Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28
Moslem Arrayed Against Christian in
the Indian Uprising.
RUSSIAN INFLUENCE ALSO AT WORK
Possibility That the Map Of Europe
and AsiasMay Be Changed.
A SERIOU SITUATION

10 the EngnSh Side may be assumed TO De
substantially correct as they emanate from
English sources of information.
Beginning with reports Of mutterings Of
discomfort on the part of the natives on
account of the famine the first premonition
Of actual hostility came with the news Of
the assassination of Lieutenant Ayerst and
British civil officer in Bombay about the
time when the queens jubilee was being
celebrated in London. This was quickly
followed by the news of native uprising
in the Chitral, which was promptly sup
pressed with heavy losses on the part of
the tribesmen.
Fort Chakdara was besieged by a large
force of insurgent natives. and was relieved
by the British force under General Blood
The fighting was severe and the tribesmen
lost heavily. The loss of the British was
light.
The relief forces under General Blood
advanced in two columns, commanded, re-
spectively, by Colonies Goldney and Meikle-
john, and brilliantly attacked and routed
the enemy surrounding the fort.
The British political officer at Malakano
reported that practically all the tribes
Joined in the attacks on the British forces
He added that 200 of the enemy were
killed, and that in addition many of the
tribesmen were wounded. The latter were
reported greatly disheartened and that
much further resistance was not likely.
MOslems, Not Buddhists.
Soon the reports began to indicate that
the uprising was taking on a religious as
pect and that contrary to the conditions
which prevailed during the Sepoy rebellion
and the mutiny, the insurgents were of the
Moslem faith instead of Brahmins or Budd-
hists. Grave fears were entertained that
the9uprising was about to take on the form
of holy war; and that the crescent was
m n ho raiS Ia
Even to the present time the British are
disposed to take this view of the trouble.
The first indication that this was the
true cause of the uprising appeared in the
active hostility of the fanatical tribes Of
Mullahs, led by their chief, who bears the
title of the Mad Mullah.s
An official dispatch from Simla, India,
stated that the British force of cavalry,
infantry and artillery which was sent from
Peshawar to punish the rebels in the Moh-
mand country, who's under the Mullah, at
tackled Fort Shabkadr, had overtaken and
defeated them aftersa hard-fought engage
ment.
The British. under Col. Wood, were re-
pulsed at first, butF a brilliant charge by
the Bengal cavalry turned the tide of bat
tie.
The losses Oft the British were twelve
killed and forty-sight wounded The
wounded included three officers.
Attituds OF the Amcer.
Closely following this came the still more
startling news that the Ameer of Afghan
istan was back of and instigating the
movement against the British, and that
the Afridis and other powerful tribes on
the other side of, the mountains were in
revolt.
The ameer was called on by the Indian
government to answer to the truth of this,
charge. and promptly denied such mo-
tive, at the same time issuing firman
forbidding his subjects to join the rebels
who were in arms against the Indian gov
eminent. The Afghan governor of Khosl
was ordered to punish the Afghans who
had been raiding .camels belonging to the
Tochi punitive expedition.
Following closely upon the ameer's pro-
fession of friendship, or at least of neu-
trality, came the still more alarming news
that the whole northwest frontier of India
seemed to be aflame with Instruction. The
Afridis were reported marching through
Khybeer pass upon Jamud while the
OrakZias were advancing by Kunam and
threatening Samara. Sharp engagements
took place between the tribesmen and the
forces of Col. Blood, who was in command
of the British forces at Kotal
Then still more important phase of
the situation was limited at. The British
suspected the Turkish government with
having prompted the ameer to instigate the
uprising of the tribesmen. A prompt de-
NAL of any such motive on the part of the
porte was Immediately made at CONSTANT
nople.
nuSSId the Ne0I Enemy.
Yet another and even more sensational
rumor was to come. This was to the effect
that back of all other influences was the
potent influence of Russia working out
through the agency of an enemy of a CEN
tury's standing, the ambition of the Mus
covite, which dates back to the time of
Peter the Great, and which has always
been thwarted by some shrewd diplomatic
move on the part of England. Russia has
wanted Turkey in Europe since Peters
time and on more than one occasion had
been the point of grasping the prize
when England interviewed, and made the
Russian stay his ambition.
British alarmists saw in the serious up
rising which confronted the Indian govern
ment Russias revenge for Sebastopol and
failure to reap the full victory of San
Stefano.
tersburg like the quick responses from the
sultan and the aIneer. On the contrary
reports come of the friendly meeting of the
czar and the head of the French republic
and an alleged alliance between France and
Russia. 1t will also be remembered that 1t
was England who drove France from India
in the beginning of European occupancy of
that country, and who could tell but that,
while talking of Alsace and Lorraine, the
Frenchman might also be thinking of Pom
dicherry and the loss Of Madras.
A Hazardous Situation.
Meantime, while speculation was breeding
apprehension as to motives in concealment,
tie insurgent tribesmen continued to gain
important advantages over their British
adversaries. A day or two ago came the
news that Khybeer pass had fallen COM
pletely into the hands of the insurgents.
Forts Maude and All Musjed fell into their
hands, the native and British soldiers re-
firing before vastly superior numbers, while
in one or two instances there were reports
that the native troops had deserted and
gone over to the. enemy.
What makes the situation doubly hazard
GUS to the British is the fact that a large
part of the native Indian army is recruited
from the rankssof these tribesmen now in
revolt The Sepey rebellion and the mutiny
had taught the English not to rely on the
loyalty of the Braftnin or Hindoo tribes.
Experience had taught them that ordi-
narily they cofid rely on the Mohamme-
dams. They made good soldiers, fighting
with equal zeal 41gainst their own kinsmen
to that which they brought against the
Brahmins. Butsdurfng all these skirmishes
with refractory tribes. the question of re-
ligion has never been raised. The fanaticism
OF the Mussulman has never been appealed
to. If it is true that the word has gone
forth from the sultan to all the faithful to.
raise the crescent in 'holy war" then
ENGLAND NAV wen be alarmed for hor