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121 move. This time their number exceeded fifty thousand. Fateh Khan was sent to crush the revolt. Within a few months, the Vazier was able to defeat the Ghilzais with great slaughter, and the storm melted away as it had gathered. Meanwhile Shuja was not idle. He was carefully watching the course of events. With a force of 12,000 men he attacked Peshawar. Once more he was defeated, and had to seek safety in flight. Shortly afterwards he learned that the people of Kabul itself had taken up arms against the King. A deadly feud had ensued between the Shias and the Sunnis, the King favouring the former, while most of the influential chiefs were sympathetic with the latter. These disorders were further aggravated by the absence of Vazier Fateh Khan from the capital and the untimely death of Akram Khan. Mahmud, therefore, was forced to shut himself up in the citadel (Bala Hissar), where he thought he would be able to hold his own with the help of the Kizilbash regiments. People from the neighbouring villages also flocked to the city to take part in the riots