



AFGHANISTAN. 



claimant for the throne, whose pretensions were 

 believed to be supported by the Russians ; he 

 had called upon the chiefs to rally around him, 

 and was supposed to be marching into the 

 country with an increasing number of follow- 

 ers. A communication was brought from him 

 to the British on the 19th of April, professing 

 liis readiness to submit to the English. He 

 hoped, he said, that he would not be suspected 

 on account of his long residence in Russian 

 territory, and he denied that he had received 

 :iiiy aid in men or money from the Russians. 

 The people of Afghanistan and Turkistan glad- 

 ly welcomed him, and he was confident of the 

 suffrages of the country. He also sent mes- 

 sages to his countrymen in Cabool, warning 

 them that opposition to the English would only 

 injure their interests and his own, suppressed 

 the rebellion in Badakshan, censured his pousin 

 Islack for writing letters designed to inflame the 

 people against the British, and dismissed his 

 army, saying he had no hostile intentions. 

 He was understood at this time to be undis- 

 puted master of the territory north of the 

 Hindoo Koosh. A mission, consisting of two 

 native gentlemen on the staff of Mr. Lepel 

 Griffin, the British civil agent, was sent to 

 him from Cabool and was received by him 

 with distinction. The Sirdar bore himself, it 

 was said, frankly and courteously toward the 

 envoys, and discussed business in a sensible 

 and practical way. An offer was made him 

 to recognize him as Ameer of Cabool, to 

 which he deferred a reply till he could con- 

 sult with his chiefs ; but he addressed a let- 

 ter to the chiefs, expressing his thanks to God 

 that an opening was made to friendship be- 

 tween himself and the British, and a hope 

 that a satisfactory arrangement would be ef- 

 fected. Abdurrahman replied to the British 

 propositions about the first of July, in a note 

 the tenor of which was such as for the time to 

 raise doubts of his sincerity. He took no no- 

 tice of the fact that Candahar had been formed 

 into a separate province under a separate gov- 

 ernor, which had been insisted upon by the 

 British in all their communications, but, both 

 in his note and in a circular which he issued 

 to the country, cited the terms which had been 

 offered by the government without mentioning 

 this important reservation, and claimed that he 

 was entitled to rule the same territory that his 

 grandfather, Dost Mohammed, had governed. 

 The negotiations were nevertheless continued 

 with him by the Marquis of Ripon, the new 

 Viceroy of India, with ultimately a satisfactory 

 result. 



General Stewart assumed the supreme com- 

 mand of the British forces in Afghanistan at 

 the beginning of May, while Sir F. Roberts re- 

 tained his divisional command. 



The change in the political character of the 

 British Government resulting from the election 

 of a Liberal Parliament involved as a necessary 

 consequence a modification of the policy to- 

 ward Afghanistan. Lord Hartington explained 



in the House of Commons, June 7th, that the 

 instructions which had been sent out to the 

 new Viceroy of India, Lord Ripon, in refer- 

 ence to this subject, had two objects in view 

 to bring the actual military operations to a 

 close as soon as possible, and to leave, on with- 

 drawing from the country, an event which it 

 was hoped would take place in the fall, some- 

 thing like a prospect of a settled government. 



Orders were sent to General Stewart early 

 in June to withdraw his forces with the least 

 possible delay compatible with the health of the 

 troops, and he was instructed that it was de- 

 sired that Cabool should be evacuated not later 

 than the 31st of October. Orders were also 

 given for the return to India of the surplus staff, 

 and the stores and ammunition which might not 

 be required. A brigade was dispatched from 

 Candahar at the beginning of July to proceed 

 to Girishk and support the Wali, Shere Ali, 

 against Ayoob Khan of Herat, who was re- 

 ported to have arrived at Farah with his 

 whole force. A mutiny broke out among the 

 Wall's troops, and the disaffected regiments 

 seized the artillery, and drove the Wali with 

 his faithful soldiers across the river. A ree'n- 

 forcement of British troops came up, recap- 

 tured the artillery, and dispersed the muti- 

 neers, a part of whom went to Herat, while 

 the rest fled to their homes. The Wali with- 

 drew nearer to Girishk. 



Abdurrahman, after a considerable delay in 

 crossing the Hindoo Koosh, came into the oc- 

 cupied territories in July, and was recognized 

 by the representatives of the British Govern- 

 ment as Ameer at a durbar held at Cabool on 

 the 22d. On this occasion, Mr. Lepel Griffin, 

 on behalf of the British Government, repeated 

 the assurances that had previously been giveic 

 that the armies would shortly withdraw from 

 northern Afghanistan within those frontiers 

 which were described in the treaty that had 

 been made with the ex- Ameer, Yakoob Khan, 

 and said : " We trust and believe that your 

 remembrance of the English will not be un- 

 kindly. We have fought you in the field 

 whenever you opposed us, but your religion 

 has not been interfered with, the honor of your 

 women has been respected, and every one has 

 been secure in the possession of his property. 

 Whatever has been necessary for the support 

 of the army has been liberally paid for. Not 

 a single complaint has been made by any Af- 

 ghan of any soldier, English or native, belong- 

 ing to her Majesty's army." In connection 

 with this event Lord Hartington made a state- 

 ment in the British House of Commons to the 

 effect that it was not yet prudent to speak with 

 too great confidence as to the nature of the ar- 

 rangements that had been made, for Afghan 

 politics were so uncertain that it was not pos- 

 sible to feel that the troubles in the country 

 were yet at an end ; that the question of Can- 

 dahar and of the new frontier remained in 

 statu quo, and were to be independently and 

 separately considered-, and that the negotia- 



