Letter No.1725 of 1869 from Colonel Robert Phayre, the Political Superintendent, Frontier Upper Sind, Jacobabad, to Sir William Lockyer Merewether, the Commissioner in Sind [‎39v] (65/68)

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March 1851, that Kelat affairs began
again to command any marked atten
tion.
W. L. M.
AVe held Kelat for about 6 months
in 1811, during which, one or two
brother Officers and myself were on
terms of personal friendship with
several of the Brahooe Chiefs of that
day, who showed us excellent sport
with their well-bred greyhounds,
which we returned by inviting them
to rifle matches at our Camp.
Colonel Stacy of the Bengal Army
was the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Kelat at
that time, and it was under the genial
influence of his treatment of the Chiefs
as gentlemen ; which as a rule they
are, naturally as well as by birth ;
that the cordial relations to which I
allude existed ; giving a tone to the
young Khan's position, which lasted
up to the hour of his sad fate, as record
ed by Sir Henry Green.
A careful study of this reign is One and all—Belooch and Brahooes,
necessary for Government to arrive at Chiefs and peasants—declare how
just conclusions. During the first part, happy they were under the " strong
the Wuzzeer MoollaMahomedHoossein friendly Government'' of this Prince,
was all powerful, but conspiring to be The reason was that his rule had the
Khan himself, his treachery was ex- paternal and patriarchal elements in it.
posed by General Jacob to the Khan, Nusseer Khan had a just regard for the
and he was imprisoned. The Daroga right of property, and never robbed his
and Gungaram then assumed the chief nobles and retainers of their lawful
management, and held it till the share in the State revenues.
Khan's death.
W. L. M.
It might have been, had the Chiefs If we could persuade the present
no t—presuming on the supposed weak- Khan to do the same, he might save
ness of the Khan—essayed to grasp all the cost of his Brigade, and confer
power for themselves. incalculable good on all, including the
W. L. M. British Government and its interests.
I would submit that the whole question
admits of being summed up in a very
few words.