his brother in Aqcha, had strengthened the defenses of Minglik, a strategic fortress between Balkh and Aqcha, which marked the effective frontier between Afghanistan and Bukhara. In March 1850, Rustam Khan, the Hakim of Sheberghan, imprisoned two Afghan ambassadors, believing that the Afghans were in no position to seek retribution upon this insult. Dost Mohammad, annoyed by the Hakim's action, ordered Haidar Khan to march to Balkh with reinforcements to prevent Akram Khan from being overwhelmed by the growing coalition. However, rivalry between Dost Mohammad Khan's sons, and reluctance by the Afghans to march north delayed their advance for weeks. Haidar Khan made matters worse by demanding a precondition that he should be given overall command of the Afghan army in Balkh, something that Dost Mohammad Khan did not concede as a demand. In July 1850, Dost Mohammad successfully convinced another one of his sons, Mohammad Amir Khan, to march to Akram Khan's relief. A few weeks later, a further force of three thousand Sowars, and two thousand footmen under Prince Amin Khan also grudgingly left for Balkh. Conquest of Minglik and Aqcha (1850-1851) Akram Khan, low on supplies and needing food, money, and men, tried to delay hostility with Nasrullah Khan of Bukhara by opening negotiations. Akram Khan attempted to remind the ruler that their predecessors had fixed the river as the official boundary between Bukhara and Afghanistan, and that the death of any Muslim would end at his door. As luck would have it, Nasrullah Khan was more interested in dealing with the rebellious province of Shahr-i Sabz, rather then the Afghan presence in Balkh. This reminder of Timur Shah's treaty with Bukhara also provided a convenient excuse to not aid Ishan Uraq, thus not risking a long and protracted war with the Afghans. Despite the personal plea to Nasrullah Khan, no Bukharan troops would come to the aid of Ishan Uraq, leaving the Amirs of the Chahar Wilayat to defend themselves with the resources they had the best they could. Akram Khan attempted to reach a compromise with Ishan Uraq, promising that the states of the Chahar Wilayat would have autonomy under Afghan rule for recognition of Afghan hegemony, as well as a tribute of 900,000 rupees. These terms, however, were rejected by Ishan Uraq, having already been betrayed on the former treaty that the Afghans attempted to make when they first blocked Akram Khan from marching