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term, which is called the Close Border Policy or the Punjab School.
The reason of so naming these is that the officers serving in the Punjab
held the view of the Close Border Policy, whilst those had seen service in
Sindh, were wedded to the Policy of the Forward Movement or the Sind
School. The inventor of the Sindh School was one Major John Jackob;
and when the Persians with the instigation of the Russians, it was he
who suggestion to the government of India to annex Quetta. There
is, of course, no doubt that the various schools amongst the English
political thinkers, were influenced by the desire of protection of their
possessions in India. In asmuch as Afghanistan had two important vall-
eys, one at Kyber and other at Bolan; which could give them protec-
tion if they held troops at Peshawar; the English thinkers were quite
satisfied with their defences from this direction Major John Jacob,
however, was of the opinion that in the direction of Quetta, the
position of the English defences required further strengthening. So
that whenever Russia may send its troops in Central Asia; British
troop could be sent with ease to Herat.
Lord Canning, however; was greatly opposed to this view. He never
desired that the British troops should enter the Afghan territory; and
that it should cross the country of the Afghans in order to reach Herat.
This English Governor General further held that it was not possible to
enter Afghanistan even with an amagamated force and to give battle
at a given point; and thence to return home safely and attacks could
not be inflicted upon such a force by the Afghans.
Lord Cannings observations went further than that; for in
support of his view he stated that the strengthening of the Afghans,
and their power, produces no danger to the Indian Government;
but a strong Afghanistan would constitute a protection for India.
Pursuing that line he continued that if Afghanistan was composed
of smaller units, it will be week, and its defences would, thereby
suffer, and "I hope to see, " he said, "to see that country as
a strong country, which could be counted for as the defence of
the Indian possessions."
It was on this score that a conflict of opinion between Lord
Canning and Major Jacob continued; but the major, who had a wild
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