Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎164r] (17/174)

0 <JT L 1S<3S. } WEAKENING OE ABDOOL KAIIMAN’s HOLD OYER TOORKISTAN.
59
CHAPTER V.
From the Ameer's restoration to the Umballa Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). .
297. This chapter naturally divides itself into two sections :
Section I.— The disappearance of the elements of resistance which sur
vived the break-up of Azim Khan's army.
298.
# Diary ending 31st August.
Even before the news of Azim Khan’s disaster could have reached
Toorkistan, the Meers of Siripool,* Shi-
berghan, and Andkhoee had risen and
taken those places from Abdool Rahman’s adherents. The people about
Akcha, taking up the cause of Eshan Oorak, the Meer who had been dis
possessed by the Afghans in 1851, rose and besieged it. Abdool Rahman’s
po -i oa i on oQn emissaries were also turned out of Koon-
+ For his recent history, see §§ 134, 139,230. , iti t
dooz ; and J ehandar 8hahf ot Budukshan,
who had been kept dangling on in the hope of a restoration to that principality,
lent his aid to the subversion of his authority. This news reached Cabul on
the 28th August. The next news was, on September 11th, that Abdool Rahman
had taken a forced loan of 90,000 tungas (£2,925) from the merchants; that,
owing to the disorder of the border, the traffic of caravans between Toorkistan
and Cabul was still stopped; and that (but this was probably an invention) the
Ameer of Bokhara had formally appointed Jehandar Shah Governor of Buduk
shan, and had sent an officer to take charge of the fortresses in that territory.
299. Later on (19th October) news came that Jehandar Shah had made
Ids peace with Abdool Rahman, and, with the help of some of his men, had
driven out Meer Mizrab Shah, then in possession of Budukshan, and forced him
to take refuge in Trans-Oxus.
300. On the 18th September came news that Surwur Khan had been im
prisoned by the men of Kattaghan,* i. <?., of
* Kattaghan is the name of the Oosbeg tribe about the Meer of Koonflooz • on the fifh Oeto-
Koondooz (see Wheeler’s Afghan—Turkistan, 54). l UL 01 JVOOUUOOZ , OU 1116 OL11 UCIO-
ber, that he had been released by the same
men and had joined Abdool Rahman ; on the 21st September, that Abdool Rah
man had executed six of the leading men of Toorkistan and imprisoned three
or four hundred more—acts of severity which did not lessen the power, while
they increased the desire, of the Toorkistanees to shake of the dominion of their
oppressor.
301. Beyond these items of intelligence all was mere rumour as to the
measures taken by Abdool Rahman to restore his authority in Toorkistan ; and
there is at least equal uncertainty as to what steps he took for the purpose
of striking a blow for the recovery of Cabul. But it appears probable that,
vacillating between one course of action and another, and at each change of
plan giving rise to a rumour in Cabul that he had put his design into execution,
he really remained inactive at Ghoree, content with placing an advance-guard
at Syghan, and eventually pushing one on to Bameean. Azim tried to rouse
him from this inaction, and to get him to come to Eibuk or at least to Tashkur-
ghan; but he answered angrily that his departure from Ghoree would be fraught
with danger. Even there he was hardly free from insult. A party of his men,
who were collecting revenue at Doshee, twelve miles off, were cut off by the
peasantry, who then fled to the hills, and Abdool Rahman was unable to resent
the insult.
302. The Ameer himself was in much perplexity towing to his great lack
of funds wherewith to pay the arrears of pay due to the Cabul troops) whether
to content himself with defending the passes of the Hindoo-Khoosh till winter
came, or to go at once and attack Abdool Rahman in Toorkistan.
303. On the Jth October, his doubts were partly removed by the receipt of
letters from the Meers of Sliiberghan, Siripool and Andkhoee, saying that they