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— 61 —
In the year 1837. A. D. when the rivalry of England and
of Russia was all its highest over the question of Herat; and Mohamed
Shah assisted by the Russian officers beseiged the city of Herat
for ten months, the Vazir-Yar Mohamed Shah.showed himself equal
to the task when in making arrangements with the English thr-
ough Potinger-who was living in disguise in Herat-and for in other
ways for the defence of the city. Nor was it all, but he also
used some of the money that the purpose of strengthening of his
troops; and managed to repulse the aggressor Persians forces even
from the very walls of the city of Herat.
After 1838. A. D. when the storm was blown over in regards
to the Persian attack against Herat, the Englih had taken Kabul
and Kandahar in the name of Shahshuja. Later they tried to occupy
Herat and to place the local Saduzai gevernment of Herat under
their influence. As we had mentioned, Pottinger, as the represe-
ntative of the East India Company had paid a sum to Kamran
and to his minister Yar Mohamed Khan in order to strengthen
the Saduzai defence forces. After the lifting of the seige Captain
Stoddard, too, joined Pottinger, so as to secure some "consideration"
for the East India Company. Yar Mohamed Khan made use of
the English money, but did not give the slightest point of "cons-
ideration" to the English either in commercial or political sense.
The English minster one named Macnuagton, thereupon, sent Major
Todd to join the other two Englishmen at Herat, to persuade
the local Saduzai administraion with the inducement of money
and other promises to come under the English influence. A
treaty of friendhsip was signed between the English and Kamran
in 1839 A . D . between Stoddard and Kamran; but the Vazir
Yar Mohamed Khan, who was the actual power, did not sign or
the engagement entered into and did not give any consideration
to the English. Yar Mohamed Khan being aware of the interest
of both the Persians and the English in regards to the city of
Herat tried to benefit from both sides for the good of the country;
so that when the Persians attacked Herat, Yar Mohamed Khan
took the help of the English to repel the agressor; and when the
danger to Herat was over, and the English had taken practically
every part of Afghanistan except Herat. Yar Mohamed paid no
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.