Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎203r] (95/174)

1870. ] BOKHARA MAKES OVERTURES EOR AN ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND. 13/
Hamicl Khan Surteep, as Alum’s emissary, took the
Sheredil Khan at the Court of Bokhara.
place
of Shahgassee
cn 5 r?Vi° n tLe ?° th Is 1 0Vember Abd ° o1 Kureem, Toksaba, with Shah^assee
Sberedil Khan went secretly to the house of the British agent, and confided
to him that he was in charge of a letter to the Commissioner of Peshawu tho
object of which was to open communications with the British Government'nnd
to suggest that the British Government should secretlv depute to Bokhara an
agent to supply information on matters there. He was in charge too of a
letter from the King of Bokhara to the Ameer, informing him of the other
letter to the British authorities, which, if the Ameer thought fit, should he
transmitted to them, and the Bokhara envoy verbally told the British a^ent
that his master dreaded the unavoidable interference of the Russians with his
affairs, and would prefer the alliance of the English, who had never shewn any
desire to meddle in the disturbances of his country ; that it had lately been
agreed between the Russians and Bokharians that the territories in occupation of
the two parties should so remain for fifteen years, after which each was autho
rized to do what he liked; that the Russian Government had, on the occasion of
the visit of the Bokharian Prince to St. Petersburg, ostensibly remitted the
annual tribute ol 120,000 Tillas (£78,000), but that everybody knew this was
a postponement of the day of exaction; that the reason why the Russians had
made over the management of Shuhr-i-Subz to the King was (1) that with no
more than 10,000 troops in Tashkund they could not hold it themselves; (2)
that the revenue of the tract did not exceed 30,000 Tillas (£19,500) ; that the
King’s troops amounted to 10,000 infantry and 1,000 artillery, besides cavalry
levies, lastly, that he intended in a couple of d^ys to lay before the Ameer the
application with which he was charged.—[Letter from Colonel Pollock
No. ■319—2002, dated 28th November, S. I., 1870, No. 503.]
In effect, on the 20th November, the Bokhara envoy did produce the letters
with which he was charged at an audience with the Ameer.—[Letter from
Colonel Pollock, No. 321—2018, dated 1st December, S. I., 1870, No. 505.]
The Ameer was at first disposed to send on all the letters, but on reflec
tion decided that it was better not to do so, as their tone in speaking of the
Russians was insolent; and if they were sent on, their contents might be
divulged with most evil results to both Afghanistan and Bokhara.—[Letter
from Colonel Pollock, without No. or date, S. I., 1870, No. 50o.] He
therefore returned the letters to the envoy and let him know that he would
first sound the British authorities as to their willingness to enter into friendly
relations with Bokhara. The envoy then communicated again with the British
agent, and announced his intention of again paying him a secret visit.—[Letter
from Colonel Pollock, without No. or date, S. I., 1870, No. 506 A.] The
Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab had already represented by telegram of
the 10th December the inexpediency of allowing the British agent to receive
this or any other foreign envoy secretly, as such action would give colour to
any representation on the part of the Russian authorities that the British
agent was intriguing with the Bokhara Chief. And on the 12th the Lieutenant-
Governor was requested by telegram to prohibit the British agent at Cabul
from receiving secret visits from foreign vakeels, and tell him that his conduct
in regard to the reception of the Bokhara vakeel was disapproved. And in a
letter of the same date (No. 2169P, dated 12th December, S. I., 1870, No. 509)
the Lieutenant-Governor was requested to inform the Ameer, by the hand of a
special messenger, that the Viceroy entirely approved his wise and prudent pro
ceedings with regard to the communications from the King of Bokhara, reference
being made to the advice repeatedly given him to maintain an attitude of
friendliness, but of absolute non-interference towards neighbouring powers, and
especially towards the King of Bokhara; that while cultivating relations of
friendship with that power, his wisest course was to tell the King in plain terms
that the state of his own dominions demanded his constant care, so that he could
not enter upon any course which would involve his being mixed up in the affairs