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- 110 - HOW THE GATEWAY OF THE GHAZNI CITADEL WAS BLOWN UP. ARTICLE TWENTY EIGTH On the morning of 23rd. July 1821. A.D., when the sun had not yet arisen fully, the walled city of Ghazni was shaken by an explosion. The English had been busy the whole night digging a tunnel and blew up the Kabul gate of the city. Also they made a great breach in the walls, so that the city surrendered without expectation to the enemy within three- quarters of an hour. It was thought that this was effected through the bravery of their troops, but the strength of a treasury is greater than the strength and power of gun - powder. * * * The first aggression of the English, which took place with the connivance and help of Shahshuja Saduzi, is a fact regarding which several articles had been written in these series on several aspects of the case. In this article, we desire to speak as to how unexpectedly the surrender of Ghazni took place at the hands of the English. The British troops which were moving by way of the Bolan Pass and Khojak with Shahshuja, were put under the command of an English officer by the name of Sir John Kean. From the date of the movement of this force ( 10th. December 1838. A. D. ) from Firouzpoee, till it reached Kandahar on the 8th. of May 1839. A.D., and Ghazni on the 21st. of July 1839. A.D. With that which befell the expendition, we do not concern ourselves here. It is a matter of common knowledge that the legal occupant the Afghan throne, Amir Dost Mohamed Khan was ruling the country at the time, and the Government of Ghazni then was Placed under one of his sons, Sirdar Ghulam Haider Khan. As far as can be judged from historical records, Amir Dost Mohamed Khan, both during his rulership as also prior to it, attached great importance to the defences of Ghazni; so that when he ultimate- ly became the king of Afghanistan, he appointed one of his real brothers, Sirdar Amir Mohamed Khan, as Governor of Ghazni. In