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'Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, on Special Duty on the Perso-Afghan Frontier.' [‎136v] (28/80)

The record is made up of 1 file (40 folios). It was created in 8 Feb 1883. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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11
28
This dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. is about
about
at this
. u > mnrh the most extensive one. This dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. is
first ilak I have seen, though it - a t its narrowest part, where it is only
26 miles long and seven '''•de.'crosse ^ , t becoines a she et of water, but a
four miles wide. In winter a < > > the rest is deep mud, particularly
season only a P ort,on . th , e b di smount arid lead our horses over. The surface of
unpleasant to cross. ‘ . 1 1 u u ear a human being, but the poor horses and
the mud in parts had ^.ed suft^ntty to bear^ By crossing the be d 0 f
mules kept sinking deep i ’ . ^ should have added to our journey if we had
this lake we saved eight miles, winch we snoum u _ -
rounlTttmnortifend of tbe lake, and as the march was one of 35 miles without this
addition, we were glad to shorten the d^t.ume^asmuej as surface of the mud, we
gone
inch as we could. The water was
beautifully clear, and as here was no salt e ™ « — l d ' o be very salt indeed,
thought the water must he sweet, but on tnal it was t Al)0ut n i ne
This dak System of postal communication used in Moghul India and later by the East India Company. , or lake, is somewhat s.m.lar to the Ha. ^ the sniall fort of
miies after we go ^sem! from about 13 miles off. Soon after
Yazdun. 1 he toit stands g ^ „ we u beaten hath, running towards
the souri^'^Tasked the gull wtrc lt ied. He said, “ Nowhere, no honest man uses
rvath it is a Turkoman raiding road, and used by no one ek>e. It must >e
who accompanied me on my way ...... , . , i i • ^ ^
the spring called Petirgun, where he had constructed a hiding place to enable hn to
shoot the wild asses, which are here very numerous, and which come to drink at t.ns
lonely spring He said, “ I have shot three wild asses and many antelopes from that
« Inir lint indeed, it is a dangerous amusement, one is quite as likely to be shot
About 5 p.m. I reached Yazdun. As I knew the people would be alarmed in this
lonely spot by the approach of horsemen, I sent on two horsemen to give notice of my
approach. Yazdun, though a small fort, has high walls, and would be difficult to
take without artillery. The door, as in all forts of the better class in Persia, is a large
millstone, which is placed on end and serves as a door. When it is required to open
it, the millstone is rolled back into a cavity of the wall. There is always a wooden
door besides, but generally of a very poor description. Yazdun is decidedly ancient.
It is of a different pattern from most Persian forts, and has a central keep, which is
not usual. The walls are in rather bad repair, and as the water supply is from a
kariz situated outside the fort the water could be cut off. It is very praiseworthy of
the Amir of Kaian to garrison and keep up this outpost. I am told he not only gets
nothing from it, but it actually costs him money to keep it up. About 25 years ago he,
found that a party of Afghan robbers had settled in the neighbourhood, and were
raiding and plundering. As the place undoubtedly belongs to Persia, and is several
miles within the Persian frontier, he repaired the old fort which was already here,
and placed a garrison of 30 soldiers in it, under rather a fine fellow as Naib or
Li eutenant. He also brought 14 families of cultivators. The place now has
96 inhabitants, including children. Several of the cultivators live at a place four miles
oft, called Kabuda, where there are two towers and some cultivation. Yazdun is very
much exposed to attacks by robber bands. Six or seven years ago it was attacked by
a hand of Baluchis, who were only driven off after a sharp fight, and the Naib told me
and committed depredations. A large body of Afghan nomads are settled at the spring
of water known as Peshinjan, where there is a tower for defence about 30 miles on
tne first permanent Afghan village, called Abkal, is situated, from which it is 12 miles
to babzawar making the whole distance from Yazdun to Sahzavvar m Afghanistan
S... U r: S - ,P«. e . a8 '! st *«*“ Karman, Yazd, and southern Persia gerferally to
JTu'at, is rid Birjand and Yazdtm
Birjand is as follows : —
The route followed by caravans from Herat to

About this item

Content

This file consists of a report written by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, in which he describes his journeys to and around Mashad, Herat and Merv in the vicinity of the Perso-Afghan frontier, and provides detailed intelligence regarding topography, settlements, communications, vegetation and agriculture. He also describes local populations, tribes and chiefs, and their present and historical actions and allegiances.

The author records his opinion that due to a general fear of Torcoman raids, and a positive attitude towards Russia, the region of Khurasan [Khorāsān] could willingly fall under Russian sway; he therefore urges the instalment of an English officer on the Perso-Afghan frontier to maintain a British influence there.

The report is written in twelve chapters, and is followed by five appendices giving detailed descriptions of routes travelled, with mileages.

Extent and format
1 file (40 folios)
Arrangement

This file begins with a table of contents (f 123) followed by a report (ff 123-158), with five appendices at the end (ff 159-162).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 123 and terminates at the last folio with 162, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 123-162; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

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English in Latin script
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'Report of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Edward Stewart, Bengal Staff Corps, on Special Duty on the Perso-Afghan Frontier.' [‎136v] (28/80), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/C42, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100032562303.0x00001d> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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