Eighteen Years in the Khyber 1 879 1898

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R
E I G H T EE N YE A S I N
R
H KH Y
T E B E
8 8 8
1 7 9 1 9
BY C OL ONEL
W
R
A BURTON
,
W
IT H P ORT RAIT S MAP AND IL LU ST RAT IONS
, ,
N
L O DON
JOHN M U RRAY ALBEMARL E S TRE E T
x
,
1900

R R
T O T H E E A D E
B even the m nu script o f the s e p ge s c o uld b e
EFORE a a
m de re dy fo r pre s s by th e AU the pen droppe d
a a THOR
,
M
for ever from the we ried h nd which held it
a a ar
.
ll m ent l ctivity d fi m p owerful will h d
ve ou s a a an a r a
,
W
helpe d t o su st in th e ell knit but slender fr m e o f
a - a
W
R U through ne rly thirty s even ye rs
OBERT ARB RTON a - a
of Indi n s ervic e th e l tter h lf of which
w
a a a as
,
p s s ed in the lmo st d ily worry c re d nxiet y
a a a a an a
, ,
in s ep r ble from the gu rdi n ship o f th imp ort nt
a a a a e a
—
p o st which h d b e en intru st e d t o hi s ch rge th t o f
a a a
the f m ou s d on c e dre de d Khyber P s s H
W
a an - a a O
.
well he fulfill e d th t tru st i s on offici l re cord d
a a an
,
W
ill h ve it s l sting pl c e in the hist ory o f B riti s h
a a a
rul e in Indi T h es e p ge s give in hi s simple
w
a a o n
.
l ngu ge th e m o de st st ory during ye rs o f lonely
a a a
exile of duty don e under m ny difficultie s d
a an
, ,
y R
o ften under m n d epre s sing influenc e s S
a IR OBERT
.
W
U never th ought of riting b o o k until
ARB RTON w a
th e id e rou se d in hi s min d by kindl y hint
w
a as a a
W
H
given by i Roy l Highn e s s the P
s a RINCE OF ALES
,
[ ]
6
TO THE REA DER
y
h h gr ci ou sl p ermitte d thi s volum e t o b
w
o a s a e
de dic ted t o him self The ork then c om
w w
a a s
.
m d with S R ’ ch r cteristic energy o f
ence IR oBERT s a a
will but the insidiou s dis e s e from whi ch t time s
a a
he h d suffered in Indi d which b ec me imt en
a a an a
,
y
ifi d during the tr ing m rche s d l bours o f the
s e a an a
Tir h c mp ign h d lre dy begun it s f t l inro ds
a a a a a a a a a
,
,
d the end qui ckly c me Returning from th e
a n a
.
E st in full hope of future employm e t either i
a n n
,
E ngl n d or he would h ve preferred it on th e
a a s a
, ,
F rontier g in m ongst the wild tribe smen h
w
a a a o
,
y
obeye d d l oved him h e c me h om e onl to die
an a
, .
y
His d untimel f te h brought to his widow
s a a as
,
m ny frien ds hom s he would de sire t o th nk here
W
a a
,
y
fo r their expre s sio s o f c ondolen c e d their kindl
n an
effo rt s t o lighten the burden of her s orrow b ove
& a
ll she would humbly expre s s her gr titu de t o th t
a a a
,
y
Augu st L d in who s e s ervi ce her husb d died
a an
,
the QU E I h from her
EEN- MP RE SS OF NDIA w o ow n
, ,
widowe d he rt s ent ords of tendere st symp thy t o
w
a a
,
I N T ROD U C T ORY
T work i s pre s ent e d th e AU wro t e it
HIS a s THOR
,
ret ining his m etho d o f rr ngem ent reg rd s
w
a o n a a a s a
the C h pt er s d the sp elling of Orient l n m e s o f
a an a a
m en d pl c e s If the p ers on l element h be en
an a a a s
.
kept mu ch in the b ckgroun d d little b eyond
a an
rec ord s of public or offici l incident s given of the
a are
lonely d trying life le d by him m ongst the wild
a n a
m en of the Frontier the expl n tion is th t S
R
a a a I
,
W
R di d not wi sh t o writ e m erely hi s
OBERT ARBU RTON
remini s c enc e s but of hi s pr ctic l work W rden
a a a s a
of th e Khyber for n e rly eight een ye rs He de sired
a a
.
t o give c c o unt o f th t S tew rdship B efore h e
an a a a
.
pp ointe d to it s ch rge th e Khyb er P s s
w
a s a a a w a s
,
W
N
th e m o st d ng erou s pl c e on th e F rontier of
a a
. .
—
In di dre de d by even Afgh n tr ders d clo s e d t o
a a a a an
ll others The s t te of th e rel tion s betwe en the
a a a
.
Governm ent of In di d the tr n s fronti er tribe s
a an a
-
w de s cribe d in Ap ril 187 7 in Minute by L
a s a ORD
,
L then Vi c eroy d Govern or G ener l t o the
YTTON an - a
,
,
y
S e cret r of S t te f Indi follows I beli ev e
r ‘
a a o a a s
,
th t o ur N orth We s t ern F rontier p re s ent s thi s
t
a - a
m
om ent sp e ct cle uni qu e in th e world t le t I
a a ; a a s
[8] N U C Y
R D R
I T O TO
kn ow o f n o other sp ot wh ere fter twenty fi ye rs
a - ve a
,
o f p e ceful o c cup ti on gre t civili se d Power h
a a a a a s
,
obt ine d s o littl e influenc e over it s s emi s v ge
a - a a
n eighb ours d c quired s o little kn owle dge o f th em
a n a
,
th t th e c ountry within d y’ s ride o f it s m o st im
a a a
port nt g rri s on (Pe sh w r) i s bs olut e t m
a a a a an a er
m
i m' d th t there i s bs olutely n o s e curity for
ncog a n a a
B ritish life mile o r two b eyond our border ’ From
a
.
the d te of hi s first ppointm ent on the Frontier
a a
,
W
C U set him s elf t o reme dy thi s st t e
L L
O ONE ARB RTON a
o f things d during the whole p erio d of his c ontrol
an
,
of the Khyber th t dre ded P s s kept open for
w
a a a a s
,
tr ffic or tr vel witho ut single E rope n s oldier
a a a u a
or S ep oy being st tion ed in it beyond J mrud d
a a an
, ,
wh en he g ve over ch rge it s fe highw y
w
a a a s a s a a a
,
in Indi
a s any a
.
The c u s e s which brought b out the trib l ri sing
a a a
i n Augu st 1897 d nece s sit ted th e Tir h c mp ign
an a a a a
n eed not b e referre d to h ere b eyon d mentioning th t
a
W
it C ’ fi m b elief th t n o tt ck
w a s OLONEL ARBU RTON S r a a a
on the p o s t s of th e Khyb er would h ve b een s u c c e s s
a
ful h d hi s s ervice s b een utilis ed t onc e imm edi t ely
a a a
,
fter he h d expre s s ed t o the Governm ent hi s d i
a a rea
n e s s t o return t o duty in reply t o the offi ci l t elegr m
a
a
,
t o which h e refers in hi s ch pt er on ‘ The Khyb er
a
D éb a l ’ h ving b e en re ceived d n swere d by
c e as a a n a
him on Augu st 13 1897 He h d in the m onth o f
a
, .
June previou s written t o one o f the S e cret rie s of
a
G overnment th t strong ve of M homm ed n
w
a a a a a
,
f n tici m p s sing over th e Frontier d he
a a s w as a an w a s
,
INTRODUCTORY [9]
informe d i reply th t our politic l su c c e s s in th e
n a a
M l kh d in S w t d D ir h broken the b ck o f
a a an a an as a
, ,
Mull h f n ticism for ever 1 N everthele s s when the
a a a
,
storm burst in Augu st d he re dy d m o s t
w
an as a an
,
xiou s t o return t o the Khyb er t o st y th e evil
an a
Mull h influen c e which h e knew would b e exerte d
a
there hi s s ervic e s were not c lle d for until ten d ys
a a
,
ft er he h d tendere d the fi of them It then
w
a a o er as
.
t o o l t e O n Augu st 2 3 the Khyb er p o st s were
a
.
tt cke d d t ken d not in ptly de s crib e d
a a an a - a ay a as
o ne o f sh me d humili tion for th e B riti sh th
a a n a a u o
iti How bitt erly the old W rden of the Khyb e r
r e s a
.
felt th t blow m b e g thered from extr ct from
a ay a an a
priv te letter whi ch he then wrot e t o friend in
a a a
E ngl n d
a &
My min d is very he vy over thi s hideou s di s st er
a a
,
which I feel c ould h v e be en st v ed ff even up t o
a a o
the d of mi schief It m ke s m e quit e d t o think
a y a s a
.
— —
h e sily th e l b our of ye rs f lifetim e b e
w
o a a a o a c a n
ruine d d de stroye d in few d ys ’
an a a
.
The h rd work of th e Tir h c mp ign whi ch
a a a a
foll owe d the exp o sure d f tigu e c ouple d with
an a
, ,
unce sing tt ck o f dys ent ery m b e s id t o h v e
a a a s ay a a
,
undermine d his b odily stre ngth d fin lly t o h v e
an a a
—
c us ed hi s de th but the lo s s o f the Khyb er ft er
a a a
,
hi s f ithful gu rdi nship of s o m ny ye rs preye d
a a a a a
,
h
mo st e vily up on hi s min d
a
.
It i s n o ex gger ti on to th t it broke hi s
a a s ay a
he rt
a
.

CH APTER I
F
M Y AT H ER
1830 186 3
-
t r— g rti r — tt
B y
M f h Hi m tm t t l A ll 1830 A h d
y a e s appo en o en a e ac e
— ,
ti g t rr i t
D
to Shah Shuj ah’ s C on n en 1839 M a 1es n ece of os
K — rr ti , —
B
M uham m ad han Insu ec on at C aub ul 1841 ecom es one
,
t g g r r t r g r
—
f th h t th Af h S d M m h ’ d
o e os a es o e an a a s y o e s an e s
—
p r r
— y y
and es ca es My ea l d a s School at Mu s soo ie and Ken
— —
gt i z tt t r
W y y
G R
sin on Addiscom b e and oolw ch a e ed to o al Ar ille
—
p t j t r t
P
d d t b M f h ’ d h
an os e o an a y a e s ea
.
C H APTE R II
—
S IN I N
Y
AB S A P A JAB
—
186 3 1870
i tr — r rr g t rp t
— P
C
Financ al oub les T ansfe ed to Ben al S aff o s os ed to
— —
j tr p ig r p rt
P
2 l t b I f Ab m i m T d
s an a n a n y yss a n ca a n an s o an
ri t p ri — v i g — ri g
C
mm I l d d t E l d M
o iss a a ex e ences n a e o n an ar a e
— —
t r i it pp i t
W
Re u n to Ind a h 15th L udianah Sikhs A o n ed to
—
j i i i t t i i r r
P P
an ab Comm ss on Ass s an Comm ss one at eshawa
CH APTER III
I IN
CR M E T HE P ANJAB
1870
—
tt p i i g r r r
C l A M d
a e o son n son u e
H R
C APTE IV
S
W
P E HA AR
—
1870 1872
—
i r ti g ti g i g tr ti
L P —
f t h H h d h k I d
e a es aw a un n s oo n an aw n n o uc on
, ,
~ t r
W J
t C i Vi it f M H Sm h M P t m d
o avagnar s o r i o a u
. . . , . . ,