Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎232v] (154/174)

196 CANDAHAR AFFAIRS—DISSENSIONS
BETWEEN SHERE ALI & SUFDER ALI [1870.
704. There were clearly differences between him and Sufdur Ali, the
military commander, for there is the following entry in the diary of 14th April
1870:
“The Ameer has heard that General Sufdur Ali Khan is in the habit of meddling with
the civil administration of Candahar, and His Highness has therefore directed him as follows:
“ You are deputed to Candahar merely to command the troops and to supervise the work-
in^ of the gold mine there, and not to interfere with its (civil) administration.^ You should
therefore occupy yourself with your own duty, and not meddle with the administration of
Candahar at all/
“ A second order has been issued to the address of 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. Shere Ah Khan to the
following effect:
“ You should be attentive to your work yourself, and not to allow any other person to
interfere with the civil administration of your Province. You should realize the whole ot the
outstanding revenue of the past year, and credit it to the Cabul treasury. Should your
attendance at Cabul be necessary, with reference to important matters, you must hrst report
some official of your own set, able to perform your duties m m your absence, and it approved
of he will be appointed (temporarily) in your place, and'you will receive permission to come
to' Cabul for a few days, and to return quickly to Candahar, as, owing to your long sojourn ot
last year in Cabul, the administration of Candahar affairs still remains unsettled/’
“ Some of the enemies of the 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. represent that the management of Candahar
will be withdrawn from him, but from the contents of the above letter of the Arneei,
it appears that in consequence of his (the Sirdar’s) being an adherent ol 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. Abdoollah
Jan, His Highness will kindly allow this Province to remain in bis charge. General bufdar
Ali Khan, who has been directed by the Ameer to work the gold mine in the Candahar ^ ter
ritory, has obtained 400 f miskals’ (goldsmith’s weight, one ‘ miskal’equal to four ^mashas and
f ruttees’) of gold from the above mine during the last few months, and having sent the same
to Cabul, it was received in the toshakanah on the 13th instant.”
705. With regard to this gold mine, in the diary of the 5th August 1870,
there is the following entry :
“ A letter from Sufdur Ali Khan, commanding the troops at Candahar, reports to the
Ameer that the gold mine is being worked as usual; that its income at present suffices only for
the wages of the workmen, but hie continues operations in hope of striking a richer vein.
706. Shere Ali, in compliance with the injunction contained in the above
order, proposed to appoint one Hutteh Khan, Achukzai, as Governor during his
absence, sending him first for approval to Cahul.— [Diary ending May hth.'\ It
does not appear that any thing further was said or done in this matter, or that
Shere Ali did leave his post and come up to Oahul.
707. Apparently in obedience to the Ameer’s orders, Shere Ali now asked
Sufdur Ali to appoint a man on his part to act as coadjutor to the official to
whom he, Shere Ali, committed the collection of the revenue in each mehal
(division) of the Province. But having made the request Shere Ali took no
steps to carry out the arrangement, and committed the task to none hut his own
men. Sufdur Ali represented this to the Ameer, who desired that the arrange
ment should he put in force .—[Diary ending 5th May.\
708. In the month of August the Ameer learned that the accounts of
the Province showed a loss of three lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in the revenue of the past
year, and that Shere Ali had asked for a remission of two lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees during the
current year also. The Ameer therefore
* Diary ending 11th August 1870. off N()or MallOmed Shah to
Candahar with orders to scrutinize the accounts, and to make some dismissals
and new appointments amongst the civil and military officers. The British
agent noted that his appointment was detrimental to Shere Ali, as the two
officers had for a long time been at enmity with each other; and—
“the Khans of Candahar, who had lately come to Cabul to give muster of their force
and obtain barat (order) for their pay, were sent
Diary for the half week ending 15th August 1870.
back to Candahar with Syud Noor Mahomed Shah,
with an order to give muster of their force to the Syud and receive order for their pay frorq
hiin. The Syud was ordered to make reductions in the irregular force of Candahar/’