Rebellion of Mohammad Yaqub Khan [‎236r] (161/174)

BOKHARA NBWS—POLITICAL.
20B
Diary ending 3rd October 1870.
1870-71. j BOKHARA NKWS—POLITICAL. 208
statedto'that— letter reCeiTed 0n tlle lltl1 Jul y from Stabgassee Sherdil Khan
“From seven hundred to one thousand Russians, who were encamped in Bund-i-
Diary ending 11 tb July 1870. Sekunder, a very hilly and difficult place, were
, . , , attacked by the people of Kashgar and Muchaka
mountaineers; about 300 of them were killed, and tbe remaining troops took flio-ht to
Samarkund. ,J 6
He said that there were in Samarkand about 17 or 18,000 Russian troops.
786. The accounts of the Russian operations against Shuhr-i-Suhz, in the
diaries of September, do not differ from those received through Tashkund. When
* Diary ending 3rd October. the Russians made over the Province to
the Ameer of Bokhara, he set Yacoob
Anak* over it as Governor.
The Meer of Shuhr-i-Subz took flight to Kokund, but was there arrested
by the inhabitants and taken to Tashkund.— \I)iary ending \Qth November].
737. On the 3rd October intelligence came which Hamid Khan, Surteep,
then in Bokhara, had gathered from the envoy (Khivan envoy ?) in Bok
hara, that the “ Russian* troops having ar
rived in Koomrie, in the Oorgunj (Khiva)
territory, constructed a cantonment, also 12 steamers, and, after starting with
their artillery in these steamers, arrived in the vicinity of Oorgunj. The peo
ple of Oorgunj opposed them, and destroyed nine of the above steamers, and
the Russians retired with the remaining ones. The Emperor, on receiving this
information, sent a new Governor on this duty.”
738. March 16^, 1871.—
“ A few people 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. Sekunder Khan represented to the Ameer that the Russians
have constructed a bridge over the river between Almaty and Kashghar, that about 3,000 troops
have lately arrived in Tashkund from St. Petersburg, and 3 or 4,000 families having reached
from different places in Russia have come to reside in Tashkund, also that the Russians intend
to proceed to Oorgunj (Khiva).
“A merchant reports that last year during the course of his friendly conversation with the
(civil) Secretary at Tashkund, he (the Secretary) told him that after locating their troops in
Charjooi and after the conquest of Oorgunj, Surkhus, and Murroo Shah Jehan (Merv), the
Russians would attack Herat after about eight years.”
739. On the 28th March a merchant from Bokhara reported to Shere Ali
that there had been a dispute between the Ameer and the Russians owing to
the former having refused a request of the latter for leave to establish a canton
ment at Ch&rjooi.
740. In a letter received in Cabul on the 6th April, Alum wrote that one
of his emissaries to Samarkand had returned and reported that the—
“ Russians had entirely stopped the export of grain from their empire to Bokhara.
“ The King sent an agent with a letter to them, and wrote— f You say you are my friends,
but you have prevented "the export of grain to my kingdom. See what policy the British
authorities entertain towards the Ameer of Afghanistan, and how do you treat me/ The
Russians said, in reply as follows : f How can we adopt a similar policy towards you, as you
have not acted with us in the same way as the Ameer has done towards the British Govern
ment We established Makaria fair in Tashkund, and asked you to attend and to visit the
Goobernatt, and then return to Bokhara; but you did not come; while, on the contrary, the
Ameer of Afghanistan went to Umballa to see the English authorities, and in return tor this
advance of his, they did nothing equivalent. Besides, the Ameer has regular troops and a rich
kingdom, and is numbered among the powerful rulers, while your country is only Ooloos (dis
connected tribes.)*”
/ n m - £ i „ -tTorm'a Khan Surteep, from information be picked up on tbe Oxus (diary of 14tb
™ ^ ^ “
caused tbe Russians loss (some 200 at least bad been kil e )>
' 1 ■ i- >