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control the foreign affairs of Afghanistan. This ofcourse, limited the independence of the country. In fact as a result of a change in the English cabinet, even those indefinite promises which were given by the Indian government, could not be vindicated. During the term of office of Lord Salisbery in the year 1875. A. D. the proposal of sending our commercial and political agents from England to various points were broached to the government of Lord Beaconsfield. The points indicated were Herat and Kandahar: but Lord Northbrook, completely negatived the proposal; and clearly indicated that the king of Afghanistan would not accept their English representatives in Afghanistan. Also insistence upon this point will destroy the English friendly connection with the Afghans. As Lord Northbrook was doggedly opposed to the view, and he was the Secretary of State for India, the proposal of sending out of the English Agents was abandoned. Lord Lytton, however, took the political thread from the very beginning; and his scheme precipitated the second Afghan War. Amir Shair Ali Khan, who always thought of the defence of his country and who was desirous of the friendship of his neighbours and cordiality between the English and the Afghan; as a result of the mistaken Forward Policy lost his throne; and died with his hopes unfulfilled at Mazar Sharief. The English forgetting the bloodshed that occurred in their First Afghan War, especially during their progress between Jalalabad and Kabul invaded once again the country of the Afghans.
After this unjustified aggression on the Part of the English many more aggressive steps were taken; such as the over-running the independent territories of the sovereign clansmen, the building of a railway up to the military outposts by the British officers of the Indian government. Two persons, one named Sir Robert Sandiman, and Lord Roberts played significant role in these aggressive invasions by the English into our country. Sandiman was of the opinion that the influence of the British must be introduced amongst the independent tribesmen. He thought, too, that if the tribesmen during the peacetime joined our forces, their interests and ours would prevent them to act in an animosity towards us. Also that when we might consider it as our interest in any defensive measure, and may have the power of defence, our tribesmen would
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.
