of Maimana. Hukumat Khan, being apparent to him that Persian nor Bukharan aid would come to him, sent Dilawar Khan, his eldest son, alongside brothers of Qilij Khan and 40 chiefmen to offer Maimana's submission to Herat and an annual tribute of several thousand Tilas in return for aid against Afzal Khan's invasion. Sultan Ahmad Khan, the ruler of the Emirate of Herat, believed that the attack on Maimana was the prelude toward the eventual attack on Herat itself, and as a result, agreed to the alliance. Maimana's tribute was postponed under the excuse that the route to Herat from Maimana was unsafe due to rebellion of Jamshidi tribes around Bala Murghab. Nawaz Khan, the son of Ahmad Khan, was sent to the aid of Maimana with two thousand men and three guns. However, his advance to Maimana was stalled by the Jamshidi chief Abdullah Beg. Abdullah Khan Jamshidi died earlier in the year and was succeeded by his brothers, Iskander Ahmad, and Muhammad Omar, who had strong relations with Dost Mohammad Khan. The Jamshidis, alongside some Firozkohis and Ghilzai settlers attacked the forces of Nawaz Khan. After some initial success against the Herat forces, the Herat forces successfully forced the Jamshidi withdrawal to Bala Murghab, with the Firozkohis and Ghilzais switching sides against the Jamshidis. This led to letters being sent to Afzal Khan, requesting immediate assistance against the Herat forces. However, Afzal Khan's Maimana campaign was again struck by foreign pressure from the British, as in late October, Dost Mohammad ordered the withdrawal under Afzal Khan of forces from Maimana, being forced to abandon the Jamshidis. After fierce fighting, Nawaz Khan took Bala Murghab and plundered much of the surrounding countyside for cattle and other properties. Mohammad Omar and Iskander Ahmad fled to Maimana, while many Jamshidi families were forced to live near Herat temporarily. The conquest of the Bala Murghab by Herat now turned Hukumat Khan's fears against Herat, as the Afghans were no longer a threat for the time being. The alliance was also only mended out of desperation and Hukumat Khan did not wish to tender his submission to Herat instead of the Afghans. As a result, when Iskander Ahmad and Mohammad Omar came to Maimana, Hukumat Khan granted them asylum and also sent tribute to Nawaz Khan, although asking for the return of territories on the north bank of the Bala Murghab, and for