This book/document provides a brief account of the history
of Afghanistan and its people. It gives a special mention to the continuing
crisis with Amir Sher Ali Khan of Afghanistan. The author tries to show that
Afghanistan is unable to maintain its independence as a friendly neighbor without
British support. He holds this view in reference to the aggressive policy of
the Russians.
Bellew traces history of Afghans during the time of the
Mughal rule in India. He espouses that in the latter half of the seventeenth
century the Mughal Empire in India and the Saffavi in Persia were weakening the
Afghans made many attempts to throw off the Mughals.
Nadir Shah is presented as a ‘Turkman bandit’ by the author,
who overran Persia with his hordes of slave hunting robbers. Upon Nadir Shah’s
death one of his Afghan generals named Sardar Ahmad Khan too over Nadir Shah’s
position. Ahmad Khan crowned himself as the King of the Durrani, with the title
Ahmad Shah. These events occurred in about 1747. From this date commences the
history of Afghanistan as an independent kingdom. Ahmad Shah’s eldest son Tymur
succeeded to the throne. With the death of Tymur in 1793 the downfall of the
Durrani empire became complete. The Barakzai rose to power in 1818 after a
period of turmoil.
An infringement of Afghan territory by the Persians led to
the declaration war against Persia by the British government, and the
conclusion of a treaty between government of India and the Amir of Kabul signed
at Peshawar in January 1857. Back then Dost Muhammad Khan was the Amir of
Kabul. Sher Ali in 1875 had thrown over the English to try Russian friendship.
Bellew makes the argument that Sher Ali in the blindness of his ambition and
the excess of his pride ignored the benefits he received from the British government.
He further adds the material support by the British on successive occasions of
domestic peril, there would not have been a united Afghanistan without the help
of the British Empire.
Bellew states that twice Herat was rescued by the Persians
by force of arms which involved millions of money and thousands of lives. Moreover,
he emphasizes that thirty thousand muskets and two batteries of rifled artillery
were provided. Training of drill-instructors and officers, provision of skilled
artisans for gun-cap and arms manufacturers were made. In addition, dozens of
exiled members of Sher Ali were sheltered.
The author raises a question ‘what has the Amir done for us in return
for these concessions and favors.’ In return Sher Ali shut up his country to
the British Empire. He not only closed roads to the British but also refused to
answer letters addressed to him by the Viceroy.
On rejection of a friendly British Mission by the Amir, the
use of force by the government of India was the only available alternative. The
author considers that Amir Sher Ali is indebted to the British government for
the possession and retention of Kandahar, Herat and Balkh. He opines that the
government of India was entering Afghanistan with the pretext of only providing
internal security and order but also to provide for the safety of its frontiers
against external aggression and intrigue.
Further in the book the Bellew discusses Khan of Kalat, the
rule of Sikhs, Amir of Bukhara and the Amir of Kabul. In the last quarter of
the book the author briefly explains the different races inhabiting
Afghanistan. Different territories are described. The name of origin of such
territories are debated. Various tribes among the Pukhtuns, Turks, Hazaras and
Tajiks are also discussed.
In the concluding paragraph of the book Bellew explains how
he believes that Afghanistan would have never been able to maintain any degree
of security as an independent kingdom without external sources of aid-either by
military expeditions as in the time of Saddozai, or by diplomatic negotiations
as in the time of Barakzais.
The author considers an error on behalf of the British
Empire in trusting a ‘barbarous and
untrustworthy neighbor’ pointing directly to Amir Sher Ali Khan’s rule.
