The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-09 00:00:00

PERSIA AND THE EAST.

(From the Asiatic Journal for November.)
A sketch of the political state of Affghanistan will furnish a
key to the measures about to be pursued by Lord Auckland
and his Council, and will explain the policy of these measures,
which seems to be in some quarters misunderstood.
When the Hon. M. Elphinstone visited the Court of
Cabul, in 1808, the throne of that kingdom (a portion only of
the once extensive empire of Affghanistan) was occupied by
Shah Shooja-001-Moolk, then about thirty years of age, of
whose character Mr. Elphinstone gave a favourable represen-
tation. In the succeeding year, soon after the British Embassy
had left the country, Shah Shooja lost his kingdom through the
treachery of his Vizier, Futteh Khan, head of the powerful fa-
mily of the Barukzyes, who placed Shooja's brother Mahmood
on the throne of Cabul. The Court soon after became the
theatre of factions; Prince Kamran, the son -of Shah Mah-
mood, indignant at the influence exercised by Futteh Khan
over his father, plotted his downfal. The Shah of Persia had
at this time demanded tribute from Herat, situated on its
western frontier, and Futteh Khan, on pretext of aiding its
Governor, a brother of Shah Mahmood, marched thither, beat off
the Persians, made himself master of the fortress of Herat and
usurped the government. On his return, Prince Kamran
worked upon his weak father to sanction the putting Futteh
Khan to death, which was done with circumstances of great
cruelty and indignity, and the consequence was, that the fa-
mily of the Barukzyes were driven into rebellion. This was
in 1818. Shah Mahmood was soon expelled from his insecure
seat, and fled to Herat, where he died in 1829 ; his son Kam-
ran succeeding to this fragment of his power. Meanwhile,
Shah Shooja, after many narrow escapes, having been placed
under restraint and plundered by Runjeet Sing, had obtained
an asylum in British India. On the exile of Shah Mahmood,
he was recalled by Azeem Khan, the brother of Futteh, and
head of the Barukzyes ; but this family being offended by
some act of Shooja, they abandoned their first design, and filled
the throne with his brother Ayoob, who was, however, a mere
tool in the hands of Azeem Khan. Civil war had now ex-
hausted Affghanistan, and several of its provinces had fallen
into the possession of Runjeet Sing, who, after the battle
of Noushero, in 1823, established his power eastward of the
Indus, and between that river and Peshawur, on its western
bank. The success of Runjeet preyed upon the mind and
health of Azeem Khan. He died, and in his last moments
charged his son, who succeeded to his influence over the
puppet monarch of Cabul, to hold no friendship with the
ruler of the Punjab, but to carry fire and sword into his
territories. Discord and anarchy followed the death of
Azeem Khan ; his sou was expelled by his uncles, who seized
upon the different provinces of Cabul. Shere Dil Khan
established himself at Candahar; Sooltan Mahomed Khan,
with his two brothers, Peer Mahomed Khan and Saed Ma-
homed Khan, possessed themselves of Peshawur, and Cabul,
after having several masters, came under the control of
Dost Mahomed Khan. Political jealousy bad sowed the
seeds of everlasting discord between the brothers. The
puppet king, Ayoob, was ejected from Cabul, and fled into
the Punjab, where he was received and kept as a valuable
deposit by Runjeet Sing, who could promote his political
schemes by alternately negociating with the two fugitive
monarchs, Shooja and Ayoob, or with either of the Barukzye
chiefs; and by intrigue as much as by his arms, he has
confirmed his authority west of the Indus, possessed himself
of the valuable province of Cashmere, and obtained the vir-
tual dominion of Peshawur, Sooltan Mahomed Khan being
a tributary of the Sikh Raja. The chiefs of Cabul and
Peshawur are at direct enmity; the latter had an ally in
his brother at Candahar, and both were more than sus-
pected of a design upon Cabul. The whole of the Barukzye
family, however, concur in an equal dread of Shah Sooja
(who has been a resident at Loodiana, under British protec-
tion) and of Prince Kamran of Herat, both of whom have
preferable though conflicting claims to their possessions.
It will now be easy to understand the object and policy of the
measures adopted by our Indian Government. The Chief
of Cabul, Dost Mahomed Khan, whether through Russian
influence, or a desire to fortify himself against the enmity
of his brothers and of the Sikhs, joined the Persians in
their attack upon Herat, and advised that the troops of
Persia and Cabul should march upon the Indus. The ruler
of Herat, Shah Kamran, as he now terms himself, having
defeated the Shah of Persia, who relinquished his enter-
prize against him, and being joined by the Uzbeks and
other tribes, is strong enough to try for the recovery of the
crown of Cabul. The ulterior views of the actual chief of
that place, and of the Prince of Herat, with respect to the
territories east of the Indus, are sufficiently well known
from the representations of Col. Burnes) to render it highly
inexpedient, on our part, or that of the sovereign of the
Punjab, to permit the success of either ; accordingly, a
treaty has been concluded between the British and Sikh
Governments on the one part, and Shah Shooja, the de-
throned sovereign of Cabul on the other, to restore this
Prince to his rightful power. The British troops, therefore,
nterAffghanistan not as principals in the war, but, jointly
illthe Sikhs, as auxiliaries of the legitimate King of Cabul.
The influence which Russia has had in producing this state
things is not apparent. The ambition of Dost Mahomed
Khan, and his hatred of Runjeet Sing, against whom he has
endeavoured to excite the British Government, are sufficient to
account for the part he has taken ; and with respect to Prince
Kamran, he must regard Russia, the ally of his enemy the Per-
sian King, as his foe. That the Russian Envoy supplanted
C,aptain (now Colonel) Burnes at Cabul is true ; but the
jealousy of British influence there is pardonable.
Dort Mahomed Khan, the chief of Cabul, is described by
Captain Burnes as an accomplished and intelligent person, of
good talents for government. The Affghans are a sober, steady
and simple people, but idle. They entertain a deep-rooted anti-
pathy to the Sikhs. Cabul is enclosed by high rocky hills; the
Bala Hisser, which commands the city, stands on a narrow neck
of land, about 150 feet above the level country. Captain Burnes
represents this fort as " a poor, irregular, and dilapidated forti-
ffication, which could never withstand an escalade." The walls
of the city are in ruins. Dost Mahomed Khan's cbiefship ex-
Wilds north to the Hindoo Koosh and Bameen, west to the
bill country of the Huzaras, south to Ghuzni, and east half-
way to Pesbawur. Tha country is mountainous and strong,
though it has good roads through it. His military force, when
Captain Burnes visited Cabul, in 1832, consisted of 9,000
Morse, well mounted and accoutred, 2,000 infantry, besides
asexiliaries and village troops, and fourteen guns.
'he chief of Peshawur is a well-educated man, of good ta-
lents, and supposed to be favourably disposed towards the
British. His military strength is unimportant and he is at the
mercy of the Sikhs.
The preseel ruler of Candahar is Cohun Dil Khan, a man
of singular character, resembling his brother Futteh Khan,
but morose as well as• cruel. His military force is 9,000 horse
(which he could easily increase, as the city is situated near
the native seat of the Barukzye family) and six pieces of ar-
tillery. His oppression has rendered his government unpopular.
The Prince of Herat, till his recent success lifted him into
importance, had but little power, and was falling into a depen-
dence on Persia. His revenue is large, Herat being situated
in a very fertile country, which enabled him to keep up a
force of about 4,000 or 5,000 men, He is represented as
clinging to the hope of re-establishing the monarchy of his
father ; but he had no political connexions, and has the cha-
racter of a cruel tyrant, destitute of friends, and odious to his
countrymen.
From this description of the condition of the country against
which the movements of the Anglo-Indian army are directed,
.and of its chiefs, it is evident that the re-establishment of
.Shah Shooja in Cabul, the population of which is represented
-to be favourably disposed towards us, would erect another im-
-Tenant outwork of our Eastern empire, which would fully
counterbalance the loss of influence in Persia, end provide for
an v contingencies that may happen on the death of Runjeet
Siiita. Captain Burnes remarks, that had circumstances
brought us into an alliance with Cabul instead of Persia, we
might i:ave now possessed more trusty and useful allies nearer
home, titan we can boast of in that country, at a tenth of the
expense.
We observe that Sinde, formerly a dependency of Cabul,
bas applied for a British force.
The resolution of the allies of Shah Shooja seems to have
been taken prior to the defeat of the Persians before Herat,
and in contemplation of the fall of that place to the Shah of
Persia. The change of circumstances has, however, only
altered the direction of the march of the army, which will be
to Candahar (whose chief has identified his interests with those
of his brother at Cabul), instead of Herat.
Some movements on the part of Nepaul have excited alarm at
Calcutta, hiving been connected with the state of affairs to the
westward ; but it turns out that the eruption of the Ghoorkas
into the Sikkim territory was a false rumour, and that the
etnbassy from the court of Nepaul was intended for Shah
Shooja, our ally, net for Dost Mahomed Khan or Runjeet
Sing. The motions of the Nepaulese, no doubt, require to
be vigilantly watched. It is stated that a large body of their
troops occupy their mountain-passes, ready to advance into
our territories.

Our relations with Burmah remain in the same equivocal
position as before; but Colonel Benson, a man of firmness
and judgment, has proceeded to the court of Ave in the cha-
racter of resident, with instructions to offer to the new King
the alternative of adherence to the treaty of Yandaboo or war,
And to point out the consequences of the latter, namely, the
probable annexation of his empire to that of British India.
Xing Thorawadi continues to exhibit proofs of the tendency
d' power, in the east especially, to change the character in
his barbarous treatment of his nephew and the adherents of the
IdeP°l;ed King'
An inquest was held on Tuesday in Exeter street,
Strand, on the remains of John Body, Esq., a gentleman of for-
tune, residing at Islington, who died suddenly under very dis-
tressing circumstances. It appeared that the deceased had on
Monday been present at a religious meeting in Exeter Hall,
And had spoken at considerable lengthec,t although
the not with
meeting.
macular vehemence, upon the subj bef
and while another gentleman was
Shortly after sitting down,
speaking, deceased fell backwards into the
Medical assistance
was immediately procured, but the unfortunate gentleman ex-
pired before its arrival. Deceased for some time past bad
been under medical treatment for a disease of the heart.
verdict" Died by the visitation of God."
A young student, named Antoine Alexandrine, was
arrested the day before yesterday under circumstances which
implicate him in the affair of the depot of arms and ammu-
mition seized a few days since at a water-carrier's. An ex-
"fieraber of the National Convention named Dudouit, who is
Inow a porter, has also been arrested on a warrant from the
•afect of police and sent to the prefecture, where he has
in close confinement. Several important papers
are been
afirt,:bizyc been seized at his lodgings. The same day
a quantity- of arm And amunition was seized at the lodgings of
another came -carrier, and a domiciliary visit was made at the
lodgings of a ,bookbinder 70 years of age, who was after-
winds conducted
the prefecture cf police as concerned in a
-
Conner affair.

SPORTIN G INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL' S—YRSTERDdr.

The attendance this afternoon was far from numerous, and it
will be seen that from the subjoined quotations, the Derby betting
was confined to a small number of horses. Lord Jersey's horses
keep their places, but, from the repeated offers made to bet against
them, Flambeau and Westonian would seem to be less in favour
than when we quoted the odds from Newmarket. The following
is a list of the few engagements entered into :-
10 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Brother to Bay Middletea
18 to 1 agst Duke of Rutland's Flambeau—taken
18 to 1 agst Mr. Wreford's Westonian
30 to 1 agst Lord Albemarle's Tros—taken and aftw. offered
30 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Accelerator—taken
3500 to 500 agst Mr. Allen's Fitz-Ambo—taken
4000 to 100 agst Mr. Bowes's Epidaurus, brother to Elis—taken

LATEST BETTING AT MANCHESTER.

DEXBY EF.TTING.
10 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Brother to Bay Middleton
17 to 1 agst Mr. Wreford's Westonian
18 to 1 agst Duke of Rutland's Flambeau—taken freely
20 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Epidaurus
20 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Ilderim
23 to 1 agst Lord Lichfield's Gulnare colt
25 to I agst Mr. Bowes's Accelerator—take 33
30 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Erin-go-Bragh—offered
500 to 15 agst Mr. Dixon's Camellino—taken
200 to 8 was laid agst Wapite and Deception together

WORCESTER AUTUMN RACES.—W EDNE31341%,
Match, 50 sovs. each. Two Godwin na. ch. g. by
Rossini (Harris) beat Mr. Monro's St. Peter, easy.
Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, and 20 added. The second saves his
stake. Mile and a quarter heats.
Mr. Walters's ch. f. Fairy, 4 yrs, Bst. 81b ...Marlow 1 2 0 1
Mr. B. Kent's b. c. Anvil, 4 yrs, Bst. 31b
Mr. Spinks's c. Brecongill, 3 yrs, 7st. 61b
Mr. Monro's ch. f. Jessie, 3 yrs, 7st. lib 5 5 4 dr
Mr. J. Davis's ch. m. Latona, aged, 9st. Sib
Mr. G. Lambden's b. f. by Pontiff, 3 yrs, 7st. Ilb 3 dr
Third, a dead heat ; the fourth, won by a neck.
The Cavalry Plate of 501., the gift of the Hon. R. H. Clive, M.P.
Mile and a quarter heats.
Mr. Brown's bl. g. Sir Harry, 6 yrs, 13st. 31b
Mr. Quarrell's b. g. The First of June, aged, 13st. 31b 5 2
Mr. Bloridge's Pledge, 5 yrs, 12st. 71b
NIT.. W. Herbert's Young Harry, 5 yrs, 12st. 71b
Mr. Taylor's b. g. Shaver, 4 yrs, 12st. 71b 3 5
First heat, won easy; the second, by a length.
Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each, and 20 added, for horses not thorough-