amanullah's forces finally move northward and reach mukur without opposition. habibullah meanwhile has marched south from kabul, and on april 19 meets amanullah's troops south of ghazni, and with the help of the ghilzais decisively defeats them. amanullah for a time makes a stand at mukur, but owing to the hostility of the tribesmen is forced to retire from there on may 14. he then gives up the struggle as hopeless, and on may 23 leaves afghanistan in company with his brother inayatullah. during this period fortune is equally favourable to the cause of habibullah in other quarters. in the north, on the frontier of russian turkestan, amanullah's standard was raised by sardar ali gholam nabi khan, who had formerly been his minister in moscow. habibullah's cause is espoused in the same quarter by said hussein, who keeps gholam in check and finally drives him across the russian frontier at the end of june. on may 4 sardar abdor rahim khan occupies herat, in the west of the country, in the name of the amir of kabul.