Afghanistan, known to the classical world as Ariana or Bactria and to the medieval world as Khorasan, has long been a pawn of foreign empires and local emirates.

Afghanistan from the sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century has been part of three regional kingdoms: the Khanate of Bukhara in north, the Shi'a Safavids in the west and the remaining larger area ruled by the Mughal Empire.

Mir Wais Hotak, the son of Salim Khan and Nazo Tokhi (also known as "Nazo Anaa"), grandson of Karum Khan, and great-grandson of Ismail Khan, a descendant of Malikyar, the ancient head of Hottaki or Hotaks, was born in a well-known, rich and political family long involved in social and community services in the Kandahar area.

The Hottaki is a strong branch of Ghilzai, one of the main tribes among the Pashtun people.

The Ghilzai, originally residents of Ghor or Gherj, had later migrated to obtain lands in southeastern Afghanistan and multiplied in these areas.

Mir Wais was married to Khanzada Sadozai, who belonged to a rival tribe of Pashtuns, the Abdali, or Durrani.

Kandahar in 1707 had been in a state of chaos, fought over by the Shi'a Persian Safavids and the Sunni Moghuls of India.

Mir Wais, a Sunni tribal chief whose influence with his fellow-countrymen make him an object of suspicion to the Safavid rulers, had been held as a political prisoner by Gurgin Khan, former Georgian monarch and now governor of Kandahar, and sent to the Safavid court at Isfahan.

He has studied carefully all the military weaknesses of the Safavids while spending time in their court.

Eventually freed, Mir Wais had even been allowed to meet with the Shah, Sultan Husayn, on a regular basis.

Having ingratiated himself with the Persian Court, Mirwais had sought and obtained permission to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca, currently a part of the Ottoman empire (after which he is known as Hajji).