Tempo:
190 1835-6.
Bost Mu-
hammad looks to-
wards Persia, but still prefers
an English alliance, 1836.
The Kandahar chiefs desirous of English aid. Ranjit Singh en-
deavours to gain over Dost Mu-
hammad.
But the
Amir prefers war, 1836-7.
Hari Singh's designs.
Battle of
Jamrud. 30th April 1837.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, vii
Dost Muhammad suffered much in general estimation by withdrawing from an encounter with the Sikhs. His hopes in the English had not borne fruit, and he was disposed to court Persia; ^ but the connexion was of less political credit and utility than one with the English, and he tried once more to move the GovernorGeneral in his favour. The Sikhs, he said, were faithless, and he was wholly devoted to the interests of the British Government.- The Kandahar brothers, also, being pressed by Shah Kamran of Herat, and unable to obtain aid from Dost Muhammad, made propositions to the English authorities; but Kamran's own apprehensions of Persia soon relieved them of their fears, and they -did not press their solicitations for European aid."- Ranjit Singh, on his part, disliked an English and Afghan alliance, and sought to draw Dost Muhammad within the vortex of his own influence. He gave the Amir vague hopes of obtaining Peshawar, and he asked him to send him some horses, which he had learnt was a sure way of leading others to believe they had won his favour. Dost Muhammad was not unwilling to obtain a hold on Peshawar, even as a tributary, but he felt that the presentation of horses would be declared by the Sikh to refer to Kabul and not to that province.^ The disgrace of his retreat rankled in his mind, and he at last said that a battle must be fought at all risks.'" He was the more inclined to resort to arms, as the Sikhs had sounded his brother, Jabbar Khan, and as Sirdar Hari Singh had occupied the entrance of the Khaibar Pass and entrenched a position at Jamrud, as the basis of his scheme for getting
through the formidable defile.'' The Kabul troops marched and assembled on the eastern side of Khaibar, under the command of Muhammad Akbar Khan,'^ the most warlike of the Amir's sons. An attack was made on the post at Jamrud, on the 30th of April 1837; but the Afghans could not carry it, although they threw the envoys sent to Dost Muhammad on the occasion. The Sikhs are commonly said to have had 80,000 men in the Peshawar valley at this time. 1 Capt. Wade to Government, 23rd Feb. 1836. Dost Muhammad's overtures to Persia seem to have commenced in Sept. 1835. -'Capt. Wade to Government, 19th July 1836. Capt. Wade to Government, 9th March 1836. 4 Capt. Wade to Government, 12th April 1837. Capt. Wade to Government, 1st May 1837. cCapt. Wade to Government, 13th Jan. 1837. " [Afterwards the murderer of Sir W. Macnaghten and the chief actor in the tragedy of the retreat from Kabul (1842). •<
•'">
—
Ed."|
Bost Mu-
hammad looks to-
wards Persia, but still prefers
an English alliance, 1836.
The Kandahar chiefs desirous of English aid. Ranjit Singh en-
deavours to gain over Dost Mu-
hammad.
But the
Amir prefers war, 1836-7.
Hari Singh's designs.
Battle of
Jamrud. 30th April 1837.
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
chap, vii
Dost Muhammad suffered much in general estimation by withdrawing from an encounter with the Sikhs. His hopes in the English had not borne fruit, and he was disposed to court Persia; ^ but the connexion was of less political credit and utility than one with the English, and he tried once more to move the GovernorGeneral in his favour. The Sikhs, he said, were faithless, and he was wholly devoted to the interests of the British Government.- The Kandahar brothers, also, being pressed by Shah Kamran of Herat, and unable to obtain aid from Dost Muhammad, made propositions to the English authorities; but Kamran's own apprehensions of Persia soon relieved them of their fears, and they -did not press their solicitations for European aid."- Ranjit Singh, on his part, disliked an English and Afghan alliance, and sought to draw Dost Muhammad within the vortex of his own influence. He gave the Amir vague hopes of obtaining Peshawar, and he asked him to send him some horses, which he had learnt was a sure way of leading others to believe they had won his favour. Dost Muhammad was not unwilling to obtain a hold on Peshawar, even as a tributary, but he felt that the presentation of horses would be declared by the Sikh to refer to Kabul and not to that province.^ The disgrace of his retreat rankled in his mind, and he at last said that a battle must be fought at all risks.'" He was the more inclined to resort to arms, as the Sikhs had sounded his brother, Jabbar Khan, and as Sirdar Hari Singh had occupied the entrance of the Khaibar Pass and entrenched a position at Jamrud, as the basis of his scheme for getting
through the formidable defile.'' The Kabul troops marched and assembled on the eastern side of Khaibar, under the command of Muhammad Akbar Khan,'^ the most warlike of the Amir's sons. An attack was made on the post at Jamrud, on the 30th of April 1837; but the Afghans could not carry it, although they threw the envoys sent to Dost Muhammad on the occasion. The Sikhs are commonly said to have had 80,000 men in the Peshawar valley at this time. 1 Capt. Wade to Government, 23rd Feb. 1836. Dost Muhammad's overtures to Persia seem to have commenced in Sept. 1835. -'Capt. Wade to Government, 19th July 1836. Capt. Wade to Government, 9th March 1836. 4 Capt. Wade to Government, 12th April 1837. Capt. Wade to Government, 1st May 1837. cCapt. Wade to Government, 13th Jan. 1837. " [Afterwards the murderer of Sir W. Macnaghten and the chief actor in the tragedy of the retreat from Kabul (1842). •<
•'">
—
Ed."|
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