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introduced their influence in the eastern regions of India; and progressed in that land gradually (which need not detain us here). For the first time they contacted Shahshuja and the Afghan officers in Peshawar in February of 1809. A.D.
This first meeting was at a time when the struggle between the Sadozai princes brought Shah Mahmud to Kabul from Kandahar, and Shahshuja, after his defeat at Nimla, in place of ascending the throne of Kabul retreated to the land of India, and after many tribulations and trials of life, at last took his abode at Ludhiana in north India.
In Afghanistan itself the plans of Mahmud the Sadozai and his minister Vazir Fateh Khan Barakzai, and other Royal elements produced complications, which ultimately brought Amir Dost Mohamed Khan to the throne, who was the youngest of the sons of Sirdar Payunda Khan, the Barakzai. Amir Dost Mohamed Khan who had an excellent plan for the unity of the realm, resolved to make a pact regarding Herat, against Russian and Persian disigus, with the English. He clearly mentioned to Alexander Burnes that he was not inclined towards the English in regards to the Russian promises. Just at that time Lord Auckland arrived in Simla as the Viceroy and in opposition to the clear call of Amir Dost Mohamed Khan he paid no heed to his proposal and saw the things in quite a different light than perceived by the Amir. Maud Dyer , the authoress of a book entitled "From Kabul to Kandahar" styles Lord Auckland as the "Very Careful" person. She writes : . . . . . All things demanded, but he did not promise anything, and as Amir Dost Mohamed Khan was not ready that he could give ear to such indefinite promises . . . .
This Viceroy with his wisdom and foresight, who had been adjudged correctly by one of his own countrywomen, plunged the Sindh forces into Afghanistan against a king who offered co-operation to the English. The result of those aggressive movements was just that which the English authoress herself manifests in her writings ; that is to say that as an unjust resolution and decision, the best interests of the English themselves received a check, so
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