The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-09

sert." says a dispatch TO the Times from
Simla, that the accession of Habib Utah
Khan has been officially announced at Jala-
labad and DakSa. and that the announce
ment was received quietly
Abdur Rahman Khan. the dead Ameer,
left three sons. all within the line of sue
cession. His oldest, Habib Ullsh Khan, is
the one who is said to have assumed the
ameership. A younger son. Nasirulla Khan,
also has claim to the throne. Then there
is Umar Jan, of the Ameer's first
duly married wife. the "harem saheba" or
Queen. She, like the Ameer, was a grand
child o. the old Ameer, Dost Muhammad
Khan. and Umar Jan, born in the royal line
and in wedIock, is, according to European
ideas, the legitimate heir. Lastly there
is Ayoob Khan, son of Sher Ali. and
once Ameer himself. Ayoob is a prisoner
in India. He is supposed to be devoted
to the Cars interest. He has always
claimed to be the rightful Ameer. If now
he should decide to assert what he claim
as his rights and succeed in getting across
the frontier he might be the cause Of civil
war in Afshanistan.
Abdur Rahman Khan, the late Ameer,
had a career that reads almost like tale
in the history of Afghanistan before Sir
Frederick Roberts fought his way from the
Khyber Pass to Cabul and from Cabul to
kandahar, thereby winning his title of
lord of Kandahar. Going back to the days
of Sher Ali. in 1S6s-7O, we find Lord Mayo
viceroy of India. Sher Ali and Lord Mayo
entered into negotiations for friendly al
lance, but the latter muddled, and Sher
RI
Lord Mayo refused.
Great Britain was denied the right to
maintain resident minister at Cabul
while Russia accorded the coveted
privilege. Lord Lytton, who had succeeded
Lord Mayo Viceroy of India tried to
force mission into Cabul and was turned
back by force.
Then followed war between Great Britain
with strong force of troops marched on
Cabul. Sher Ali fed to the protection of
the Gar and Yakoob Khan, his son, pro-
Sir Louis with every appearance of friend
snip and treaty was signed in which
Great Britain recognized Yakoob Khan as
Ameer. Three months later Yakoob and
his soldiers put Sir Louis to death and
messac1ed al Of 81, the British SOLDIERS War
Earl Roberts) whipped the Afghan army
into submission. Yakoob surrendered and
has ever since been a prisoner in India.
too, proclaimed himself Ameer, and the
Afghans flocked to his standard He was
joined by overwhelming forces and laid
siege 20 the British at Kandahar. Sir
Frederick Roberts thereupon made the
famous march across the mountains, res
cued the British garrison at Kandahar,
made Ayoob Khan a prisoner and seated
Abdur Rahman, the Ameer who has just
died, on the throne.
For ten years Abdur Rahman had been a
refugee at Samarcand. under the protection
of q a
Cars man and gave him the money with
which to seat himself on the throne. Then
Abdur Rahman turned on the Car, and
from 1880 down to the day Of his death was
the friend of Great Britain.
From the British Indian government Alb
dur Rahman received regular subsidy of
$4,000 a year, and his army periodically
receives gifts of artillery, rifles and am
munition.
The English have had many other things
10 do with the growth of Afghanistan.
They have introduced electric light, saw
mills, railways, steam hammers and many
other modern necessities. 1t is said that
when furnished for the first time with
candles and soap the dusky Afghans ate
the former, but could not convince them
selves that the latter was of any use what
ever
Abdur Rahman introduced the regular
army. No trustworthy statistics regarding
the strength of the Afghan army are avail
able 1t was said in 1896 to number $4,000
when on a war footing. In July, 1890, there
were 10000 troops in and about Cabul, in
cludlng SIX mule batteries Oh arIlllery, TWO
field batteries, an elephant battery, forty
squadrOns of cavalry and 5000 infantry.
Regular troops are now stationed at Herat,
misunderstanding, Kandahar and Jelalabad.
Cannon, rifles and ammunition are manu-
featured at the Cabul arsenal. under the
superintendent of Englishmen in the
Amir's service. The factories. with the
machinery imported from England, are ca
pabe of turning out 10000 Martini car
tridges, 10000 Snider cartridges and fifteen
rifles daily, and two field guns weekly.
There are enough breech-loading rifles to
equip $1,000 infantry, but it is uncertain
how many of these weapons have been
issued or to what extent the troops are
trained in their use.