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Machine transcription
-143-
In spite of the fact that according to the terms of Treaty of
1st January 1842. A. D. ( 16th. Ziqad 1257. A. H. ) after the murder of
Macnaughton (23rd December 1842. D.A.) it was clearly laid donw that
when the English forces are withdrawn from Kabul, the other English
units at Kandahar and at Jalalabad shall also move out of the country
to India. Yet General Nott and Major Rawlinson at Kandahar
and General Sale at jalalabad instead of trying to move out of the
place, actually made every effort to strengthen themselves. As could
be seen from the English histories written at the time ( for instance:
The book of Field Marshal Sir Neville Chamberlain, page 102)two days
after the assassination of Macnaughton on 25th. December 1842 A. D.
Pottinger, the deputy of Macnaughton and Elphinstone, wrote a letter
to Major Rawlinson at Kandahar saying that towards the end of February
of that year he( Rawlinson) would move out. The letter was clear in
its terms stating that the officers and English troops at Kandahar
and Killat Ghilzai should take the shortest route to India from
that location. Rawlinson gave no heed to that letter, thinking
that the officers at Kabul had no free hand or independent opinion,
but were dictated to by the Afghan opinion and pressure, and awai-
ted instructions from Calcutta, so that Kandahar like Ghazni was be-
seiged and a struggle between the people and the invaders commenced.
The city of Kandahar is so situated that the inhabitants of
the town live within the fortifications, and immediately outside the
walls of the city the habitations of the village and cultivatort begin.
As the news of the national uprising was constantly reaching
the city from far and near, and General Nott fearing iest the peo-
ple of Kandahar suddenly rise, gave orders that no one other than
traders, some divines and a few others can be allowed outside the
city walls or come into the city.
This order was given on 3rd March. 1842. A. D. There is, of
course, no doubt that such an order indicated a fear on the part of
the military officers ane the growing feelings of the people of the city.
This was, however, not enough to pacify the fears of the English
military commander, for he later on sent out certain of his units
outside the city, and marched out of Kandahar with his men
on 7th March.
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.