The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-30

torious career by taking the city of Herat,
his favorite son and nominated heir, Shere
Ali, succeeded, at first quietly, to the
throne. AfZnl Kahn, the father of Abdlr-
rahman, was at that time Governor of
Balkh or Afghan Turkesran, with his
capital at Takht-i-pul. Abdurrahman had
taken to wife daughter OF the Ameer
OF Bokhara. and one of his sisters
was married 10 son of the same Prince.
The next brother of Afzul, named Aim
Khan, joined with Afzul and Abdurrahman
In conspiracy against Shere Ali ininedi-
ately upon his accession to the principalty
OF Cabul. This caused the outbreak of civil
war in Afghanistan in 1864 During that
war Abdnrrahman played a Leading part on
tue side of his father AfZul and his uncle
Axiom against Shere Ali. In 1865, 1866 and
1867 he won several battles, and the great
victories of Shaikhabad and Khelat-i-Ghilzai
were mainly due to his ability. He,was in
trusted with the Governorship of Balkb,
where he made himself popular by his mod
Grafton and by marrying the daughter Of
the chlef OF BadakSham. In 1868 he was
unable, however. to offer SUI cessful re-
slstance to. his cousin Yakoub Khan, son of
Shere Ali, who defeated him at Bajgah,
near Bamian, and also finally at Tinah
Khan. Abdurrahman then fled the country,
ultimately reaching Russian territory. He
was well received by General Kaufman,
who permitted him to reside at Samarcand,
and allowed him pension of %, 900 rubles
year.
Abdurrahman Khan remained In Tur-
kestan an exile and pensi0ner of the Rus
sian Government till 1879, when he sudden
ly departed without taking leave, and
slowly made his way through Bakh to the
Cabul frontier. No attempt was made to
detain him, and there was some mystery
about his intentions. With regard to his
personal character and disposition the re-
ports that were current seemed rather
favorable. The American traveller, Mr..
Schuyler, who saw him at TaShkend in com
pany with General kaufman, remarked the
dignity Of his appearance and the intelli-
gence of his mind. Another account ap-
parently from official sources, describes him
as transacting all the business himself and
working with secretaries from an early hour
In the morning. What degree of political
education he may have it is difficult to con-
lecture.
One interesting incident of his family APP
peared in an Indian newspaper shortly after
his accession as Ameer. When Abdurrah-
man fled from before Shere Ali and his
victorious son Yakoub in 1868 the women of
his harem fell into the hands of his con-
querors and were deported as state prison.
ers to Caudahar. Among the survivors who
remained at Candahar until he became
Amer are said to be Abdurrahman' own
mother, sister and vile.
Since his accession he has received pay
from the British Government, gifts of arms
and the moral support which has assisted
him to conciliate the tribes who with a
greater or less degree of loyalty acknowl-
edge his authority. The attack made on his
troops by the Russian General Komarotf
made it probable that in the event of war
between England and Russia, he would be
staunch and useful ally of the first-named
power. A dispatch, dated ST. Petersburg,
November 9th last announced his death;
but it subsequently transpired that he was
very much alive. The report just received
may prove to be equally unreliable, but its
claim to authenticity lies in the fact that it
comes from an English source.