Page "Abdur Rahman Khan" Paragraph 8

However, Ayub Khan, one of Sher Ali Khan's sons, marched upon that city from Herat, defeated Abdur Rahman's troops, and occupied the place in July 1880.

This serious reverse roused the Amir, who had not at first displayed much activity.

He led a force from Kabul, met Ayub's army close to Kandahar, and the complete victory which he there won forced Ayub Khan to fly into Persia.

From that time Abdur Rahman was fairly seated on the throne at Kabul, and in the course of the next few years he consolidated his dominion over all Afghanistan, suppressing insurrections by a sharp and relentless use of his despotic authority.

The powerful Ghilzai tribe revolted against the severity of his measures several times.

In that same year, Ayub Khan made a fruitless inroad from Persia.

In 1888, the Amir's cousin, Ishak Khan, rebelled against him in the north ; but these two enterprises came to nothing.