Relations between Qajars and the rulers of
Kandahar
Connected with Persia. Since the invasion of Affghanistan by Nadir Shah, the country has not
seen another enemy further in her territories than Herat, which has on several occasions
been besieged, but without success. A’gha Mahammed Shah after his expedition to
Meschid, and on his way to punish Ibrahim Khan, the Governor of Sheesha, the
capital of Kurabagli, who had rebelled, dispatched an Elchy to Shah Zeman with
the following message, ― “Tell the son of Timur Shah to expect me as his guest
in Candahar on my way to India, which by the blessing of God I intend to
subdue.” During the reign of his nephew and successor Fatteh Alli Shah,
Mahmood, his son Kamran, and Vizier Fatteh Khan found an asylum for some time
in Teheran from the pursuit of Shah Zeman; during this reign two Embassies were
sent to Candahar by Hassan Ali Mirza, the younger son of Fatteh Ali Shah,
Prince Governor of Meschid, to secure the interest of the Affghans in the
struggle for the throne, anticipated on the death of his father; this intrigue
was made known to the heir apparent Abbas Mirza, by Raja Kouli Khan Kurd, a
chief of Khorasan. It was the feat of this faction that subjected Abbas for a
time to the baneful influence of Russia. Hassan Ali Mirza had in person sought
the interest of Kamran to assist in placing him on the throne. On the accession
of Mahammad Shah to the throne of Persia, the Sardars sent a mission of
congratulation, at the instigation of a disgraced noble of Kamran, Vakeel by
name, under Azeez Khan, a Popalzai, who during his residence in Teheran, was
the guest of one Abbas Khan, formerly groom of the stole to Kamran, which
latter the Russian envoy had engaged in his interests. During the stay of the
Candahar Elchy, a merchant Hajee Kareem Candaharee, at the request of the
English envoy, waited on the Candahar Elchy; and a visit to the envoy ensued:
This by the representation of the Russian envoy led to the Shah slighting Azeez
Khan: he was afterwards dismissed in company with a return mission from the
Shah, under Meer Mohommed, a servant of Abbas Khan and a Sayad. This man on his
arrival in Candahar had the honor of a visit from the two younger Sardars,
accompanied by the son of the eldest: This honor was intended of course to
reach the ears of the Shah, though the Sardars told their own court that the
visit was paid merely in consideration of the envoy being a Sayad, and to offer
him condolence on the late demise of his brother. Meer Mohommed brought many
arguments for the propriety of the Sardars opening a communication with the
Russian envoy; on his dismissal he was accompanied by Taj Mahomed Khan, who
carried presents for the Shah with common complimentary letters. He again on
his return was accompanied by Kambar Ali Khan, who brought proposals for a
treaty: the object of which was to occupy the Sardars, while Mahammad Shah
attacked Herat; subsequent occurrences have already been detailed in the
despatches of Captain Burnes, as well as the connection of the Sardars with
Russia.
(Signed) R. LEECH, Assistant.
N. B. The resources, military and financial, of Candahar, will be
treated in a separate paper.
(True Copy)
(Signed) A. BURNES
(True Copy)
H. TORRENS,
Deputy Secretary to Government of India, with the Governor General.
Notice on the affair of Candahar in 1838, with a sketch of the preceding
Dooranee history by Lieut. R. Leech. // Reports and Papers, Political,
Geographical, & Commercial Submitted to Government by Alexander Burnes,
Lieutenant Leech, Doctor Lord, and Lieutenant Wood, Employed on Missions in the
Years 1835-36-37 in Scinde, Affghanisthan, and Adjacent Countries. — Calcutta:
G.H. Huttmann, Bengal Military Orphan Press, 1839, p. 62—63.
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