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142
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VI
During the same year, 1818, Fateh Khan, the Kabul Wazir, was put to death by Kamran, the son of Mahmud, the nominal ruler. He had gone to Herat to repel an attack of the Persians, and he was accompanied by his brother, Dost Muhammad, who again death, 1818. had among his followers a Sikh chief, Jai Singh Atariwala, who had left the Punjab in displeasure. Fateh Khan was successful, and applause was freely bestowed upon his measures; but he wished to place Herat, then held by a member of Aiimad Shah's family, within his own grasp, and Dost Muhammad and his Sikh .ally wer© employed to eject and despoil the prince-governors Dost Muhammad effected his purpose somewhat rudely, the person of a royal lady was touchisd in the eagerness of the riflers to secure her jewels, and Kamran made this affront offered to a sister a pretext for getting rid of the man who from the stay had become the tyrant of his family. Fateh Khan was first blinded and then murdered; and the crime saved Herat, indeed, to Ahmad Shah's heirs, but deprived them for a time, and now perhaps for ever, of the rest of his possessions. Muhammad Azim Khan hastened from Kashmir, which he left in charge of Muhammad Jabbar Khan, another of the many brothers. He at Azim profirst thought of reinstating Shah Shuja, but he at last claims Shah proclaimed Shah Ayub as king, and in a few months Ayub. he was master of Peshawar and Ghazni, of Kabul and Kandahar. This change of rulers favoured, if it did Ranjit Singh not justify, the views of Ranjit Singh, and towards the end of 1818 he crossed the Indus and entered Peshawar, marches to Peshawar, which was evacuated on his approach. But it did not suit his purposes, at the time, to endeavour to retain the district; he garrisoned Khairabad, which lies on the right bank of the river, so as to command the passage for the future, and then retired, placing Jahan Dad Khan, his old ally of Attock, in possession of Peshawar which he makes over itself, to hold it as he could by his own means. The to Jahan Barakzai governor, Yar Muhammad Khan, returned as Dad Khan, soon as Ranjit Singh had gone, and the powerless 1818. Jahan Dad made no attempt to defend his gift.^ 1818-19.
Fateh Khan, Wazir of Kabul, put to
Ranjit Singh intent upon
Kashmir.
Ranjit Singh's thoughts were now directed towards the annexation of Kashmir, the garrison of which had been reduced by the withdrawal of some good troops 1 Cf. Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 117, 120; Shah Shuja's 'Autobiography', chap, xxvii; and Munshi Mohan Lai, Life of
Dost Muhammad, i. 99,
104.
Capt. Murray (p. 131) places the defection of Jai Singh of Atari in the year 1822; but cf. also Mr. Masson, Travels, iii. 21, 32, in support of the earlier date assigned.
142
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
CHAP. VI
During the same year, 1818, Fateh Khan, the Kabul Wazir, was put to death by Kamran, the son of Mahmud, the nominal ruler. He had gone to Herat to repel an attack of the Persians, and he was accompanied by his brother, Dost Muhammad, who again death, 1818. had among his followers a Sikh chief, Jai Singh Atariwala, who had left the Punjab in displeasure. Fateh Khan was successful, and applause was freely bestowed upon his measures; but he wished to place Herat, then held by a member of Aiimad Shah's family, within his own grasp, and Dost Muhammad and his Sikh .ally wer© employed to eject and despoil the prince-governors Dost Muhammad effected his purpose somewhat rudely, the person of a royal lady was touchisd in the eagerness of the riflers to secure her jewels, and Kamran made this affront offered to a sister a pretext for getting rid of the man who from the stay had become the tyrant of his family. Fateh Khan was first blinded and then murdered; and the crime saved Herat, indeed, to Ahmad Shah's heirs, but deprived them for a time, and now perhaps for ever, of the rest of his possessions. Muhammad Azim Khan hastened from Kashmir, which he left in charge of Muhammad Jabbar Khan, another of the many brothers. He at Azim profirst thought of reinstating Shah Shuja, but he at last claims Shah proclaimed Shah Ayub as king, and in a few months Ayub. he was master of Peshawar and Ghazni, of Kabul and Kandahar. This change of rulers favoured, if it did Ranjit Singh not justify, the views of Ranjit Singh, and towards the end of 1818 he crossed the Indus and entered Peshawar, marches to Peshawar, which was evacuated on his approach. But it did not suit his purposes, at the time, to endeavour to retain the district; he garrisoned Khairabad, which lies on the right bank of the river, so as to command the passage for the future, and then retired, placing Jahan Dad Khan, his old ally of Attock, in possession of Peshawar which he makes over itself, to hold it as he could by his own means. The to Jahan Barakzai governor, Yar Muhammad Khan, returned as Dad Khan, soon as Ranjit Singh had gone, and the powerless 1818. Jahan Dad made no attempt to defend his gift.^ 1818-19.
Fateh Khan, Wazir of Kabul, put to
Ranjit Singh intent upon
Kashmir.
Ranjit Singh's thoughts were now directed towards the annexation of Kashmir, the garrison of which had been reduced by the withdrawal of some good troops 1 Cf. Murray, Ranjit Singh, pp. 117, 120; Shah Shuja's 'Autobiography', chap, xxvii; and Munshi Mohan Lai, Life of
Dost Muhammad, i. 99,
104.
Capt. Murray (p. 131) places the defection of Jai Singh of Atari in the year 1822; but cf. also Mr. Masson, Travels, iii. 21, 32, in support of the earlier date assigned.
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