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- 42 - SIRDAR MOHAMED AZEEM KHAN TOWELTH ARTICLE After Vazir Fateh Khan, the brother of his one named Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan, was considered a man of great experience and foresight, amongst the Barkzais. He was made a governor of Kashmire. It was possible, too, that in capturing Kabul, he could have taken throne by overpowering his brothers. But Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan, knowing the spirit of the times and discovering the right time had prepared the ground for himself. A great wealth which belonged to Azeem, which could have assisted him in bring the great and the lesser men of his family around him, was, however, became the cause of rivalry of his brothers. He could not battle against the Sikhs also, and in any case his sudden death: and atlast his son habibullah Khan became mad. A sad end, indeed: * * * After Vazir Fateh Khan, Sardar Mohamed Azeem Khan was regarded as the most important person amongst the Barakzai Brothers. Till the Ashraful Wozara was alive, both Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan and Sirdar Doust Mohamed Khan acted as his "shadows". At the time when Fateh Khan wanted to get the throne for the second time for Shah Mahmud, and had started for Kabul; he had sent Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan towards Peshawar so that he should prevent the coming of Shahshuja to Kabul. But as a battle that took place at a place called Bala Bagh in the east, when Shahshuja had no less than twenty thousand men with him whom he had brought from Peshawar, Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan could not withhold the attack, and had to retire towards the Safaid Koh. But Vazir Fateh Khan accompained by Shah Mahmud reached eastwards and gave battle to Shahshuja, in which at Nimla Shahshuja was defeated, and Shah Mahmud for the second time ascende the throne. The very first command which now was issued by Vazir Fateh Khan for Sirdar Mohamed Azeem Khan was, to go strai-