New-York tribune., 1896-12-01
THE GREAT. AMER.
"A BIOGRAPHY WHICH STICKS IL ii'
TEXT
wh~nisr = r q, s. With Portraits ann maps aap
Small svo. pp 25l "Public Men oi i'-o"'
Series F. Warne & Co.


actlv true to its title That is something ""'0"
cannot he said Of all current books. not even
of all the members Of the generally eAce"o"'
series TO which this one belongs Choer '"o
nretext OF biography OF an eminent hia" o''o
NAV and chapters OF general history VI Vi
nhilosophical disquisitions In which 'he u'O'a
hero is scarcely mentioned. and In "h'ch HIS
character and deeds play no appreciao'e pa'"
Not so in the present case This is' aS '''e q"
thor more than once explicitly remiius "' N
q history Of Afghanistan. Certainly II - "o "
exposition Of the authors personal views
Af.han ethnologv or British h-Indian policy. IL
4. essentially a biography OF Abdur HANNAH
history Of his doings and a study or MS cha'-
.c4er All else in the volume and there Is not
n little else Is subordinate and trlpu'ar! W ina"
central theme This fact Is the more "oi'"' VI
notice because OF the excepuohah9 s's
temptation to do otherwise than mas pee'' uo"e
rhere are few more alluring themes than those
present ed by the Afghan land ana peope' ~. '".
romance and speculation regarding the Lost
Tribes of Israel are involved in consioefa''o"
Of a race which bears in names and FEATURES
and habits and traditions so many MARKS oi
ancient Israelitish descent. More directly 'he
.r,.rdors NJ the Shah Nameh recalled by the
very names of Cabul and Khokand' OF Se's'a"'
and NJ the Jemshidis. until we begin TO "ohue'
,yhv we hear nothing of Zal tine Wise. and hus-
sem the Strong and Kai Klaus the Fooiish NOT
"a the very land without its fascinatlons' 'na'
rupped land of wild extremes, of torric suhi-
mers and of arctic winters. Against THESE al
,urements our author steels himself He gives
the story of the Ameer. and nothing more save
the appropriate settings for so great ngure'
The WAYS Of the Afghan are not as our "a!S'
Net greatness is greatness everywhere ana he
must be a partial judge who recRons Abdur Kan
man other than a great ruler ana ieaue' Vi
men, Botn relatively and absolutely. ne HAY
be called the Great Ameer: for In all 'he h's'o''
of modern Afghanistar not one olher. ho' eNe"
the mighty Dos. Mohammed. Is to be compared
nth him. xhila reckoned among contemporary
eovereigns throughout the world ne easily
maintains his title tc place In the lore'"oS'
rank There would be little extravaganza IN
deed. In bracketing his name with those OF VIII
lam 1 of Germany and Victor Emmanuei o'
ITALY, Each aimed. above all else al 'he re-
uniting and rehabilitation OF an anclen' anu
illustrious realm Each devoted his h1e pri-
nar,,v 10 That object Each attained success
M the thre< Abdur Rahman's task was not the
least arduo1s and it may he that its results
will prove not least enduring. 1t Is true that
Dost Mohammed founded the present Afghan
dvnastv. and united the various provinces under
nre tmnerial rule But at his death his work
vas so undone that the later state Of the land
twas wors, than the former II remained for his
grandson 20 re-establish his work on a broader
and. Il may we'll be believed. far more perma-
nent foundation.
Warrior. first OF ALL was Abdur Rahman He
was a lad Of nineteen when Dost Mohammen
Nied leaving the crown Of Cahul to his third son.
Ehere Ali. The first son. the drunken Al~u''
Father OF Abdur Rahman was Governor OF
Balkh and the second the trickster Azim' was
r,overnor of Kurran They pretended to ac-
ru,esce in the CHI DICE Of Shere Ali. But as soon
IA their father was in his tomb they rebelled
nrainst their younger haf-brother. and there
hfter for years the land was rent by civil war
Afzul was the claimant OF the throne spurreo
on by the willy Aim who meant to he the power
behind the throne. The militant leader of the
revolt was Abdur Rahman. In battle al'er
hattie he displayed not only the valor Of hero
hut the steadiness Of a veteran and the skill ana
resource of truly great commander He
made himself master OF Balkh and all the north.
then, with Aims aid. marched down upon
r,abul and took it, Thence he went forth to
,oeet Shere Ali himself, al Shaihabad. and ut
<er,v overthrew him: then took his father Afzul,
from the prison into which Shere All had cast
him. and seated him upon the throne or Capui
But what could valor do against vice? A1zui was
always drunk. and Aim. having indeed peco"e
the power behind the throne, was despotc 10 'he
last degree. Discomfort waxed apace Shere
AM soon raised a strong force at Candahar' anu
advanced upon Cabul Abdur Rahmar met
him at Kclat-i-Cihilzai and vanqushed MN
arain Shere Ali fled TO Herat. and Abdur KAN
man and Aim occupied Candahar. Now the
British recognized Afzul as Ameer But the
latter was drinking himself to death. Shere AL
aided by the ;reacherous Governor ol baiKh
again menaced Cabul. Abdur Rahman met nm
An the Panisir Pass, and third time routed
him. then returned TO Cabul just in time TO see
Afzul die and Aim sieze the throne. Abdur
Rahman was disappointed but loyal. and per-
Formed prodges Of valor in trying to maintain
The unworthy Aims rule. 1t was In vain
Rustem himself would have failed in such a
cause Sherc All soon victorious Aim
took to flight. and Abdur Rahman. going first
4o Meshed thence to Khiva and BOkhara. found
mn ASYLUM at Samarcand and pension from
the Russian Government
The role Of an exile was not to his taste but he
oIayed it we'll Knowing money would be need
ed TO regain his kingdom. he lived frugally. saw
Ing more than half OF his pension. He took good
care of his health made friends among all who
might he useful. and bided his time He had TO
wait for ten weary years. until he was thirty
s,x. st;,l Younger however. than Madir and
Iaber. and Genghis. and Timuf, when they
vained their mastery Then Shere Ali died. and
was succeeded by Yakoob. who seemed friend
of the British. while Abdur Rahman was deemed
n protege OF Russia. But the murder OF Cavag-
mari quickly followed. and Yakoob was deposed.
Who next? The hour had come for Abdur Rah-
man. Russia gave him leave to return to Af-
rhanistan gave him money and arms too. think
ing II ne became Ameer he would be a vassa Of
the Car Lord Lytton. then Viceroy of India.
thereupon did good bit Of work for which he
has perhaps never received full credit. He per-
ceiyed that Abdur Rahman was the only pos
sible ruler of Afghanistan. that he was under
,p....iap influence that IL the British diSap-