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- 152 - was permitted to return home from India, these Barakzai Brothers also returned to Kandahar, and Sirdar Kuhin Dil Khan once again took the government of Kandahar into his hand. The Sirdars Mihr Dil Khan and Kohin Dil Khan died within a few months of each other (the first named on the 27th of Jamadus Sani; and the later on the 8th of Zilbij of 1271.A.H.) It was the seventh year of the reign of Amir Dost Mohamed Khan when upon the death of Sirdar Kuhin Dil Khan a rift appeared into the ranks of the Kandahar Sirdars and their influence began to wane. Particulars of this event are that after the death of Kohin Dil Khan, his son Sirdar Mohamed Sadiq Khan, and his uncle Sirdar Rahm Dil Khan became contestants for rulership of Kandahar. A struggle ensued. Although Rahm Dil Khan eventually was victorious, yet Sirdar Mohamed Sadiq Khan succeeded in gathering round him his cousins and continued to agitate. These causins being the sons of Pur Dil Khan and Mihr Dil Khan. Each one of these cousins considered himself as the proper claimant, and as in one of these battles one Mir Afzal, the son of Pur Dil Khan was killed the whole matter assumed a very grave aspect, and the nephews of Rahm Dil Khan appealed to their other uncle the Amir at Kabul to interfere in Kandahar matters. In the first instance Amir Dost Mohamed Khan sent a messenger to his brother at Kandahar to mend his ways, and to come within the pale of Kabul government, but as this method did not succeed, he ordered his son Sirdar Shair Ali Khan, who was his father's representative at Ghazni to march out to Kandahar with a sufficient body of trsops, Sirdar Shair Ali Khan did so and bivouaced at Deh Khoja near Kandahar. Shair Ali Khan opened overtures with his uncle at Kandahar, and by opening a way into the city he secretly introduced a hundred or two hundred of his men daily into Kandahar till three regiments of Kabul soldiers, and field guns wer hidden in the city at various points.