AFGHANISTAN. 



fnl lieutenants, whose fortunes were bound 

 up in his own, prepared in the early spring for 

 a vigorous campaign against the insurgents, 

 and for the defense of his frontier against any 

 sudden movement of Russia. He raised new 

 regiments, mostly among the Duranis of the 

 Candahar province, called on all his subjects 

 over eighteen years of age to enlist in the 

 army, and issued a manifesto, which was at 

 first reported to contain the proclamation of a 

 Jehad, or holy war, but which was really a 

 statement of the dangers arising to Afghanistan 

 from the rivalries of European powers, and a 

 patriotic and religious appeal for union and 

 loyal submission in face of the national peril. 



The disturbances were begun again near 

 the close of March by the Hotak section of the 

 Ghilzais, holding the country about Khelat-i- 

 Ghilzai, who s'eized some officers sent from 

 Oandahar to levy fines, and killed the governor 

 of Maraf who was leading a force against them. 

 Sikundar Khan marched from Candahar with 

 a large force for the purpose of occupying the 

 hilly district of Attaghar, where the defiance 

 to the Ameer's authority occurred. It is situ- 

 ated about one hundred miles east of Canda- 

 har, and the same distance north of Quetta. 

 The Ghilzais in the neighborhood of Ghuzni 

 also rose in great force about the 1st of April, 

 and held the road between Cabul and Canda- 

 har. Gholam Hyder Orakzai moved out from 

 Ghuzni against these insurgents, who were as- 

 sembled at Mukur, about a third of the dis- 

 tance between Ghuzni and Candahar. The 

 Andak and Tarak tribes fell upon Gholam 

 Hyder Khan, who was in pursuit of a rebel 

 chief, and killed him and 200 horsemen. To 

 avenge his death, Purwana Khan, who, though 

 not a soldier by profession, was held to be the 

 ablest of the Ameer's generals, was sent with 

 3,000 men, and was defeated at Nani, a short 

 distance to the south of Ghuzni. The force 

 led by Gholam Hyder Orakzai had an encount- 

 er with the rebels, who were driven back upon 

 the hills, leaving the road to Candahar free 

 again ; but the general was afraid to pursue, 

 and, fearing that they would return to the at- 

 tack, intrenched himself in the plain. Sikun- 

 dar Khan was attacked by the Hotaks on April 

 12, and compelled to retire from the Ghilzai 

 district, and go into intrenchments near Maruf, 

 so as to maintain his communications with 

 Candahar through the Durani country. The 

 Ameer's troops were beaten at first, and some 

 of them fled to Khelat-i-Ghilzai ; but the rest 

 finally made a stand, forming a breastwork of 

 their camels. All the sections of the Ghilzai 

 tribe south of Shutargardan Pass joined in the 

 rebellion, as well as the Jaowri Hazaras. The 

 Hotaks and Andaris took the lead, but the 

 movement spread to the Tarakhis and the 

 Tokhis. Troops were withdrawn from the 

 Jelalabad district to be sent against the south- 

 ern insurgents, and presently the Shinwarris, 

 who had been uneasy for some time, and whom 

 the Ameer's commander-in-chief was trying to 



pacify, broke into open revolt when the Ameer's 

 officials attempted to enforce the payment of 

 taxes. Abdurrahman, who is afflicted with an 

 organic disease, fell ill about this time. Se- 

 cret intelligence passed between the insurgents 

 and various pretenders to the throne, especial- 

 ly Ayub Khan, who was interned in Persia. 

 About the end of April a defeat was inflicted 

 on the royal troops by the Shinwarris near 

 Jelalabad. Two other attacks were made, 

 and some damage inflicted by the rebels on 

 the forces in the south. On the 15th of May 

 Gholam Hyder Orakzai effected a junction 

 with Sikundar Khan, and their combined 

 forces, estimated at 4,500 infantry and caval- 

 ry, with 8 guns, encamped at Karez-i-Ahu, at 

 some distance from Attaghar, where they were 

 confronted by 4,000 Ghilzais. The opposing 

 forces remained for several weeks in their re- 

 spective camps. The Ameer's troops made 

 raids through the Hotak country, burning vil- 

 lages, and even destroying the fruit and almond 

 orchards, which are the main source of wealth 

 of the inhabitants. Finally, Gholam Hyder 

 Orakzai moved northward to prevent a junc- 

 tion between the Tarakhis, who were gather- 

 ing in large numbers, and the Hotaks. When 

 he had gone, the rebels plundered the Durani 

 villages of Maruf. Gholam Hyder went first 

 to Shinkhai to reopen communications with 

 Ghuzni, and on June 11 moved eastward to 

 disperse the gatherings of Tarakhis, Tokhis, 

 and Nasiris in the plain north of Lake Abiis- 

 tada. On the 13th he met them at a fortified 

 position called Katalkhan, and was repelled' 

 Three days later he marched against a force 

 of Tarakhis and Nasiris, and defeated them, 

 killing 300. In June a Ghilzai chief named 

 Tarnar Shah, who was second in command, led 

 a mutiny in the garrison of Herat. A regiment 

 of Ghilzais attempted to kill the governor and 

 seize the town. The mutiny of other troops 

 was arranged, but the governor attacked the 

 regiment that took the lead, and drove them 

 from the town, after the mutineers had pro- 

 vided themselves with breech-loading rifles 

 and cartridges from the arsenal. A detach- 

 ment was sent from Candahar to intercept 

 them, but they succeeded in joining the main 

 body of the rebels at Nawai Tarakhi. Their 

 leader fled toward Persia, but was captured 

 and sent to Cabul. There were many encount- 

 ers between the Ameer's forces and the reb- 

 els. The latter ventured several times to at- 

 tack the troops on the plains, but lost heavily. 

 The Ameer had proclaimed them outlaws, and 

 the heads of the slain were sent by the hun- 

 dred to Cabul. The troops dared not attack 

 them in the hills, and were kept busy march- 

 ing and countermarching to defend the points 

 that were successively threatened. Gholam 

 Hyder attempted to cut off the Andari mu- 

 tineers when they moved southward from 

 Nawabi-Tarakhi to join the Hotaks and N.-isi- 

 ris at Attaghar. A combat took place on July 

 25 at the pass of Kotal-i-Ab, by which the 



