The sun., 1908-05-17
RULER OF THE AFGHANS.e
Man VINO Tries to no Many Things Besides
Governing HIS People.


Governing His People. ",
A short. stout man. who wears q gray
frock coat when visiting. likes afternoon
tea. plays q remarkably good game Of
bridge, docs not hesitate to cit down at
the piano and sing song for the entertain
ment OF q party. and after dinner has been
known to speed tho parting friend with a
long and animated conversation on the
doorstepAthis IL one side Of tho character
Of Habib- Ullah Khan. Amir Of Kabui. Seeker
after Gods Health and Lamp of the Con-
gregation and the Faith. X
He did all these things whom Waiting
India In tho early part Of last year. says
the London Daily Mail. Ho seems to have
created the impression in some minds
that he was the Asiatio counterpart Of
the German Emperor.
He told various people whom. he met
that he was the best smith in Afghanistan.
the best carpenter, the best drill sergeant.
Then he claimed 10 be able to preach .
better sermon than any Mullab. and
as a matter Of fact led 700. 900 people In
prayer at Dslhi-surely the largest prayer
meeting On record. He speaks seven or
eight languages; he plays cricket; he has
acquired liking for tie motor Oar and he
seems to thinkvery highly Of hiaown powers
as q doctor ..',. ~.
Then. too. he apparently knows how to
enjoy himself At a race meeting. and when
he makes bot, he pays on the spot II he
loses. When he was in India an attendant
stalked solemnIy behind him. carrying a
vast cashbox full Of monsy. from which
disbursements we're made, whom necessary,
He is said to be good sportsman. but
when he plays cricket with his attendants
the Amir apparently always wins. 1t might
perhaps. be risky for opponents to make
A sliaht impeachment in his speech is
associated by tradition with an ancient
palace intrigue to poison him when heir
Hs lett hand has but four fingers. due TO
gun accident sorne four years ago. ne
miRht have been q ono armed man had It
not been for the skill Of q British doctor
who went from India and cured an injury
which seemed likely to deveop into morti-
fioation Of the arm..'
checrfuIness seem to have made him q
general favorits. Az the sun set he would
stop his train at. waystde station and
invite any humble loiterer of the Faith to
say his prayers with the King OF Afghan
istan." ~ ytS -..,.- f..
ne WAuk61 10 kHOW CNOIyoOuy NtCWo
and wanted to inspect everything that
seemed likely to be useful In his homeland.
He stopped an army sergeantg wife TO dis
c,iss with her her preferences and ideals,
and he made the chemical lecturer at q
hospital which he visited explain the prop
critics of carbon dioxide in relation to COM
but on the other hand he would not
waste any time in inspecting a little gather
ing Of warships that had been arranged
for his special beneflt-the British navy
cannot 90 through the Khyber Pass. Per,
70 hurry of TO the races rather than witness
Two things seemed rather to cast a
shadow over him. 4 hope you don't mind
the bagpipes!' a neighbof asked him at one
OF the fnnurnerable banquets.
sNot at all" he answered; II have them
at Kabul. -But'-with sad snile-"they
don't stand 30 close behind my CHAIR
Then too the joys OF railway travel did
not appeal TO him. In anticipation Of his
@ Sss to s.isn Sim 'a,is To the
bejewelled royal car. He looked at the
monorail, he looked at the car, and then
ordered . landau, e.
The Amir is the son OF one who was a
slave girl before she became one OF the
His harem In KAbul 10 not 50 large a. that
maintained by his father. Angus Hamilton
says that when the Amir came to the throne
three wives were, divorced in order TO keep
the spirit Of the Koran law. which forbids
the maintenance OF more than four wives.
Many slaves Of prepossessing charms. we
are told, are taken into the hRrem from time
to time and added to the number Of his
concubines. But the queens appear TO
exercise strict censorship in regard to the
type Of slave. The hapless woman who be-
comes a favorite and excites the admira-
tion OF the Amir lis generally removed
One queen. 1t 10 recorded, has killed
with her own hands three Of her slaves and
personally chastises her erring Handmade
ems. purposely disfguring any whose physi-
cal attractiveness might charm the Amir
The four wives OF the Amir occupy
positions which are graduated to a recog-
nized scale. The first wiie draws an ALLOW
ance Of one lakh Of rupees annually; the
second wife receives eighty thousand
rupees, the third wife forty thousand
rupees. the fourth wife twenty thousand
rupees a year.
One rather gathers that the domestic life
Of the Amir 10 not untroubled and that the
influence Of his wives is not cast on the
side Of peace and quietness.
TUE RIyIING PAagInN