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- 161 - He was buried along side of his wife, and after three days of funeral and memorial ceremonies, the gateways of the city were again closed and the siege continued. At that juncture, both from the side of Amir Dost Mohamed Khan and the people of the city every endeavour was made to end the senseless struggle, but the sons of the late Sirdar, especially Shah Nawaz Khan, who had succeeded his father were greatly opposed to any peace settlement. Towards the tenth month, however when the rations had become exhausted, the people of the town themselves along with some of the leaders, like Mir Afzal Khan, son of Sirdar Pur Dil Khan, and Ghulam Mohayuddin Khan son of Sirdar Kohin Dil Khan also favoured the people's point of view. But Sirdar Shah Nawaz Khan insisted upon continuing the defence of the town. The above mentioned two Sirdars were asked to leave the city, and he together with his brothers continued to defend the city. But the inhabitants of the city could not undergo any further privations, and prince Shah Nawaz Khan and his brothers were persuaded to the gateways of the city on the 8th of Zil Hij 1278. A. H. (May 1862. A. D.) and the troops of the Amir entered the city. During the days when the intensity of this siege was at its highest, and these struggles unto death between father-in-law and son-in-law were raging at their greatest point, the illness of Dost Mohamed Khan increased due to general physical weakness and no remedy seemed to do any good at al. When the Amir saw that his asthma would probably kill him, he called a meeting of his sons and others of his near relations and selected Sirdar Shair Ali Khan as his successor. And as the Amir's condition became dangerous and gave anxiety to all princes beside him, the gates of the city of Herat were opened and the town was surrundered. During his illness all the sad events, such as the death of his daughter, the fear of an internecine war and so forth were over-whelming him, yet he had a desire that Herat should be reduced at all costs. God gave him two more weeks of life, so that he could see the fall of Herat before his death.