The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-16
and OF late she had faded out Of the public
view as completely Is Il saa nad n pars oeen
After Persian Assaults and British 1nterven-
.tion, It Finally Passes Into the
Hands Of Oabul.
New York Herald

Herat 16 one OF Inc most Important GOWHS
In Central Asia. 1t La great commercial
centre, caravan routes converglng upon 1t
from every quarter Of the compass Thesame
central position which gives 1t commercial
Importance gives 1t political Importance and
for the last, half century It has occupied a
the best means Of safeguarding India against
Russian influence TX ever 1t were proposed
to invade India from Central Asia, the easiest
II not the only practicable route Tor the army
OF invasion would be the route which has
been followed by conquering armies 10 old
times namely, BY way Of Herat The town
lies IN the vallev OF the Kerl Rud, to the west
Of the great Hinde Koosh range OF noun
tatns, and thus lies In the way OF any
ene an5ya haa p hno Esans tha a. 3D. a.
vantages which Herat possesses for
an invading force is that the valley OF which
IL IL the principal town 10 o remarkably fer
tile tract. All the materials requisite for the
depots are to be found there 10 abundance.
The town OF Herat is not Itself, In the present
state Of Its defenses, a strong place, although
the engineering skill OF a young English Off
Ger, Lieut.. Pottinger, enabled 1t forty years
ago to Withstand vigorous and protracted
siege bya Persian army. 1t LIZ surrounded
by mud walls, and presents the form Of q
square, each side of which Is little less than q
mile In length The interior Is divided SYM
metrically into four quarters by four bazars,
OF COYeTeu SITeeLS, WHICH bGtIL JIOHl Rtt65
placed each In the middle Of one Of the four
walled sides and meet In the centric OF the
town. Forty years ago the population was
estimated ut about forty Thousand, but 1t is
not believed to be SO large now.
Readers OF Indian history know that In the
early part OF this century one Of the objects
OF English policy was to use Persia as O bull
wark III buffer against Russian aggression,
the fear Of which was intensified during the
Napoleontc period bya rumored alliance be-
having for lts object q simultaneous attack
upon England Tn the East and In the West.
Great Britain cultivated friendly relations
with the Shah, and even lent him English
officers to drill his troops, with the result, 1t
Is said, Of making them much less efficient
which they were accustomed. But when diff
culties arose betwf IN the Shah and the Gar
British assistance was not 80 substantial as
the former had expected, and tho consequence
was that Russian influence had become pre-
dominant at the Court Of Teheran, 1t was
supposed to have been in obedience to this In
1iuence that Shah Mahomed aimed ut this ac-
QUESTION OF Herat. Russia would certainly
not have obje oted to seeing so important a
the spot with his courage and bis engineer
ing skill, and with his help Herat stood the
siege till Lord Auckland interviewed on Eehalf
Of the English government, and the Persians
NlluuISW, lehNlUR DIlHu hdulI I'LL W LIS luUC-
sDdence.
1t was probably the attack OF the Perslans
on Hernt that suggested to the Anglo Indian
government their first experiment at estab-
fishing strong and friendly Afghanlstan by
nomination On tic Afahani throne. It was
this event at least which proclpitated that
policy toward which the Anglo-Indlan states
men had been leaning after the rupture OF
cordial relations with Persia. During the
experiment with Shah Soojah Herat main
tanned Its Independence. But some ten or
twelve years after Its independence was again
threatened by Persia, and the year before
the Indlf'l muttny we declared war on Persia
to prevent it, btecoming an integral part Of
Of HeraL BY Persia arose IN this way. The
Wuzeer OF Herat quarrelled with the Heratc D
chief, and. finding himself powerless to
maintain MS authority, for himself, ,ap-
tender Of his allegiance to the
Shah. This tender the British government
would not allow the Shah to accept, and a
convention was agreed to In january, 1853 BY
which Persia undertook not to send troops to
Herat unless 1t were menaced from Candahap
ur Cabul. The relations between Persia, Herat
and Eastern Afghanistan remained uneasily
under this convention for three years. In
March, 1866, the Perslans took possession Of
Herat. Soon after there was popular rising
Alu lily IslSldlS WtiH ulIttn ~ ~ lIS cily.
Then there was another Using and d new gov
ernor chosen by the Heratees while the Per-
slams We're at the gates Of the city. Finally,
this now governor, despairlng Of assistance
from Dost Mnhommed or from India, surren-
dered Herat to the Per5ians. The last event
took place In October, 1866, and some six
months afterWard the Perstans were COM
PEELED, by tho persuasions OF an English expe-
dttioD, to restore Herat to It's Independence
1t remained for six years under the independ-
ent rule of Ahmed Kahn. The last act Of
Dost Aahommed Kahn was to undertake an
expedition by which Herat was added to the
doninions OF the Amaer OF Afghanstan. 1t
will thus be seen that Herat has not long been
part Of the dominions ruled from Cabul.