The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-13
THE AFGHAN TROUBLE.

paily in Persia, to the mountainous resioI
OF Northwestern India aud Eastern Persit
OF which the Afghans are the most numer.
ous and predominant Inhabitants. It is 8
great ouadriiateral plateau, extending from
O2 to 20 degrees east longitude, and from
~ degrees to 35 degrees north latitude. IL
the Cabul region, the higher spurs are
often clad with grand forests, while the
| lower hills are woodless and almost naked
but in the bottoms, often watered by clear
and copious s:reams, there are beautiful
! nests of vegetation, (which derive new
charms from contrast with the excessive
eterillty of the hills that frame them -
Elevated platesux of sandy surface, bro
Ken by T3nges OF rocky hills, often expand :
| ing in wide. arid wastes Terminating to the
southwest IL regular desert of shifting g
sand-tbese are the characteristics of the
cnuntry. All over the north winter is
rigorous; sno@ lies in Cabul for two or
three months, and the people sleep close
to stoves. More than once the population
OF Ghasnl has been destroyed by being
buried in snow, if tradition does not lie.
In the south summer heat is intense lis
to 100 degrees in the shade in August has
been recorded. At Herat tie weather is
agreeable, and only ore year in four can
the Inhabitants store ice. Yet it was near
there that of Ahmed Shah's army, retreat
ing from Persia in 1850, Is coo men per
ished of cold in one night. Generally the
SH"a!e ls ofy lts markeu characteristics
are the great difference between winter
and Summer temperature ard day and
night temperature
The population of Afghanietan proper ia
placed at 4. los, 900 souls, ? .3l5, 900 of these
being Afghans and Pathars. Roundly
speaking, agriculture and soldering are
their sole occupations. AS race they are
complexions and flowing boards, generally
brown or black. They have the hair
shaved from the forehead to the top of the
head, the remainder at the sides being
allowed to fall in curls over the shoulders
The step is full of resolution, the bearing
proud and apt to be rough. The women
have handsome features of jewish cast
the chroniclers call their people Banai
Israel (Childrer of IsraeD, and claim
descent from Saul through a grandson
called Afghana-and fair complexions,
usually pale sallow they wear the hair
braided and plated behind, in two long
tresses, terminating in silken tassels.
Afghans are audacious in attack, though
easily discouraged by failure. They are
apparently frank, but very crafty, turbu-
lent, insubmissive to law or discipline,
brutal, rank perjurere, trescherous, vain,
greedy and passionately vindictive.
Among themselves they are quarelsome
aud distrustful. If from habit and tradi-
in his gates he has no scruple about
attacking him as soon as he has Quilted
them, or rstigating neighbor to do 30.
Afghauistan as such first took place
among the nations of the earth in l747,
when, upon the assassination of Nadir
Shah, the great Persian coLqueror, who
had taken Cabul and recovered Ksndahar,
the Afghan chiefs chose Ahmed Khan. a
noble young soldier, as their leader. He
the kingly authority over the |
eastern part of the empire with the title |
of Dur-i Duran. "Pearl of the Age" be-
slowing that of Durraui upon his clan, the |
Abdals. He proved a really great war
rior. In l74s he invaded India, bat vas
beaten in an eleven days battle by the |
Great Moguls eldest SOD and in 175l he
returned and annexed Mooltan ard Lahore;
n l75G he again crossed the Indus and |
aacked Delhi, subsequently, Wrestling |
khorassan from Persia. But in 1853 the |
,attas and drove Ahned's SGD, Timour
Beg out of Delhi and the PubjauP. Next
year Ahmed recrossed the Indus and |
advanced on Lahore. Catching the Nah
'etta armies under SciDdiah and Holkar
separated, he anticipated Napoleon by
crushing the first and wheeling with great
'apldlty to fall upon tie second, which |
was aieo overwhelmed. The Mogul and
Marietta chiefs got together another army !
300 900 strong, with which ar the close of |
L760 they faced Ahmed's 100000 men.
The Afghan chief refused to leave his
on the plain of Pauiput, and |
1t last-January 7, 1761-the Mahrettas, |
who had e1haused their supplies, were
forced to attack. At fret they had the |
advantage, but Ahmed brought up his |
reserve of picked Afghans and won the
day. The campaign cost the Mahrettas !
eOO,0 men and utterly broke their power,
which before had threatened to eneulf ali
Northern India. Ahmed retained Lahore,
though he wisely abandoned Delhi, and |
Balk and Cashmere to his empire,
which be ruled in peace until his death in
1873. Timour Beg, his successor, STAYED
off anarchy for twenty years, and then left
6wenty-three sons to contest the success
sion. Thereafter the history of Afghanis-
tan became one of intrigue, barbarous
fratricidsl wars, brutal murders and revo-
lutions till Dost Mohamed, one of the
twenty brothers of the minister whom
kamran had murdered with his own hard,
arose, nearly sixty years ago. Meanwhile
Peshawur, Scinde, the Turkestan pro-
vinces, Cashmere and many other parts of