's forces attempted to storm Herat, but were repelled six days after, suffering many casualties.

[32] Arriving at the Iranian camp on August 11, Stoddart delivered a letter to Mohammad Shah, which stated that the occupation of Kharg would persist until the siege of Herat ended and Aqasi issued a formal apology for the mistreatment of a British envoy.

The country was reduced to a "uninhabited waste" by the Iranian army: most of the farmers had left, cattle, corn and agricultural tools had been destroyed or taken away.

[35] The French traveler Josephe-Pierre Ferrier[36] reported that many residents sold themselves to the Turkmens in order to ensure that their families survived due to the dire circumstances.

[8] In February 1841, Kamran Mirza and Yar Muhammad Khan reinstated their earlier promises of allegiance to Iran following the British embassy's departure from Herat.

Despite their formal pledge of allegiance, the Iranian evacuation of Ghuriyan on 31 March 1841 played a key role in separating the interests of Iran and Herat.