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-78- It in the Thirteenth article, under the title TWO KINGS IN ONE PALACE we had given details, as to how two kings, one put up by Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan - one named Ayub Shah - and the other placed at the head of the government as a pupper king by Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan - Sultan Ali Shah, lived not only in one realm, in one city but shared the same palace. There can be little doubt that this anomolous position was created through the personal interests of two men namely Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan and Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan ; for each of these had placed two little known princes upon the throne, only to rule in their name themselves. These schemes were projected for gaining personal power and personal satisfaction of the two above mentioned ; and inwardly they, of course, were thirsty for each ot- hers blood. The two Sirdars worked at their respective designs, and each “king” in his turn did everything in his path. Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan, howevere, began to work this plan ; and although he tried hard to persuade his protege to the act, Sultan Ali Shah did not take his mentor's advice and commit an actual act of assas- sination against his rival Ayub Shah. In point of fact, he actually took offence at the suggestion of his Vazir-Doust Mohamed Khan-on that score. As opposed to this, the schemes of Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan, worked as he desired, for he so made it known that, if Ayub Shah manage to do away with his rival “king”, Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan, too, on his part do all that he could do, to make short work of his rival brother, Doust Mohamed Khan. It so happened, therefore, that prince Ismail, the son of Ayub Shah managed to kill the rival “king” of his father. But having done that foul deed, Ayub Shah now held Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan upto his bargain, and asked him to kill his brother Doust Mohamed Khan; but the later refused to do so. Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan, however, did not desist from opposing Doust Mohamed Khan in a fair fight, as it were. A series of struggles, therefore, rose between Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan and Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan at such diverse pla- ces as Ghazni, Astalif, Shikar Pour and at Peshawar. These struggles took on such proportions that the Barakzai Brothers now thought of apportioning the kingdom among themselves. The foreigners, especi- ally the Sikhs, made a great harvest out of this discord of the