THE 



ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA. 



A 



AFGHANISTAN. Abdurrahman Khan, since 

 he was set up by the British as Amir of Af- 

 ghanistan, has struggled vigorously to con- 

 solidate the Afghan state and maintain his 

 rule over the loose league of turbulent clans 

 which form the Afghan nation. After the 

 withdrawal of the British army from Afghan- 

 istan, there was no hope of preserving a close 

 control over Abdurrahman, for as a puppet of 

 England he would immediately become impos- 

 sible. As the British nominee, he was left in 

 an exceedingly difficult position. The policy 

 of the Imperial Government was, to attempt 

 no dictation and make no exhibition of British 

 power in Afghanistan, nor even inquire too 

 closely into the loyalty and friendship of the 

 Amir, yet to supply him liberally with money 

 and war materials, at the expense of the In- 

 dian revenue, so as to enable him to buy or 

 compel the submission of his vassals. " A 

 strong, peaceful, and friendly Afghanistan " 

 was the aim of this policy, the friendship to 

 be won by large gifts and the renunciation of 

 British claims to domination, which would 

 encourage the Afghans to apply their united 

 strength to resist Russian encroachments. Ab- 

 durrahman gained possession of the fortress 

 of Herat, which is the bulwark of Afghanistan 

 on the west, by a prompt military movement. 

 His energy, or that of his lieutenants, broke 

 up the seemingly formidable power of his 

 cousin and rival, Ayub. Yet the undivided 

 authority of the Amir was not established in 

 Herat, nor can the Heratis be counted upon 

 in future complications to remain true either 

 to their allegiance to the Amir, or to their 

 political union with Southern Afghanistan. 

 Gen. Abdul Kudus Khan, who took possession 

 of Herat in the autumn of 1881, after the 

 defeat of Ayub, established himself there as 

 unlimited ruler, and by the mildness of his 

 government won the affections of the Herat! 

 people. Abdurrahman quickly re-established 

 the sovereignty of the Amir in Turkistan, or 

 Northern Afghanistan, as soon as he crossed 



VOL. XXIII. 1 A 



the Oxns. This great province, embracing the 

 rich region on the northern slope of the Hindoo 

 Koosh, was given into the hands of the Amir's 

 cousin, Isa Khan, as a reward for his fidelity 

 to the cause of Abdurrahman while he was 

 still living as an exile in Samarcand. Isa Khan 

 objected to the appointment of his former sub- 

 ordinate, Kudus Khan, to the governorship of 

 Herat, which post he desired for his brother, 

 Mohsin. Abdurrahman would have been glad 

 to please his cousins and displace the danger- 

 ous officer who had implanted himself too firm- 

 ly in Herat, but he dared not put his authority 

 to the test. This caused an alienation between 

 the Amir and his viceroy in Turkistan. Both 

 the northern divisions of the country are thus 

 ruled by governors who are able and ready to 

 defy the commands of the Amir. The advanc- 

 ing influence of Russia finds there a field which 

 the misdirected efforts and sacrifices of the 

 British have helped to prepare for it. 



In the southern parts of the country Abdur- 

 rahman has been but little more successful in 

 consolidating his power. In Cabool he rules in 

 state with the aid of British gold, and Canda- 

 har he holds with a tolerably firm hand. But 

 the maintenance of civil order in garrisoned 

 towns is a different thing from keeping in sub- 

 jection and restraint the Afghan people, which 

 is composed of warlike clans who have not 

 yet passed out of the tribal organization of 

 society, and who will accept none of the bur- 

 dens and pay none of the duties 'of civil gov- 

 ernment, except to unite in repelling a foreign 

 enemy. In 1883 the Shinwarris, a tribe in- 

 habiting the eastern side of the Sufed Koh 

 range, rebelled against the authority of the 

 Amir. Abdurrahman sent a force to reduce 

 them to subjection, but the military operations 

 accomplished nothing except to spread dis- 

 affection, and the rebellious agitation extended 

 to the neighboring clans, the Afridis and Mo- 

 munds. The Government of British India 

 came to the aid of the Amir with arms and 

 ammunition. Some of these were intercepted 



