Afzal Khan and for Haidar Khan. As the eldest son of Dost Mohammad, Afzal Khan was placed in an influential position as the governor of Afghan Turkestan following the death of Akram Khan while Haidar Khan and his full brothers ruled the provinces south of the Hindu Kush. Despite Afzal Khan being his eldest son, Dost Mohammad Khan favored his heir being one of the sons of Khadija, his favorite wife, rather then the Bangash wife, who was the mother of Afzal and Azam Khan. As a result, Dost Mohammad Khan firstly made his heir Mohammad Akbar Khan until his death in 1847, upon which, Haidar Khan took control of Akbar Khan's possessions, thus leaving him as the heir. When Haidar Khan died on 2 July 1858, Dost Mohammad Khan made it publicly known that he declared Sher Ali Khan as his heir. Sher Ali inherited Haidar Khan's revenues, specifically an allowance of 20,000 rupees and took control of his military regiments. Dost Mohammad further strengthened Sher Ali's position by decreeing that his former allowance of 12,000 rupees and the governorship of Ghazni should fall to Sher Ali's son, Muhammad Ali Khan. By consolidating essentially all power in the hands of his sons, Dost Mohammad Khan secured the dynastical stability for the Barakzais to rule. Despite this, his reliance on his sons to rule produced tension, and following his death, sparked another civil war over the succession. Christine Noelle writes: over half a century later, Abdur Rahman Khan, Dost Mohammad's grandson, remarked: "Dost Mohammad Khan made the same mistake [as Timur Shah] in dividing the kingdom of Afghanistan among his sons, giving to each one of them a separate army. In consequence of this policy the sons were placed by their own father in the position of being able to fight against each other." Personality and character The most detailed descriptions of Dost Mohammad are given by visitors to Kabul in the early 1830's, including from Mohan Lal, who describes Dost Mohammad Khan as with "Tall structure and haughty countenance". According to Christine Noelle, Alexander Burnes was impressed with the manners of Dost Mohammad Khan. Josiah Harlan provides accounts of Dost Mohammad Khan that are in extreme detail, having claimed that he was granted seat next to Dost Mohammad Khan to examine him. Josiah Harlan notes: "The Ameer is... in vigorous health. When he stands erect his height is six