'Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, on Special Duty on the Perso-Afghan Frontier.' [‎127r] (9/80)

received. On the 17th December Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ayub Khan arrived at Khaf, with about
700 followers, of sorts, hut chiefly cavalry. They were most unruly, and kept the
little town in a state of turmoil during their stay. They broke open the door of the
place in Khaf where my horses had been left, they abused and threatened some of my
servants, but they did no actual harm, and were ejected, after some difficulty, by a
party of the Governor’s servants. Ayub Khan was most anxious to stay in Khaf until
after the vernal equinox, as Khaf, being so very near the Persian frontier, was
well situated for intriguing with Herat. He declared that he had 2,000 horsemen
scattered about the country, though this was an exaggeration, and that he had a
promise that 2,000 horsemen would join him as soon as he crossed the frontier,
and that one of the gates of Herat would be opened for him on his appearing before
that place. At this time Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Abdul Kudus Khan, the Governor of Herat,
had only a small number of Kabul troops with him, and the fidelity of his Herati
soldiers m case Ayub Khan appeared before that place, would have been more than
doubtful.
Dervish Aly Khan wrote to Ayub Khan to tell him that the orders of the Persian
Government were that he should proceed to Mashad, or else quit the country, and that
after seven days no provisions would be supplied to him or his followers, even on
payment. Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ayub Khan was very angry, and sent an insolent message, saying
he would sooner fight than leave Khaf. Of course this was mere braggadocio, and
Ayub Khan left Khaf on the 23rd December, in high dudgeon, declaring that he would
let it be known in Mashad how Dervish Aly Khan and his Englishman were behaving.
The greater number of Ayub Khan’s followers, however, did not leave Khaf until the
25th December, on which day I returned to that place. During my absence, from the
14th to the 25th, I had visited Lutf Aly Khan, the elder brother of Dervish Aly Khan,
who resides at Nasrabad.
While Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ayub Khan was at Khaf he received a letter from the Russian Consular
Ao-ent in Mashad, probably in answer to one sent by him. Amongst his followers were
Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Hashim Khan, Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Ahmad Aly Khan, who is a grandson of Amir Sher Aly
Khan, and Naib Hafizulla Khan, who is said to be his most able adviser. Ayub Khan
felt that in leaving Khaf he was giving up his last chance of again attacking Herat ;
and that his followers looked upon it in the same light was proved by a large number of
them leaving him and going hack to Afghanistan as soon as the move towards Mashad
was decided on. His presence so near Herat was most objectionable. Even at Gazik,
where he was when I first arrived on this frontier, he was not in so threatening a
position as at Khaf, Gazik not being near any place of importance in Afghanistan.
Great excitement was caused in Herat by the arrival of Ayub Khan at Khaf. The
garrison of Ghurian was increased from 200 to 500 men, the garrison of Kusan was
also increased, and horsemen were sent to watch all along the frontier line of
Afghanistan. Two horsemen were actually sent into Khaf itself to bring news at once
of Ayub Khan’s movements. Sardar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Abdul Kudus Khan was very anxious. As soon
as Avub Khan had left Khaf for Mashad, and had dismissed or been deserted by a large
number of his followers, which happened on his leaving that place, affairs at Herat
settled down, as the partisans of Ayub Khan saw that, at least for a time, their chance
Ayub Khan, before leaving Khnf, and after receiving a letter from the Russian
Consular Agent at Mashad, told his followers that he intended only to remain until
the vernal equinox in Mashad, and would then proceed to Askabad and seek Russian
protection that he had a treaty with Russia, and preferred to go to Askabad
rather than to Tehran. He said that he hoped to obtain by Russian assistance a
position of influence amongst the Tekeh Turkomans of Merv, and then to use the
Turkomans as a means of again getting possession of Herat. This was a very wild
idea, but it undoubtedly was the idea prevailing in the mind of Ayub Khan when he
started for Mashad; and that it was not carried out was, 1 believe, due to the fact that
he did not receive encouragement from the Russian Agent at Mashad about proceeding
to Askabad. After his arrival at Mashad he was in communication with the Russian
Agent and was, I am told, informed that he might proceed to Askabad, but no
encouragement was given him to do so, and no hopes of assistance from Russia were
held out to him. After leaving Khaf Ayub Khan went in four marches to 1 urbat
Hidari, where he stayed for a short time and then went on to Mashad. .
Sartip Nur Muhammad Khan remained at Khaf with about 70 horsemen. He is
known to be one of the cleverest and most intriguing chiefs of Afghanistan and he
separated himself from Ayub Khan as rats leave a sinking ship. Amir Abdur Rahman
Khan would do well not to permit Sartip Nur Muhammad khan to return to
Afghanistan, as he is very hostile to him, and would always be plotting miscbiel.
8 U 62 . C