'Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, on Special Duty on the Perso-Afghan Frontier.' [‎134r] (23/80)

England is strongly held by both Persians and Afghans on this frontier. I am, of
course, too far away from Kabul to obtain reliable information on this point, but the
feeling in this pait ot the world is strong that the Amir is much more favourably
inclined towards Russia than towards Eng and.
Russia panders to the desire that all Orientals have for decorations and orders, while
in all Persia and in Herat there is not cne single official who wears an English order,
the only one, the Sipah Salar, who was G.C.S.I., having died. It is true there are
two English employes, one at Mashad and the other at Shiraz, who have a C.I.E., but
neither of these men is Persian or in Persian employment. 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. Ishak Khan, the
Governor of Afghan Turkistan when 1 first arrived on this frontier, had with him a
Russian agent, but I do not know if he is still with him.
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, after various delays, left Mashad for Tehran early in March
accompanied by a moderate following of his most devoted partisans, the great body
having dropped off during the months he waited at various points on the Persian
frontier A large number of the principal Sardars refused to accompany him
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, with his three brothers and the wife of Amir Sher Aly
Khan, remained at Mashad, and did not accompany him. 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 was
at first at Turbat Hidari, but proceeded to Mashad on the recommendation of the
British Agent, Mirza Abbas Khan, C.I.E. The young son of Amir Sher Aly Khan
named Abdur Rahman Jan, a boy of thirteen, also remained at Mashad 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.
Hasan Khan and Sartip Nur Muhammad Khan went off to Sistan, with a large
following of women and children. 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, the grandson of Amir
Shir Aly Khan, also left, and the people who accompanied Ayub Khan were chiefly
personal followers, whose fortunes were bound up with his. * . J
I returned from Mohsinabad to Khaf by a different road from that by which I came
passing by Mashad Reza, and halting the night at a small village named Khajeh. The
next morning I crossed the Bakharz range of hills by a difficult pass, and reached
Khaf. x he distance by this road is about the same as by that by which I went to
Mohsinabad via Karat; the distance in the one case is forty-eight miles, and in the
other about forty-six. f he road by Karat is far the easiest, being passable for guns.
Chapter IV.
Journey from Rui Khaf to Birjayid.
The relief caused to this border by the departure of Ayub Khan from Mashad is
very great, and in Herat is greater still. Every one in that town was living in a state
of tension, not knowing how long the party of the Amir would be triumphant and all
expecting some attempt by Ayub Khan for the recovery of the place. His partisans
collected arms and gunpowder secretly in the villages near the town, and everybody
was kept on the qui vive. This was especially the case when he was so near Herat as
Khaf. But as the months passed on, the hopes of his followers and of his partisans in
Herat fell, and his removal from Mashad to Tehran finally extinguished all hope.
Affairs at Herat then settled down, and that town enjoyed a period of quiet and good
rule, to which it had long been a stranger. 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 made a very
good governor, and ruled with justice and moderation. Unfortunately, the Amir
interfered with this state of things. He sent a man called Feramorz Khan to be Sipah
Salar, or Commander-in-Chief, at Herat. Feramorz Khan was a man of no influence,
having originally been a slave. He was much trusted by the Amir, and from the
moment he arrived, he commenced to intrigue against Abdul Kudus Khan. He sent
unfavourable reports to the Amir concerning Abdul Kudus Khan, and gradually all
power was taken from him. The charge of the border districts, namely Kusan,
Ghurian, Isfazar and Obeh, with the command of the tribal horse, was given by the
Amir to Nail) Sultan Khan Afshar. The customs and revenue were made over to
Ahmad Aly Khan, a eonfiden'ial servant of the Amir, who had also charge of the gates
of the town. The command of the regular troops was held by Feramorz Khan Sipah
Salar. The only thing that remained to Abdul Kudus Khan, who still had the title of
Governor, was the administration of justice. Even in this he was impeded by Feramorz
Khan. Before the arrival of that person, very severe discipline had been maintained,
and the Afghan troops had not been allowed to plunder or ill-use ihe people of Herat,
but as soon as the power had been taken out of the hands of Abdul Kudus, the soldiers
gave way to the most unbridled license, insulth g women, plundering the orchards of
all fruit, cutting down fruit trees for firewood, and oppressing the people in every way,
and Feramorz Khan would not allow Abdul Kudus Khan to punish his soldiers for
these breaches of discipline, nor w ould he punish them himself. The people said that