ABSTRACT
During his long reign, Dost Mohammed managed gradually to extend his rule over the country. He occupied Kandahar in 1855, parts of northern Afghanistan in 1859 and Herat in 1863. His death in the latter year left his kingdom in turmoil, with a dozen or so of his twenty-seven sons com peting for the throne. The power struggle that ensued lasted several years and it was not until 1868 that his chosen successor, Sher Ali, was able to secure a permanent ascendancy. The Indian government, which had followed a policy of strict neutrality and non-intervention while the power struggle lasted, recognised him as Amir in October of that year.
