Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎174r] (37/174)

1870-71. J ARRANGEMENTS FOR SECURITY OE KIIYBER p\ss “Q
Afghan detachment at old Jumrood or Shadee Buggiaree. At his recommenda
tion, the Lieutenant-Governor sanctioned, as a temporary measure till tl^ eW
of the year, the location in new Jumrood Fort of men belomnno. to the W,W.f
Arbah Abdool Mujeed Khan, of the Khuleel tribe, under whose management this
* See Political Proceedings, July 1871, Nos. 89-91. part of the road had been before British
, . . . And the continuance of this ar
rangement has now been sanctioned* at a cost of Bs. 200 a month : 10 Khuleel
sowars on Rs. 12 a month each being stationed in Jumrood Fort for the pur
pose of patrolling the road from thence, and 4 footmen of the Khuleel and
Kookee Kheyl septs being stationed at each of three watch-towers between
that place and Boorj Huree Sing.
385. On the 3rd October the Ameer received the following letter from
Meer Akhor:
Although I have zealously adopted measures on my part for the security of the Khyber
Cabvi 1 Diary ending 3rd October 1870. Pass, have brought 21 Mulliks of more or less
influence of all tribes of the Pass to Jellalabad as
hostages, and have appointed three government and three levy police posts in suitable places,
still I am not assured as to the conduct of the Afreedees, unless a police post is established at
the new Jumrood (Fort) by the Cabul Government. They (the Afreedees) told me that during
the Sikh rule they received Rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. 13,000 of Nanukshahee currency a month from the Sikhs
in the new Jumrood Fort for supplying them with water, hut they do not receive anything from
the British Government for the establishment of their thannah at that place. Consequently,
I place little reliance on their conduct, and if any ill-conditioned proceedings occur on their
part, they will tend to my disgrace and will disturb the peace of the Pass.'” After hearing
this the Ameer directed the Meer Akhor to write a petition to the above effect in view to
referring the matter to the English authorities.^
386. On the 17th March 1871 the following letter was received from
him:
“ I n order to recover the property of Hazarazais which had been carried off by Shinwarees
Diary ending 20tb March 1871. and Sungoo Kheyls, I IPad gone to Jellalabad, and
after recovery of the same I proceed to adopt suit
able measures for the security of the Khyber Pass.
<f The people agreed to my taking hostages to Jellalabad, and stated that their representa
tives would proceed with me to Cabul to advance a claim for the increase of their allowances.
“ On 20th Zelhijjah (corresponding with the 13th March 1871) I made over the Ali Musjid
Thannah to the Afreedees and located some Khosadars in it, and, after taking hostages, brought
them to Lohargee. On the same night the Bash Kheyl Afreedees, having attacked the Khosadars
and the traders, who had arrived in Ali Musjid from Peshawur or from Jellalabad, plundered^
their property. I received this information next morning in Lohargee, and detached some troops
_ (a) From reports by tire Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, 16th and 13th April, in the volume of Punjab
Political Proceedings for April 1871, the following appears to have been the cause of this outbreak:
The Ameers of Cabul were always in the habit of paying an allowance (mowajib) to the six Khyber tribes or rather
“septs.” Major James and Arbab Abdool Mujeed Khan agree fairly as to the total amount (about Rs. 24,250) given
to these tribes, but give different details of the distribution, the reason being probably (the Commissioner says) that
the distribution varied according to the importance of the tribes, or the influence of individual members of their body
at particular times. Abdool Mujeed says this allowance had nothing to do with the safety of, or commerce through,
the Pass; that it was only paid in return for field services to the tribes who were thus engaged to join the
Ameer’s forces when called on to do so; and that the Ameer’s principal reason for thus enlisting the Pass tribes on his
side was to prevent the forces of the Government, Sikh or English, occupying Peshawur, from executing a surprise on
Cabul territory.
_ In 1842 or 1843 Colonel Mackeson opened the Pass from the Peshawur side, and kept it open for about two years,
paying Rs. 87,600 a year to the six tribes. He appointed officials from Peshawur to collect the Pass dues which were
said to have amounted to a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. a year.
When the allowances ceased the tribes collected the tolls themselves, and divided them according to their own
e.
Nothing had ever been done by the Ameer of Cahul to provide for the safety of the Pass till Shere Ali was on his
way back from Umballa in 1869. He then desired the Pass tribes to open the Pass as they had done for Colonel
Mackeson. This demand produced a division of opinion among the tribes. Part were for continuing the existing
practice of collecting the tolls themselves, while the majority wanted the fixed allowances granted to them by Colonel
Mackeson. There was much discussion about this, as the Governor of Jellalabad was naturally unwilling to commit his
master to the payment of so large a sum as Rs. 87,600 a year before finding out the probable amount of the tolls. At
last in the autumn of 1870, it was settled that the tribes should open the Pass, placing posts along the road; that the
Ameer should appoint officials to collect the dues; and that on the Mahomedan New Year, the probable amount of the
tolls being by that time ascertained, the Ameer should fix the allowances of the tribes. When that time came, the
closed the Pass.
*3
r.fc!