Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎226r] (141/174)

1871. ]
S'ALL OF HERAT.
183
fi,£5. ““ th * ■~“ 1 ' ” l » “wflttlS-LI
. 668. By tins time, too, encouraging letters came from Feramoz and TJslnm
•who both wrote in the most sanguine spirit that the defence of Herat was we 1
■provided for, and provisions cheap that Yacoob’s affairs were in a very bid Jly !
* Diary ending 7th May 1871. an( ^ WD^ld probably* Hike to flight
Vi ™ A . . ' ' ' , before the Cabul army reached Herat • -Hint
the Char Aimak tribes were holding aloof, and the troops who had deserted to
t Diary ending isth May 1871, him, were now desertingf him for their
homes, more especially since the date of the
successful sortie of the 17th April.
669, Feramoz had left Candahar for Herat on the 13th April,*' but expected
# Diary ending 24 th April 1871. ^ somewhat delayed in carrying his
.151 • ri i i i.i, force to the right bank of the Helmund
which was in flood, and on which there were but two or three small boats. Never
theless, he reached Ginshk on the 21st, and Furrah on the 5th May.
670. Arriving there he was, he said, met by letters from the Chiefs of the
Achukzais, Noorzyes, and Alazais about Furrah, declaring their devotion; and
blew away from* guns Muhammed Bakir
and Maasum Khan, Yacoob’s Governors of
Anardurrah and Killahgah.
He* was to march from Furrah at once,
and had with him—
* Diary ending 18th May 1871.
Diary ending 11th May 1871.
( 1 ) Eight infantry regiments of 600 men each;
(2) Seven cavalry „ of 400 „
(3) Four batteries of mule and horse artillery ;
and he was to be joined at once by rein-,
forcements* from Tezeen.
671. _ On the same day that Feramoz arrived at Furrah (May 5th), Uslum
reached Girishk, whence he was about to proceed at once to join the Commander-
in-Chief.
* Diary ending 15th May 1871.
672. Nevertheless at the time when Yacoob’s cause appeared again depressed,
a dozen men of one of the Heratee regiments at Cabul had fled across the hills
towards Herat. . The horsemen sent, out to arrest them failed to do so, but the
men were seized in the mountains of Huzara before they could reach Herat.
673. And now came the news of the fall of Herat, first reported ta the
Government of India by the Political Superintendent of the Upper Frontier of
* Diary ending isth May 1871. ? ind . re P or ted to the Ameer by Alum*
from loorkistan, and then confirmed by the
detailed accounts from Uslum.
The city was taken cm the 6th May according to Uslum, The account which
he sent to his brother, Hoossein Khan, was as follows:
<c When Yacoob invested Herat, he was joined by the Char-eimab, Ferozekohee, Taimunnee
and other tribes of Huzara. On the 5th May, by the afternoon, scaling ladders and all
requisites were conveyed close to the fort. The garrison were so careless that they had not
even sentries on the towers that flanked the walls.
Letter from 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. Uslum Khan, to British Agent at During the night the rebel force collected under the
. Cabul, dated 22nd May 1871. walls and made their attack at day-break, taking
(<x) The very reverse was the case; but a letter from General Sikundur Khan in Herat to Feramoz certainly
■said that there was no lack of grain, and that Futteh Mahommed every week sent the troops a cow, or a horse, or a camel
to eat. They could, Sikundur Khan wrote, hold out for six months.—[Enclosure in British Agent’s letter of 20th May.]