Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎220r] (129/174)

1870. ]
YACOOB RAISES THE SIEGE OE
CAKDAHAR.
171
Mahomed, with an infantry and. cavalry regiment and Iavt* m m & it
went out to this village on the 1st of oltobe^Tove oVr foSe tlnf
sent to resist them and got back to Candahar, taking, it was said a
provisions with them. In this skirmish there wS a Trifling loss Z the
Diary ending 8th October. Candahar side, and somewhat more on
that of Yacoob.
624 There was another skirmish on the 6th between some horsemen who
were collecting supplies for Yacoob at Jilduk, and some J«zailchees and cavalry
who had been sent out to expel them by Khwaja Mahomed Khan, Governor
of Kelat-i-Ghilzai. The latter were
Diary ending 13th October.
successful.
625. The news of Yacoob’s reverses now silenced his well-wishers at
Cabul, and his friends among the Dooranee levies became also lukewarm.
626- By the 15th, Uslum and Feramoz had reached the above-mentioned
place, Jilduk, and thence they sent a letter from Yacoob to Eeramoz, remind
ing him of his offers of service sometime ago, calling upon him to fulfil them
now and capture Uslum who had fomented the Ameer’s displeasure, and would
assuredly, unless his career were stopped, cause Eeramoz himself to suffer by
Ins treachery. In this letter Yacoob said—
Diary ending 21st October. “} ^g^’dless of the desolation or prosperity
oi the Ameer.”
627. On the 10th October Yacoob nearly succeeded in effecting an en
trance into Candahar, through the treachery of" the captain in charge of the
Burdooranee Gate.. Shere Ali had been warned of the intended attack, and
hearing a great noise of firing at two other gates, immediately guessed that
that was a feint, and that some mischief was going on at the gate where all was
silent. To that gate therefore he sent a force which arrived in time to prevent
Letter from British agent, datedi9th October isro. an attack taking place. The treacherous
captain then deserted with a hundred
followers. 628 * 630
628. On the 19th October Yacoob was still at Candahar-i-Nadree. With
tv. A , -i him were some 2,000 horse and the same
number of foot, chiefly irregulars and
militia; and he had collected about a lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. of revenue. It was
thought, he intended, to resist the advancing force of Cabulees which was now
fast approaching.
629.
But on the next day, the 20th October, he gave up the game and
Diary ending 27th October. P. H'®. W6St ’ announcing that if he
failed to join over Zumeendawur, he would
go to Toorkistan or the Toorcoman country, and would never desist from raid
ing on Afghanistan. Either on his way, or just before his flight, he fell ill, and
had to be carried in a jampan, command of his force being taken by Shah
Pussund. Noor Mahomed, the order for whose re-call had not yet ar
rived, was sent in pursuit, and found that the men whom Yacoob had sent to
* T r»,, -j.,..., - 1-11 "kt n collect the revenue of Zumeendawur, had
* Letter of the British agent, dated 1st November 1870. , , r« • i . i , , ^
been put to night by the country people.*
630. On the 26th October Yacoob besieged the fort of Girishk, but was
beaten (bJ off and retired to the Gurm Seel, en route to Seistan. Only 2,000
■ + —
(а) The news which Colonel Phayre received was somewhat different, viz. , that Yacoob’s followers had got the best
of it in one or two sharp fights. He heard that the garrison were suffering from want of food, but were encouraged to
hold out by the Ameer’s letters and by news that his force would arrive on the 16th.—[Political Proceedings, February
1871, No. 369.]
(б) Colonel Phayre, however, heard that during his retreat he managed to lead Feramoz on by a feigned flight,
while his troops under Shah Pussund fell on the baggage, burnt it, and cut up the camp followers. [Political Proceed
ings, February 1871, No. 398],