The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-09-30
Ayoob Khan---The Life and Career ORA
Afghanistan Chieftain. 80

Afghanistan Chieftain.
The victory of Ayoob Khan will have
the effect of bringing this young Prince
OF the Barakzai House prominently for
ward as an active participator I'M the
guidance of events in Eastern Afghan
istan. gfUp to the present time he, had
held aloof from the Vaccinations at
Cabul and Candahar, and the view had
become general that he was either per-
sonally incompetent orindifferent to the
progress of affairs. Both opinions are
now shown to be fallacious by the sue
cess. of the Herati army, and Ayoob
Khan will henceforth occupy a promi-
nent place in the imagination OF thu
Afghan people as their most successful
champion. While his name will un-
doubtedly serve to give increased, cohe-'
sion to the so-called National party, his
birth, together with the promise of abb
itynow afforded, will tend to make him
among his followers the natural success
sor of his brother Yakoob Whereas
ne had up to the present remained in
5he background, circumstances have
now brought him prominently forward,
and in the future settlement Of Afghan
istan the role he will play must tneoessa-
rily be, an important one.
Ayoob, so far as our Information goes,
is the son of the late Ameer Shere All, 4
by the daughter of the Momaud Chief
OF Lalpura, thus being the full brother
of Yakoob Khan. He was born in in or
about the year 1851, and took part in .
the campaign of 1867-8, which, resulted
in the triumph of Yakoob and the res
toration of Shere Ali to the throne. His
name was not mentioned, however, ,un-,
til a much later period. In 1871 Yakoob
had fallen into disfavor with his father,
and had for safety withdrawn from Ca
buL In the following year he. retired
to Selstan, and soon afterward, gather
ing round him a small band OF ady4n-
turers, among whom Ayoob was premi-
nent, he attacked Herat and. expelled
Shere Alis Governor Until the close u
OF the years1874 Yakoob ruled there in.
independent state, and he was assisted
IN the task OF government by his young
brother Ayoob. In the year mentioned
the well known attemptto reconcile the
conflicting pretensions of Shere Ali and
his son was made, and Yakoob went G
under safe contract to .Cabul. y, During,
his absence he had left Ayoob in charge
OF Herat, butt the prompt measures taken
by the Ameer and the skill shown by =,
his General, Omar Khan, made his rule
there one Of very. brief duration. On
the approach OF Shere Ali's army He lfed
to Persia. where he was granted anihot.,
orable reception, and allotted pension
by the Shah. FROM 1874 until The ifeht'
OF Sherea Ali from Cabul. in December, q,
1873, he resided in Persia, generally at
Meshed, but when the Afghan power
crumbled away in its first contact with p,
our own he saw that an opportunity
offered itself for establishing him u
self in HerAt. The Governors nomi- "a
mated by the Ameer was apparently
loathe to refuse an entrance to Ayoob at
time when common danger seemed
to sink all party differences, but as soon
as the young Prince had obtained adj
mission into Herat he intrigued, and
successfully against his fathers repre-.
sentative. When Yakoob Khan, was
negotiating with us at Gandamak his
brother Ayoob had so far consolidated =
his power in the West that he was in a =,
position to send fresh troops to take
part in the war against ourselves. These
arrived on the scene too, late, for the
Treaty of Gandamak had been signed.
1t is generally understood that Ayoob,i :
on learning the conclusion of the war, :,
reproached his brother for having made
territorial concessions TO the mfidel; 1.
and the part taken by the Herati levies
in the attack on the sGabul ,Residency
will also be remembered as substantial
ing this view. aA' U'as sfBSy
Ayoob showed no inclination to leave,
Herat and come to Cabul after the =,
withdrawal of our troops last year-a' >
circumstance which may be attributed, II
either to his disinclination to .surfen- q,
der independent authority, or to tho \
I, that communication, {
through Candahar was only practicable
with our assent Even after the out
break OF the last campaign he long re- n
mained passive, and, despite frequent
rumOfs, it was only within the last few !
weeks that he showed any inclination
TO take an active part in the progress of
events. His success will Inevitably
make him the natural leader of the
party of Yakoob; and while everything
depends on his skill, recollectibdrs Arc
aroused of the, former
prowess and ability shown by his BROTH
er IN the same quarter where he is now
operating. He, doubtless, hopes,,{to
emulate the career of his uncle, the
famous Akbar Khan; but he will find b
that the. state of affairs is vastly differ g,
ent now from what it was in 1912. 1t
would be as impossible as it is unnec-
essary to deny that Ayoob has shown.
that ne possesses something of the great
qualities which have made the Barak-'o
sais supreme in Afghanistan during the
last three generations. London Times.
The Secret Service has recentlyre-
ceived dollar which had been neatly
'cooped out in the center, leaving only
, thin plate on each side. Thei' cavity