Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎182r] (53/174)

1869-70. j HOOTUK-TOKHEE UEBELLION—REVENUE DIFFICULTIES.
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would now look well if the British Government were to invite him. He would
then certainly, if the affairs of his country permitted, go to meet the Governor
General. [Political Proceedings, August 1869, No. 101.]
430. In the diary of 12th August 1869 there is the following entry re
garding Pyz Buksh :
“ Moonsliee Fyz Buksh has been at Cabul with some merchandise, and had intended to pro
ceed to Toorkistan. Kazee Abdool Kadir, resident of Peshawar, however, alleged before the
Ameer that he had come for some other and secret purpose. The Ameer accordingly sent for
the Moonshee, and having enquired from him secretly, was led to believe that he had come for
mercantile purposes only. His Highness has therefore given him a pass for Toorkistan, and
also a recommendatory letter for the Governor there.”
431. On the 16th August the Governorship of Khost was committed to
TJslum, being taken from Wullee Mahomed, who, three days later, was sent
to Koorum with 500 Jezailchees, 300 cavalry, and two mule batteries to
realize the revenue. This force did not, however, even make a start till the
7th October, and Wullee Mahomed himself followed later. Other re-arrange
ments of revenue charges were about the same time found requisite. Syud
Mahmood was deprived of the charge of the dependencies of Koonur which
, T% . n . , A were given over to Baboo Jan.* He
Diary ending 2/th August. • i i /> •t i i • -i •
again had tailed entirely m his manage
ment of the revenues of Jellalabad, which were accordingly committed to Meer
Akhor, the Governor, on conditionf that
he should pay a progressive amount,
starting at Its. 70,000.
f Diary ending 27th August.
432. On the 2nd September the mule and elephant batteries arrived in
Cabul, and were much admired by the people. The carriage cattle were quite
knocked up by the bad roads, and a large portion had been left behind. The
Ameer at once tried to get guns made on the model he had thus acquired.
On the 18th November the agent wrote—
* Diary ending 4th November 1869.
the Cabul workshop, four horse-guns are
ready, and are occasionally practised with.” 433
433. Hootuk and Tokhee rebellion .—Early in September there was a
commencement of disturbances in the mountains about Khelat-i-Ghilzye, dis
turbances which the British agent, writing on the 25th November, was inclined
to attribute to the intrigues of Yacoob and Noor Mahomed, who were desirous
of getting Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. Shere Ali, Candaharee, disgraced.
The occurrences were as follows : On the 11th of September intelligence
was received from the above-mentioned Shere Ali, Candaharee, that the leaders
of the Hootuk and Tokhee tribes had raised their levies, were collecting for
themselves the revenues of Khelat, and were making the roads dangerous for
travellers. To put them down Sufdur Ali, who was made a General, and Shah
Pussund Khan, Governor of Mookur, were sent with an infantry regiment,
500 Jezailchees, and 400 cavalry levies. On the 4th October news came that
there had been an engagement between these forces and Alum Khan, the
leader of the Hootuk tribe The cavalry had commenced the attack, but were
repulsed. Sufdur Ali, however, retrieved the day by hurrying up a body of
infantry and his artillery. His success was marred by the plunder of his camp,
upon which, as soon as he left it, the country people fell. The defeated leader
fled into the Kakur country, but a week later it was known that he had
collected fresh forces and was on his return to raise the Hootuk tribe again.
Sffdar Ali had left the hill country for Karabagh, but was soon forced to
retrace his steps and was to receive reinforcements from Cabul. . He again
defeated and put Alum Khan to flight, but the Tokhee tribes still remained
unsubdued under their leader, Jehangir Khan, and so they were still when the
diary of the 18th November was written. The Ameer now determined to go