Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 5.djvu/175

 AFGHAN GROUP. (265)

N the succeeding Article, the general history of the Dooranee kingdom will be sketched, so far as it related to India, up to the period of the dismemberment of the great Moghul emphe, and the annexation of Afghanistan by Nadir Shah, King of Persia; this, however, was not maintained. At Nadir Shah's death, the Suddoozye family of the Afghans became possessors of the Dooranee kingdom. Ahmed Shah Abdalla, the head of the Suddoozye clan, had served under Nadir Shah on his invasion of India, had behaved with singular gallantry, and had been promoted to high distinction. He remained, after the war, at Kandahar, where he gradually acquired authority over the local tribes; and, after the death of Nadir Shah, was finally crowned king. Soon after this event Ahmed Shah determined upon an invasion of India, and advancing at the head of his Dooranees, was met near Sirhind by the Prmce Ahmed Shah, son of the Emperor Mahomed Shah, of Delhi, by whom he was severely defeated in March, 1748. Almaed Shah retired for the present to his own dominions; but, in 1751, he made a second, and more successful attack upon India, and obtained the cession of the Punjab and Mooltan. In 1756, a weak attempt was made from Delhi to recover the Punjab, but it was easily defeated, and Abmed Shah, advancing in turn, overthrew the Delhi force, and mercilessly plundered the capital itself. His possession of Delhi was now resented by the Mahrattas, "who were advancing towards local supremacy; and on the 7th January, 1761, one of the most stupendous battles ever fought in India, took place on the national battle field of Paniput, near Delhi, between the rivals. The Mahrattas suffered a total and irretrievable defeat, and the empire of India lay at the feet of the conqueror; but he was content with what he had achieved, and leaving India soon after his victory, returned to his Dooranee dominion.

India had no further connexion with Afghanistan till the embassy of Mr. Mountstuart Elphinstone, in 1808, to Shah Shoojah, the existing monarch, and descendant of Ahmed Shah. Nor had the embassy any effect in establishing an alliance between the Governments; but, in 1837, the supposed designs of the