Life of Amir Dost Mohammed Khan of Kabul, Volume
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Reproduced by Sani H Panhwar (2018) LIFE OF THE AMIR DOST MOHAMMED KHAN, OF KABUL: WITH HIS POLITICAL PROCEEDINGS TOWARDS THE ENGLISH, RUSSIAN, AND PERSIAN GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING THE VICTORY AND DISASTERS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN AFGHANISTAN. BY MOHAN LAL, ESQ., IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: 1846. Reproduced by Sani H. Panhwar NOTICE. TH E extractsw hich hav e un av oidably been briefly quoted in this W ork,especially in the latter partof it,are m ean tn either in disrespecttothe opin ions of an y authority w hatev er,n or tocontradictor disprove the assertions of certain w riters in Indian journ als.Thatisthe provin ceofm en ofhighertalen tsan dabilities ;n orarethey m ean t as self-boastin g by the A uthor.Farfrom it.They illustratethe pages m erely as ev iden ce tohisstatem en t,w hichotherw isem ighthav e been consideredpartial. TH E A UTH O R. CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER XIV. A FFA IRS ofS in dh— Geography — P olitical position— M ission tothe M irs— D ifficulties atten din g its reception— It arrives at Tattah— S tay at that city— N eg otiations— D eparture— Captain Christie an d S ir H en ry P ottin g er proceed in disg uise throug h S in dh— D r.James B urn es in v ited toS in dh— H is testim ony— Extractsfrom S ir John M alcolm — M ission of S ir A lexan der B urn es— V arious treaties— Further n eg otiations w iththe M ira— Theirharsh treatmen tby the B ritish Govern m en t—S irCharles N apier sen ttoS in dh— Contin ued policy exercised ag ain stthe M irs— The B ilochis rev olt— B attle ofM ian i— The M irof M irpur is defeated— Capture of O m ercote— B attle of P ir A ssee— V ictory g ain edby Col.Jacob— Conclusion ofthe history ofS in dh... 1 CHAPTER XV. A ffairsofA fg han istan— The B ritish arm y crosses the Indus— S irA lexan derB urn es an d M ohan L al rem ain in the rear— They rejoin the arm y— P assag e ofthe B olan pass— S ir A lexan der an d his suitearrive atKalat— Conductof the Khan an d his m in isters— Treatyw ithhim — H isin trigues an dbadfaith— P rogressofthe S hah S huja— P artofthe B ombay arm y,un derM ajorGen .W ilshire,sen tagain stM irM ehrab Khan — S torm in g of Kalatan ddeathofthe Khan — S hah N av az Khan in stalled— Captain L oveday appoin ted residen t—H isconductin thatcapacity— Un justrem arksofM r.M asson. .. 76 CHAPTER XVI. H ajiKhan join s the B ritish— O therchiefs join the B ritish force,an dten deralleg ian ceto S hah S huja-ul-M ulk — The Q an dhari chiefs consequen tly fly toP ersia— Q an dhar occupiedby the B ritish— Installation ofS hah S huja-ul-M ulk — The fug itive chiefs refuse the offers of the B ritish — The H aji D ost M oham m ed Khan — V iolations of en g ag em en ts— The arm y arrives atKalat-i-Ghilzai — Join ed by A bdulrashidKhan — Capture of Ghazn i— P roposals of D ostM oham m ed refused— Execution of A fg han prisoners— Flightofthe A m ir— S hah S huja-ul-M ulk establishedin Kabul— P rogress of the S hah Zadah Taim ur— M ovem en tsof A k bar Khan — Gholam Khan P opalzai— The A m irD ustM oham m edKhan atB okhara. .. .. .. .. .. 84 CHAPTER XVII. O ccurren ces atKabul— D isaffection— Expedition ag ain stP uaht—Extractsfrom v arious corresponden ce— D ostM oham m ed Khan escapes from B okhara— Tak es up arm s— Is defeated by Col. D en n ie— M ovem en tsof S ir R.S ale— The ex-A m ir is opposed— H e surren dershim self toS irW .M acnag hten — Increasin g disconten t. .. .. 123 CHAPTER XVIII. The 2n d of N ovem ber,1841 — S irA lexan der B urn es'shouse fired— H is hardfate— H ow he m ight hav e been sav ed— The S hah's reg im en t defeated — Insurgen ts in crease— S tores plun dered— H ardfightin g on the 13th— P romised rew ardtoA k bar Khan — S irW illiam M acnag hten shotby A k bar Khan — Un accoun table conductof the troops— O n the 6thofJanuary the troops comm en ced theirm arch— L ieuten an tEyre's accoun t— Jelalabadm ain tain ed— A k barKhan defeated— Govern m en tn otification — The S hah firedupon an dk illed— A m in Ullah Khan defeated— A k bar g ain s B ala H isar — M ohan L al comm un icates w ithS irGeorge P ollock— M ohan L al'sservices touched upon— A uthoritiesquoted— The A m irrestored. .. .. .. .. 161 CHAPTER XIV. Affairs of Sindh—Geography—Political position—Mission to the Mirs — Difficulties attending its reception — It arrives at Tattah — Stay at that city—Negotiations — Departure —Captain Christie and Sir Henry Pottinger proceed in disguise through Sindh—Dr. James Burnes invited to Sindh—His testimony—Extracts from Sir John Malcolm—Mission of Sir Alexander Burnes—Various treaties—Further negotiations with the Mire—Their harsh treatment by the British Government—Sir Charles Napier sent to Sindh—Continued oppression exercised towards the Mirs—the Bilochis revolt— Battle of Miani—The Mir of Mirpur is defeated—Capture of Omercote—Battle of Pir Assee—Victory gained by Col. Jacob—Conclusion of the history of Sindh. THE country of Sindh is irrigated by the river Indus or Sindh, from which it takes its common appellation. On the north it is bounded by Kach Gandava, the Panjab, and the Daudpotra districts; and on the south side by the ocean. It has Rajvara on the east and Bilochistan on the west, making the area of the country about 100,000 square miles.1 The revenue derived by the ex-Mirs of Sindh was from 3,500,000 rupees (35,000£) to 4,000,000 rupees (40,0000£) and the expense in maintaining possession of that country is 8,000,000 rupees (80,0000£)2. When the successful career of Bonaparte had subverted the independence of many kingdoms in Europe, his thirst for the conquest of India, and the arrival of his mission on a large scale under General Gardanne at Tehran, excited great alarm in British India, and the Supreme Government deputed various missions in various directions to frustrate the designs of Napoleon. The Honorable Mountstuart Elphinstone, as already mentioned, went to the Durrani Court, Sir John Malcolm to the capital of Persia, and Nicholas Hankey Smith, Esq., of the Bombay Civil Service, was appointed as an envoy by the Governor-General of India to negotiate for and to secure the alliance of the Mirs of Sindh. Both the former kingdoms still retain their independence, but the latter dominion has fallen into our possession; and its rulers, who once possessed independence, and were soothed and courted by English ambassadors, and feared, flattered, and adored by European travelers, who explored their country in disguise, are now the prisoners of our Indian government! In the number of the European gentlemen who composed the mission of Mr. Smith to the court of Sindh, I will only mention the name of Sir Henry Pottinger (then Lieut.), whose knowledge of that country became a guide to the ambition of others, and whose talents and judgment in all his diplomatic career, whether in Bach, in Sindh, or in 1 Visit to the Court of Sindh, by Dr. Burnes, K.H. 2 Also in 1845 the expense has much exceeded the income. See Captain Postans's Observations on Sindh. Life of Amir Dost Mohammed Khan of Kabul, Volume - 2, Copyright © www.sanipanhwar.com 1 China, have merited an extraordinary and yet just degree of estimation, and which are rewarded with the unanimous applause of all parties of the English nation at large. The departure of this officer brought the misfortune and sealed the fate of the Mirs of Sindh; and knowing as I do his just and noble principles, no one feels so bitterly distressed at the fall of the Mirs as he feels. On the 27th of April, 1809, the mission, consisting of Mr. Smith and Sir Henry Pottinger, the former being the chief, embarked on board their ships to sail from Bombay, and on the 9th of May, at noon, they approached the harbor of Karachi, the Governor of which place was requested to supply pilots. Here I shall quote the Right Honorable Baronet himself,3 and, in short, follow his steps until the valuable publication of "Napier's Conquest of Sindh." "The Governor made some demur regarding the admission of the ships into the harbor, but his objections were overruled. About an hour after they had anchored, the Governor came on board to visit Mr. Smith, attended by several matchlock men, and brought some sheep and vegetables as a present. The two succeeding days were lost in discussions respecting the disembarkation of the mission, which the Governor was anxious to delay until he should receive instructions from the Mirs. On the 12th he visited Mr. Smith a second time, when the latter took occasion to reprehend some improper assumptions in the correspondence that had taken place relative to the titles and rank of the Governor-General and the Mir's: at which he professed his regret, and said it arose from his ignorance of the Persian language; but that he was willing either to put the person who had written them to death, or to blind him, as the envoy chose.