Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/720

 598

AFGHANISTAN

—

1909

1910

1911

1912

Imports into India Exports into Afglianistan.

£ 570,459

764,274

£ 696,088 845,465

£ 610,102 974,396

£ 652,665 877,096

Of the exports from India to Afghanistan the chief items are cotton goods, indigo and other dyeing materials, sugar, and tea, mostly the China leaf. The imports into India include horses, fruits and vegetables, grain and pulse, ghi and other provisions, assafoetida and other drugs, spices, wool, silk, cattle, hides, tobacco. The through transit duties levied by the Amir have been reduced, but the rates on imports into Afghanistan remain very high.

The imports from Bokhara are stated to amount to nearly 4,000,000 roubles, and the exports to Bokhara to as much.

The rupee appears to be the usual currencj^ though Government demands are often paid in kind.

The Amir's mint at Kabul was for some years under the supervision of a European. The current coins in Kabul are Dinar, Paisa, Shahi, Sannar or Misqali, 'Abbasi, Qaran, Rupee and Tuman. Dinar and Tuman are imaginary coins intended for purposes of calculation only. Paisa and Shahl are copper coins, and Misqali, 'Abbasi, Qaran and Rupee are silver coins.

10 Dinar — 1 Paisa cr Taka. 5 Pai.sa = 1 Shdhi.

2 Shiihi = 1 Sannar, Saddinar or Mi.sqali. 2 Sannar = 1 'AbbAsi.

1^ 'Abbasi — 1 Qnran.

2 Qaran = 1 Rupee.

20 Rupees = 1 Tuman.

One Afghan Rupee is equal to about eightpenec.

The trade routes of Afghanistan are as follows : — From Persia by Mashad to Herat ; from Bokhara by Merv to Herat ; from Bokhara by Karshi, Balkh, and Khulm to Kabul ; from East Turkistan by Chitral to Jalalabad, Init chiefly over the Khawak ; from India by the Khaibar and Abkhana roads to Kabul ; from India by the Gomal Pass to Ghazni ; from Chaman, the terminus of the North-Western Railway, to Kandahar and thence to Kabul or Herat.

The Khaibar and Bolan roads are fit for light wheeled traffic as far as Kabul and Kandahar respectively. During the last two c/r three years the Amir has paid great attention to the improvement of the roads through- out the country. His Majesty is introducing a small motor-car service to run between Kabul and Peshawar, and it will carry the Afghan post and possibly passengers. A motor-car recently performed the journey between Kabul and Peshawar in the course of a day. There is, however, no wheeled carriage, except artillery, proper to the country, and merchandise is still transported on camel or pony back. There are practically no navigable rivers in Afghan- istan, and timber is the only article of commerce conveyed by water, floated down stream in rafts. Telephonic communication exists between Jalalabad and Kabul, and is beiuf^ extended to Kandahar.

Books of Reference.

Imperial Gazetteer of India— Afghanistan and Nepal, 1908.

Accounts relating to the trade by Land of British India with Foreign Countries Annual. Calcutta.

Parliamentary Papers, Afghanistan, 1873-1899.

Treaty between the British Government and the Amir^of Afghanistan, datp<l March 21, 1905. London, 1905.

The Second Afghan War, 1878-80. Prepared in the Intelligence Branch of the Indian Army nea:lquarters. London, 1908.