Fateh Khan,

Fateh Khan, the ablest of the Barakzai brothers, sped to join Mahmud, by then in exile in Persia, and together they proceeded to Kandahar. Mahmud had a very small following at this time but his new ally not only had the powerful backing of the Barakzai, but the following of other influential tribes in the Kandahar area as well. Together they secured Kandahar and advanced on Kabul from which Shah Zaman fled towards Peshawar. On the way he was captured, blinded and imprisoned in Kabul’s Bala Hissar. Three years later (1803), however, Shah Mahmud took his place in these dungeons. Shah Zaman’s full brother, Shah Shuja, had come to avenge his brother’s disgrace, and succeeded.


Fateh Khan, on the other hand, was wooed by the new occupant of Kabul’s throne, for Shah Shuja realized that he must obtain the united consent of the tribes if he was to remain master on his throne. Fateh Khan was the all important key to that consent. His story, a fantastic series of vacillations between periodic accom-modation with Shah Shuja, peeved inactivity in his castle at Girishk, open rebellion as champion of both Zaman Shah’s sons and Shah Mahmud’s sons and renewed support of Shah Mahmud, vividly epitomizes this entire period of confusion.



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