Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/359

 1899.] Asia. — India. — Afghanistan. [351

CHAPTER V.

ASIA. I. INDIA, ETC.

Afghanistan. — Not for many years had Afghanistan been less disturbed than in 1899. Few tribal risings occurred and the Ameer Abdurrhaman continued friendly to Great Britain. Yet there was a disquieting rumour that Eussia was preparing to advance on Herat in certain eventualities, and that an experi- mental mobilisation of Eussian troops from Tiflis to Kuskh (some sixty miles from Herat) was made at the close of the year.

Several small disturbances were created along the frontier in February by marauding bands of Waziris and Mahsuds, which were easily suppressed by the local militia without aid from regular troops.

Captain Boss-Keppel in March made a sudden attack on a predatory band of Chamkannis that had been raiding in the Kuram Valley and captured 100 prisoners with 3,000 head of cattle. These raids, though tiresome, were, however, of no political importance.

But in consequence of repeated outrages committed by the Waziris, and especially because of the murder of Colonel E. H. le Marchant of the Hampshire Eegiment, the Indian Govern- ment in May ordered the partial disarmament of the Peshawar division, and of all trans-border Pathans at the frontier, and the disarmament of all persons without licences in all municipalities and cantonments within the division.

In spite of punitive measures the robber Waziris in July continued their lawless attacks, chiefly with a view to cattle raiding.

In accordance with the frontier policy of the Viceroy all regular troops were withdrawn from the Khyber Pass in Dec- ember to Peshawar, leaving the forts and posts in the pass to be guarded by the Khyber Eifles. Complete tranquillity prevailed in consequence, and the Afridis and other local tribes were thereby convinced that the Government had no idea of annex- ing their territory or of placing British garrisons over the border. The Ameer kept up a friendly correspondence with the Vice- roy, Lord Curzon, during the year, and the relations between Afghanistan and the Indian Government were never more cordial.