Letter No.1839 of 1869 from Colonel Robert Phayre, The Political Superintendent, Frontier Upper Sind, Jacobabad to Sir William Lockyer Merewether, the Commissioner in Sind [‎45v] (3/5)

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quite independently during the revolutionary eri&is of the last 18 montlis, I
think it would be very dangerous for us to reason ourselves into the belief that
the present calm is that of contentment, or that a Despotism of Khanazads
will ever govern Belooch and Brahooes in the proper sense of the term.
13. Captain Harrison, in the Gth para, of his letter under reply, when
advocating the continuance of the present strength of the Mercenary Brigade,
states that " the disaffected considered themselves strong enough to cope with
" the said force on several occasions."
14 Bearing in mind Sir Henry Green's experience in the Murree tribes, I
believe that " the disaffected'" knew perfectly well what they were about, and
that in an actual melee they would have received support against the Merce
naries, otherwise the 3,000 under the Jam at Kelat in May last would never
have ventured to entreat Captain Harrison to remain neutral, and leave them
to fight out their quarrel against the more than double numbers on the side of
the Khan.
15. In conclusion, I beg to quote for your information paras. 13 to 17 of
a report No. 482, dated 14th December 1860, from Captain Sandeman to the
Commissioner of the Derajat Division, from which it will be seen that Kelat
affairs are viewed by Punjaub Officers in the same popular light in which I have
endeavoured to lay them before the Government for consideration.
"13. There is no doubt of the fact that
Extract above referred to.
the Khanate of Kelat is in a state of anarchy,
and it behoves our Government fairly to enquire into the cause. I have en
deavoured to descover it, and I will now place before
Captain Saudeman s report. •
you the result of my enquiries."
tc li. It is asserted that the Treaty our Government made with
the State of Kelat was entered into with the Khan and his Nobles, i. e. the
Brahooe Confederacy ; but that this was merely in theory, for in practice we
failed to carry it out in accordance with the constitution of the Kelat State."
<c 15. For instance, I understand that such Nobles as those of Sarawan
and Jhalawan declare that in our arrangement for the reduction of the fees
taken on Kafilas, the incomes of the Chiefs were reduced, while no arrange
ments were come to for the subsidy being distributed according to the loss
each had sustained by such reduction. They further declare that the money
thus granted, so far from being employed for the benefit of the Khanate, is
spent by the Khan on Mercenary Troops, who are a standing menace to them,
this being contrary to the constitution of the State. They affirm that these
and other like causes have driven them into rebellion.^