Shah Zumaun was succeeded by Shah Shooja, of whom, although the chief
person in the present drama, little more need be said of this part of
his history than that, ignorant of the mode of governing such
independent tribes as the Afghans, his power was never great, and, after
the fall of his vizier, and the murder of his comrade, Meer Waeez, it
gradually declined, until he lost his throne at Neemla, in 1809. He had
taken the field with a well-appointed army of 15,000 men; but was
attacked by Futteh Khan, an experienced general, at the head of 2000
men, before the royal army was formed for battle; Akram Khan, his
vizier, was slain, and he fled to the Kyber country, leaving the greater
part of his treasure in the hands of his conquerors. Shah Shooja had
failed to conciliate the Barukzye family; Futteh Khan, their chief, had
therefore espoused the cause of the king's brother, Mahmood, and having
driven Shah Shooja from his throne, he placed Mahmood upon it, and
accepted for himself the situation of vizier. Under his vigorous
administration, the whole of the Afghan country, with the exception of
Cashmere, submitted to the dominion of the new sovereign.
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