390 Overland Journey to India. [Dec. 
a religious tumult at C&bul, and prince Shujah-ul-mulk, full brother toZem£n,was 
raised to the throne by the people. 
Shujah kept the throne till 1809. Mahmud, who by his brother’s clemency had 
only been confined at Cdbul, unfortunately was allowed to make his escape thence. 
He fled to Futteh Khan, (who had retired to his castle at Girishkon the Helmand,) 
and that ever ambitious and daring chief did not rest until he had again made him 
king. Shujah, who deserved a better fate, was fain to fly from his country into the 
Punjab, and finally to seek an asylum in British territory, within which he has 
since lived with his family. 
Mahmud was again nominally king at C&bul, but Futteh Khhn as grand vazir 
ruled the kingdom as though it was his own, and took the surest means of strength- 
ening his authority, by placing many provinces in the hands of his near kinsmen 1 . 
The growth of this man’s power was so rapid, that the fears of Mahmfid and of 
the heir apparent, prince Kamran, were excited. They conceived that he aimed at 
supreme power, and consulting only their jealousy, they first seized and blinded, 
and next most cruelly assassinated, the man who had done so much for them. 
The immediate consequence of this inconsiderate act, was, that all the kinsmen 
of Futteh Kli&n rebelled and made head against Mahmud. This weak king, self- 
deprived of the support which had throughout upheld him, was sensible of his own 
incapacity when it was too late : he was long in marching his troops to quell the 
rebels, and when at last he neared them with a force four times exceeding 
theirs, he still hesitated to engage them: naturally of a timid and vacillating 
character, he lost heart, and became suspicious of those around him, and final- 
ly put the seal upon a series of unaccountably weak acts, by deserting his army 
suddenly by night, and flying with his son Kamr&n by the directly west road to He- 
rat. With the exception of this province, the whole of Afghanistan fell into the hands 
of Futteh Khan’s brothers, who portioned it into petty governments, and ruled, 2 or 
3 in concert, at the different seats. 
The relative situations of the Royal and the Barikzye families have remained 
the same up to the present time, but the Afghans have -lost to the Sikhs, Cashmere 
and all their country east of the Indus ; the Sindees have become independent; the 
Beldches nearly so ; and on the west, the domestic troubles of Persia have alone 
prevented that country from encroaching upon its fallen neighbour. 
Mahmud died at Herat in the winter of 1829, and Kamran succeeding to the 
name of king, bethought him of attempting to recover his country. The misrule 
of the rebel brothers at Kandahar gave him hopes of success there ; but he feared 
lest while he should be absent against the capital, his only place of retreat, Herat, 
should fall into the hands of the Persian Khorashn chieftains. He therefore made 
friendly overtures to the most powerful man among them, Rdza Kouli Khfin Kurd, 
and through him sent amicable professions to the Shah of Persia. Rdza Kouli Khan 
was at issue with the Turkmans, and he being a subject of Futteh All Shah s> 
Kamran affected to testify his regard for the Persian monarch, when he sent 5 000 
horse to co-operate with the Kfirds. In return for this act of friendship, Rdza Kouli 
Khan, it was understood, was to be acheckupon any one who might threaten Herit 
during Kamrhn’s absence. 
The allies marched into the desert, but made no impression upon the Turkmans, 
and after narrowly escaping starvation, they returned to Meshid, and determined to 
repair to their several homes. 
1 These were 22 brothers of this family. 
