ملف ٣٩٣٩/١٩٢٦ الجزء ٤ "المنشورات: تنقيح معاهدات أيتشيسون: القسم المتعلق بأفغانستان." [و‎‎٢‎٥‎٧] (٣٧٠/٩٧)

PART II.
Treaties and Engagements
relating to
Afghanistan.
A T the beginning of the nint^eenth century the Durani Kmpire,
extending from Herat to Kashmir and from Balkh to Sina, which
had been built up by Ahmad Shah Abdali, remained undivided in the
hands of his grandson Zaman Shah. Having incurred the enmity of
the powerful Barakzai tribe, Zaman Shah was deposed and blinded by
his half-brother Mahmud, who was supported by Fateh Khan and the
Barakzais. He eventually died a pensioner of the British Government
at Ludhiana. In 1803 Shah Mahmud was driven out by Shuja-ul-Mulk,
the younger brother of Zaman Shah \ and Shah Shuja as still in pos
session of the undivided empire of Ahmad Shah at the time of Mr.
Elphinstone’s mission in 1808.
This mission w’as sent for the purpose of concerting with Shah Shuja
the means of mutual defence against the threatened invasion of Afgha
nistan and India by the French in confederacy with the Persians. The
mission was well received at Peshawar by Shah Shuja, and resulted in
the conclusion of a Treaty of alliance (No. I) in 1809. It was under
stood that the stipulations of the second article rendered it incumbent
on the British Government to assist Shah Shuja only in the event of an
attack by the French and Persians for the purpose of fulfilling the
terms of their confederacy, but not if Persia alone should invade Afgha
nistan without such a purpose, or in consequence of former enmity oi
recent disputes.
Mr. Elphinstone had scarcely left Peshawar when news was received
that Kabul had been occupied by Shah Mahmud with the aid of Fate
Khan In 1816, after wandering about for some years, the sport of
fortune, now a captive in Kashmir, now the prisoner of Ranj it Singh
at Lahore, Shah Shuja found an asylum in British territory at Ludhiana.
In the meantime Fateh Khan Barakzai, who was the chief support
of Shah Mahmud’s power, incurred his jealousy, and was blinded am