IXDIA BRITISH. 



on the northwest frontier was subdued. Mul- 

 kah, the seat of the fanatics, was destroyed 

 toward the close of December, 1863, and soon 

 after the insurgent tribes announced their sub- 

 mission. Circumstances came subsequently to 

 \\-hich proved that the disturbances were fo- 

 mented by Mohammedan agents. Several agents 

 were arrested at Patna on the charge of : 

 ing the fanatics with arms and money, and 

 eleven men were summoned before court at 

 Umballa. Among them was a Moulvie, or 

 high priest, of Wahabies, by the name of 

 Jeeah AH, who had some sort of family con- 

 nection with the leaders of the frontier tribes. 

 One witness said that he was sent southward 

 by a man since dead, to preach a religious cru- 

 sade, and during that tune it came to his knowl- 

 edge that many agents were sent toward the 

 same districts. 



The head of the conspiracy at Umballa was 

 Mohammed Shuffei, who held the meat con- 

 tract for the supply of the European troops, 

 not only at Umballa, but also at Jullundur, 

 Lahore, Mooltan, Dera Ismael Khan, Sealcote, 

 Rawul Pindee, Attock, and Xowsherra; and 

 by means of his agejits in these places was 

 able to forward to the hills men and money 

 without attracting suspicion. But the Umballa 

 conspirators seem merely to have contented 

 themselves with the part of agents to the more 

 active brethren of Patna, whence emissaries 

 were sent to all parts of Bengal to preach the 

 Qreaoentade or Mahometan holy war, the con- 

 verts or recruits being forwarded in the first 

 instance to Patna, and thence on by way of 

 Delhi and Umballa to the hills. The trial of 

 the conspirators resulted in Mohammed Shuffei 

 and three others being sentenced to death, and 

 the remaining eight to transportation beyond 

 the seas for life. 



The Mohammedans of the northwestern prov- 

 inces continued throughout the year to be 

 greatly agitated. There were numerous fires 

 at Umballa, which were believed to be the 

 work of incendiaries ; and several Mussulmans 

 at that station were arrested whilst preaching 

 AVahabeeisrn and the jehad a fanatical crusade 

 against infidels. 



The mission of the Hon. Ashley Eden to 

 Bhootan* had a very strange, and for the Indian 

 Government, very mortifying issue. Bhootan 

 is a province adjacent to the British Indian 

 province of Assam, and the Hon. Ashley Eden, 

 who is Secretary to the Government of Ben- 

 gal, was sent there for the purpose, as was 

 asserted, to effect better relations of trade. Xo 

 pains appears to have been previously taken 

 to ascertain in the slightest degree how such an 

 offer would be received. Mr. Eden set out 

 with his treaty in his pocket, and found when 

 he pVaced his feet on the Bhootan territory 

 that the people were opposed to his progress. 

 The populations of the villages which lay in his 

 course turned out, and showed the most unmis- 



* See AXSVAL CTCLOP-EDIA for 1563, p. 02S. 



takable hostility. But instead of turning back, 

 he declared that difficulties only nerved his de- 

 termination. When he reached the Court of 

 Bhootan. new indignities awaited him. The peo- 

 ple, it is reported, seized him by the beard and 

 hair, took letel from their mouths and made 

 him eat it, and insulted the party in many other 

 grievous ways. The Bhooteas would not, of 

 course, look at the treaty which Mr. Eden was 

 authorized to enter into with them. They re- 

 jected that wifh scorn. But they drew up one 

 of a different character and placed it before 

 Mr. Eden, and required him to sign it. This 

 treaty ceded the whole of the English State of 

 Assam, without limit or conditions, absolutely 

 and unconditionally to Bhootan. The British 

 Envoy was compelled to sign the treaty, and the 

 Bhooteas, of course, meant to hold the Indian 

 Government to the terms of the treaty. The 

 Government, after the return of Mr. Eden, de- 

 manded a retribution for the insult cast upon 

 their ambassador, and when the Bhooteas were 

 obstinate, concentrated an army to bring them 

 to reason. Military operations commenced in 

 December, 1864. The Bhooteas fought well, 

 or at least with sufficient sturdiness to show 

 that they were like all other hill tribes, not to 

 be stricken down with ease. The English took 

 two or three strongholds of the Bhooteas, which, 

 however, in the opinion of some military men, 

 it would cost more to keep than they are worth. 

 Many feared that the war might be of long du- 

 ration, and therefore very expensive. Others, 

 however, were sanguine that the annexation of 

 the Bhootan " dooars " would prove to be one 

 of the most useful and valuable acquisitions 

 which the Indian Government had made for a 

 long time. In this sense the Calcutta English- 

 man remarked: "The country is admirably 

 suited for the growth of tea ; cotton of an ex- 

 cellent quality is produced there ; and we have 

 seen samples of very good silk which has just 

 come down to the Calcutta market from the 

 dooars. Here are three commodities of great 

 commercial value and importance produced or 

 produceable in the newly-acquired territory; 

 and, doubtless, when European settlers shall 

 have commenced to 'develop the resources' 

 of the country it will be found to have a capa- 

 city for affording many other leading articles 

 of commerce, which will well repay the Gov- 

 ernment for taking it and the settler for culti- 

 vating it." 



The other political relations of British India 

 were satisfactory. 



Among the most memorable events in this 

 recent history of British India belongs the 

 great "Durbar" which the Viceroy held, in 

 October, at Lahore. Xearly all the chiefs of 

 the Xorthwest and the Punjaub were there, 

 and many came down from the hills. Says a 

 correspondent of the London Times : 



Six hundred and four obeyed the summons, in- 

 eluding kings under our protection, princes of the 

 hills, military lords from the Affghan border, and 

 the high nofeility of the Punjaub itself. No nativa 



