تمرد محمد يعقوب خان [و‎‎٢‎١‎٩] (١٧٤/١٢٧)

1870. ]
yacoob’s siege oe candahar.
169
to tlieir homes. There was, however, another infantry remmeof in
fort itself, and although Yacoob wrote to them through the Colonel ^
they stuck to their allegiance, so that he had to go on to try his for
tune at Candahar. On the way he plundered travellers and took sunnlies
forcibly, thereby causing much dissatisfaction among the people It was
on the 8th September reported, that if he failed in Candahar and Herat he
would throw himself into the arms of Persia w which had shewn him favoui-
once before.
620. Eeramoz arrived from Toorkistan on the 19th September. Almost his
* Diary ending 25th. September. hist act W as to £6t the Ameer to forgive 5 ^
Daood Shah and the men of the Toorkis
tan force who had been put in confinement for opposition to Alum, lie also
t Diary ending 29th September. ^ ot the Ameer to releasef Dewan Nanuk
Chand, the former Governor of Toorkis
tan, who had all this time been imprisoned on account of his misappropriations
of revenue and Government property. Preparations were at once made for
sending Peramoz on with a strong force to Candahar; hut his departure was
deferred till the arrival of TJslum from Khost, for the Ameer had determined
not to let him go without the presence of the counsellor who knew all his
mind. Meantime arrears of pay were distributed among the troops which
were to form the expedition. This time
they received their arrears in fullj
too, arrived on the 27th September,
and on the 28th Peramoz made a starts
with seven infantry and five cavalry
of artillery. This force was to he joined at
Sydahad by the regular troops which had accompanied Uslum to Khost
at Mookur, by the regulars with Ursulla Khan on Zoormut, and at
Ghuznee by Uslum’s levies. He went to Lohgurd to bring them up by
that route. Ahmed Ali, son of the Ameer’s first-born Mohamed Ali, was to
remain behind, and, after collecting Cabul irregular troops and Kohistanee
and Ghilzai militia, to follow to Candahar.
t Letter from British Agent, dated 27tli September.
without any deductions. TJslum,
§ Letter from British Agent, dated 28th September.
regiments, and five batteries
621. Meanwhile, the Ameer had been much distressed by the meagre
ness of the reports of what was going on in Candahar. Yacoob was in
fact encamped and entrenched in Candahar-N adiree (the site to which
Nadir Shah had tried to transport the Candaharees), and made commu
nication between the city and Cabul precarious. He gathered under him a
body of 5 or 6,000 Barukzais and Jildhees, another tribe about Candaliar ;
collected the revenue from the country; intercepted the supply of provisions,
thus making them very* dear indeed in
* Letter from British Agent, dated 1st October. Candahar; and was daily joined by two
t Diary ending 3 rd October. or three men from Candahar. He made
an attemptf through Shah Pussund Khan
to gain over an entire Candaharee cavalry regiment, which had been sum
moned in from Giriskk, and succeeded so far as the commandant was con
cerned; hut Noor Mahomed Khan, son of Sirdar Shere Ali, the Governor of
(a) “ May Mahomed Sudeek Khan, all captains, subadars, jemadars, and soldiers (meaning at Kulat Ghilzai) enjoy
sound health, and after this (blessing) may it be known (to them) that as I consider yon my partisans (or sympathi
sers) in all grievances, I think it necessary to inform you of my real feelings. In consequence of my being a Dooranee
and a Mahomedan, and ashamed (or put to shame), 1 swear to God that I have hitherto had no further intention than
to go to Candahar, and, so long as I live, I hope I shall never see the Ameer. Syud Noor Mahomed Shah has. been
Sent through me to Candahar, and I receive letters every day from Candahar requesting me to reach there quickly.
You should attentively consider that, had I intended to go to any other place, such as Herat, why should I not nave
started via Hazarajat, and what was the use of my implicating you; but as I consider you my co-sharers in an amic-
tions, and as I desire to proceed to Candahar merely to afford redress to Dooranees and other Mahometans, 1 warn you to
choose either of these two courses, viz., to accompany me at once, or, in spite of your being called Dooranees co
shame on yourselves and be plundered. It is my duty to inform you on this matter. By the help ol ^oci, ^anuanar
has doubtless sided with me, and, as for other countries, I have to state that I entertain veiy vas tesi 0 n
unlimited kindness continues.”— [Diary ending Ibih September lb/0.]
{b) “ All anxiety on this account was, however, removed by the telegrams from the British Minister at Teheran,
dated 28th and 29th September, saying that no favor would he shown to Yacoob if he sought retuge in rersia.