At The Court Of The Amîr: A Narrative - free ebook by John Alfred Gray

AT THE COURT of the AMÎR A NARRATIVE

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THE APOLOGY.

I would not have thought of inflicting a book on my long-suffering fellow-countrymen, but for the wish expressed by my publishers: for In Afghanistan however, difficult of access, and hence comparatively unknown, there have been, since that strong man Amîr Abdurrahman ascended the Throne, such remarkable changes in the administration of the country, and such strides towards civilization, that it was thought a narrative of life there, throwing, possibly, some light on the personality of the Monar

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CHAPTER I. On the Road to Kabul.

The start and the wherefore. Unsettled condition of Afghanistan. Departure from Peshawur. Jumrûd Fort and the Watch-tower, The Afghan guard. The Khyber defile. Eccentricities of Rosinante. Lunch at Ali Musjid. Pathan villages. Pathans, their appearance and customs. Arrival at Landi Kotal Serai. The Shenwari country. Caravan of Traders. Dakka. Dangers of the Kabul River, Mussaks. Camp at Bassawal. Chahardeh. Mountain road by the river. Distant view of Jelalabad. It was with no small amount of ple

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CHAPTER II. Arrival at Kabul.

Arrival at Jelalabad. Reception by the Governor. The Palace. The Town. The Plain. Quarters in the Guest Pavilion. The friendly Khan. Tattang and the gunpowder factory. The Royal gardens at Nimla. The Suffêd Koh mountains. Arboreal distribution in Afghanistan. Gundamuk. Assassination of Cavagnari: details of the plot. The “Red bridge.” Commencement of mountainous ascent to Kabul. Jigdilik. Massacre of British in 1837. Former dangers of the valley of Katasang. Enterprising peasants. Tomb in the Se

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CHAPTER III. The Reception.

Position of Kabul. Its defences. Amîr’s opinion of the Founders of his Capital. Entry into Kabul. Aspect of the Townsmen. Arrival at the Arm Foundry. Visit of the Afghan Official. His appearance. Absence of Amîr. To be received at the Palace by the Princes. The approach to the Palace. The Amîr’s Pavilion. Page boys. The Princes Habibullah and Nasrullah. The Reception. Internal arrangement of Pavilion. The earthquake. Abrupt ending of the Reception. Other buildings in the Palace. The city of Kabu

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CHAPTER IV. Afghan Hospitals.

The first attendance at an Afghan Hospital. Its arrangement. The drugs and instruments. The Patients. An Interpreter presents himself. Dispensers. Marvellous recovery of the Page boy. Its effect. Buildings near the Hospital. The Durbar Hall and Guest House. The Sherpûr Military Hospital. Lord Roberts and the Sherpûr Cantonment. Adventure with an Afghan soldier. Arrangement of the In-patient Hospital. Diet of Patients. Attendance of Hakims. Storekeepers and their ways. The next day Mr. Pyne set t

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CHAPTER V. Afghan Dwellings.

The Residential streets of Kabul. Their appearance and arrangement. The Police. Criminal Punishments. The Houses. Their internal arrangement. Precautions to ensure privacy. Manner of building for the rich and for the poor. Effect of rain and earthquake. The warming of houses in the winter. Afternoon teas. Bath-houses. The Afghan bath. The same day that I attended the Hospital, I received an order to visit a man of some importance, the brother of the Prince’s Chief Secretary or Mirza. Although it

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CHAPTER VI. The Kabul Bazaars.

The unpopular Governor and his toothache. The meeting in the Erg Bazaar. Appearance of the Kabul Bazaars. The shops and their contents. Boots, shoes, and cobblers. Copper workers. The tinning of cooking pots. Impromptu tobacco pipes. Tobacco smoking by the Royal Family. Silk and cotton. “Bargaining.” “Restaurants.” Tea drinking. Confectioners. The baker’s oven. Flour mills. The butcher’s shop. Postîns and their cost. Furs. Ironmongers. Arms. “The German sword.” The Afghan tulwar. Rifles and pist

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CHAPTER VII. Ethics.

Sir S. Pyne’s adventure in the Kabul river. The Tower on the bank. Minars of Alexander. Mahomedan Mosques. The cry of the Priest. Prayers and Religious Processions. Afghan conception of God. Religious and non-Religious Afghans. The schoolhouse and the lessons. Priests. Sêyids: descendants of the Prophet. The lunatic Sêyid. The Hafiz who was fined. The Dipsomaniac. The Valet who was an assassin. A strangler as a Valet. The Chief of the Police and his ways. Danger of prescribing for a prisoner. “T

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CHAPTER VIII. Afghan Surgeons and Physicians.

Accidents from machinery in motion. The “dressers of wounds” in Afghanistan. Their methods of treating dislocations, fractures, and wounds, and the awful results of the same. The “Barber surgeons.” Tooth drawing and bleeding. The Hindustani “Doctors.” “Eye Doctors” and their work. The Hakims or Native Physicians. Treatment of disease by the People. Aspect in which European Physicians are viewed by the different Classes. One morning soon after our arrival in Kabul, when I was at the Erg hospital,

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CHAPTER IX. The March to Turkestan.

Jealousy and its results. Sport among the Afghans. The Prince hawking. The “Sportsmen” among the mountains. Wild-fowl shooting. Order to join the Amîr in Turkestan. Preparations. The start. Camp at Chiltan. The Banquet. The Nautch dance. Salaams by the Villagers. Among the Hindu Kush mountains. The camp in the Hazara country. The dismal night. Courtesy of Jan Mahomed. The hungry morning. Mountain paths. Iron spring. The underground river and the Amîr’s offer. The Red mountain and the Deserted Ci

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CHAPTER X. The Amîr.

To be presented. The Palace gardens. The Palace. The Amîr. The Presentation. Questions asked by His Highness. Another European present. Punishment of Rebellions in Afghanistan. Asiatic motives from European standpoint. Departure of the Captain. Amîr’s arrangements for my safety. Bazaars and houses of Mazar. The suburbs. The Military Hospital. The Patients and their condition. The medical attendants. Afghan appreciation of European medical treatment. The daily routine. Insubordination of Hospital

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CHAPTER XI. Life in Turkestan.

General Nassir Khan. The Story of the Shield. The Belgian’s Request. Escape of Allah Nûr: his Capture. The Amîr’s Decision. The Turkestan Commander-in-Chief. Operation on Allah Nûr. The Armenian’s Comments. Illness of Hadji Jan Mahomed. The Haughty Colonel: further comments by the Armenian. Sundry Acquaintances. Excursion to Takh-ta-Pûl. Fortune-telling among the Afghans. The Policeman-cook and the Lunch. Balkh. The Mosque at Mazar-i-Sherif and its Miracles. Called to His Highness. The Cool-air

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CHAPTER XII. The Inhabitants of Afghanistan.

Slaves in Kabul: prisoners of war and others. The frequent rebellions. The different nationalities in Afghanistan. Origin of the Afghan race. The Turk Sabaktakin. Mahmûd of Ghuzni. Buddhism displaced by Mahomedanism: agglomeration of different strains. Border Afghans. Duranis, Ghilzais. Founding of a Dynasty of Afghan Kings. Ahmad Shah. Timûr Shah. Danger to the Empire. The Sons of Timûr. Zaman Shah. The Afghan “Warwick.” Execution of Paînda. Rebellion of the Shah’s brother. Mahmûd Shah. Another

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CHAPTER XIII. The Birth of Prince Mahomed Omer.

Hazara slaves, Kaffir slaves, and others. The slave boys at the Palace. Court Pages. High positions occupied by slaves. Treatment of slaves in Kabul. The slave boy and the Son. Price of slaves. Wife and children of Hazara Chief in slavery. Hazara slaves a glut in the market. Illness of the Hostage of an Afghan Chief. Abdur Rashid down with fever. Own illness and the aches thereof. The British Agent’s postal arrangements. Occasional fate of the letters. Postage in Afghanistan. Power of annoying p

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CHAPTER XIV. The Rearing of the Infant Prince.

The Amîr’s autograph letter. Medical consultation concerning the rearing of the Prince. Conflicting customs of the Orient and the Occident. Conservative nurses. The “Hakim fair to see”: the patient: his fate. Lessons in Persian and lessons in English. Portrait painting. Dietary difficulties. Gracious acts of His Highness. Amîr’s letter of condolence. The Royal visit by deputy. Congratulations of the British Agent. The doleful dumps of illness and the cheery Armenian. Accident to the favourite Pa

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CHAPTER XV. The Amîr’s Conversation.

Sent for to the Palace. Fragility of Europeans. The Amîr’s postîn. The Bedchamber. The King’s evening costume. The guests. The Amîr’s illness. School in the Durbar-room. The Amîr’s conversation. Companies of Khans: the water supply of London: plurality of wives. The Amîr is bled. Further conversation. His Highness a physician in Turkestan: an iron-smith: a gold-smith. Drawing. Discussion as to the Amîr’s portrait. Amîr’s choice of costume. The Shah of Persia. Portraits of the Shah in ignominious

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CHAPTER XVI. The First Sitting.

Morning prayers. Early tea. The weather. Breakfast. The first sitting for the Amîr’s portrait: difficulties to contend with. The Courtier’s criticism. The Amîr’s rebuke. The Deputation. Conversation with the Amîr: the climate of England and Australia: differences in the time of day: the cause of clouds. Awe of the Courtiers. The favourite Page-boy’s privileges. The newspaper paragraph: the Amîr’s comment. Serious incident at a sitting. The Captain’s toothache. Present of a rifle from the Amîr. T

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CHAPTER XVII. The Amîr as an Art Critic.

The “villain” cook. Mental effect of a cold in the head. Portrait of the infant Prince: a way out of the difficulty. The Amîr’s reflection in the window. The Page boy and the Portrait. The Amîr as an Art Critic. The tea tray. Salaams to the King’s Portrait. The Amîr’s toilet. The start on a shooting expedition. Page boys as riders. The mud of Mazar. A make-shift candlestick: the Armenian’s comments. The sample case of cigars. The Amîr’s handwriting. A sunset. The next day I had an awful cold in

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CHAPTER XVIII. The Levee on New Year’s Day.

The Mahomedan New Year’s Eve. Presents. The “Izzat” medal. Coinage of Afghanistan: Rupees: Pice: the “Tilla.” Levee on New Year’s Day. The guests: Maleks and Governors: The British Agent. Presents to the Amîr. The Levee as a picture. Lunch. Chess as played in Afghanistan. The great rider among men: his fall. The Amîr as a Pathologist. The steam-engine pony: his paces: his wickedness. Sight-seeing with the Princes. The Temple of Mazar. The booths at the entrance to the Temple. The Park of Mazar.

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CHAPTER XIX. The Young Princes.

Infant Prince as the Sultana’s Deputy. Reception by the Prince: the pavilion: the procession: the guard: costume: presents. Visit to Prince Hafiz Ullah: his house: conversation: presents. The wrestling again. Her Majesty’s photograph. Lunch with the Prince in the Palace Gardens. The “Royal manner.” The third day’s wrestling. The mother of Prince Hafiz Ullah. A drawing of the Prince. Adventure with the fat General: his officiousness: the after effect on certain patients: his bullying: the after e

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CHAPTER XX. The Return Journey to Kabul.

Loading up: the start. The first camp. Tropical heat: the whirlwind. The Amîr’s khirgar. Scanty rations. Midnight marching. The numbers on the march. Dangers in the pitchy darkness. Fever. Stopped on the road. The hut: impure water: sleep by the road side. The scream. Daybreak. The second camp. Lost on the plains. Naibabad: the rain. The march to Tash Kurghan. A sketch of the Khulm Pass. Sight seeing from the house tops. The Durbar. Punishment of the unjust townsfolk. The Amîr’s health. The ecli

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CHAPTER XXI. The Arrival in Kabul.

The Durbar in Haibuk. “Rustom’s throne.” The ancient caves. The wounded Governor: Kabul dentistry. The Amîr and the sketches: His Highness’ joke. Another Durbar: the Amîr’s prescription. The erring Hakim. Courtesy of His Highness. “Microbes.” Illness. Elephant riding. A grateful peasant. Dangerous passes. The Durbar at Shush-Bûrjah: the hot river. Accidents on the “Tooth-Breaker.” Akrab-Abad. The quarrel of the cooks: the result. The camp of the camels. A pet dog. Pushed over the edge. Evil resu

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CHAPTER XXII. Life in Kabul.

The Îd festival: salaam to the Amîr: the educating of Afghans. Amîr’s visit to the Workshops: under the mulberry tree: the Amîr’s speech. Products of the Workshops. Royal Lunch at Endekki: the Invitation: the Brougham: the Palace: Lunch: the Drawing-room: the Piano. Evening illumination of gardens: fireworks: dinner. The unreliable Interpreter. A night at the Palace. Commencement of intrigue. Gifts to the Amîr: the presentation. The rebuke to Prince Nasrullah. The barking dog. Noah’s Ark: the no

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CHAPTER XXIII. The Amîr’s Illness.

Sent for to the Palace. The Amîr’s health: the Liniment. Questions in chemistry. Early breakfast at the Palace. A courtier as a waiter. Called to Prince Aziz Ullah: his illness. Illness of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Illness of the Amîr’s cousin. A visit to Prince Mahomed Omer. The Queen’s brougham: her reverend uncle. The reception. Lunch. The present. The Jelalabad official and his promise. Dinner with Mr. Pyne. Death of Prince Aziz Ullah. The Chief ill again. The weather. The silence at th

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CHAPTER XXIV. Royal Patients.

Cogitations concerning the Hindustani Interpreter: colloid and crystalloid: the Armenian’s comments. Cogitations concerning the position: the engineers’ comments. The Amîr as a host: the Sultana as hostess. The Amîr’s photograph. The Sultana’s name. Sirdar, the girl-boy. The sleeping draught. The tea cup and the thermometer. The release from a dangerous position. The Christmas dinner: the guests: the festive board: the menu: the wine: music. The Amîr’s fainting attack: the remedy: effect on the

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CHAPTER XXV. A Kabul Winter.

Hindustani intrigue: information from the British Agent: offer of assistance: measures for protection: further intrigue. The “Royal manner.” The two factions: Habibullah: Mahomed Omer. The question of succession. Return to the City House and English Society: divers discomforts: the cold of Kabul. The naked beggar boy. The old Kabul bridge. The question of “bleeding.” Disbanding of a Shiah regiment. Amîr’s advice to his sons. The oncoming spring: improvements in Amîr’s health. The Hindustani agai

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CHAPTER XXVI. A Kabul Spring.

Spring clothing: a grateful Afghan. Poison bowls. The dreadful book. A haunted house: the skeleton in the garden. Increase of patients. Called to the Palace: Amîr’s costume: flowers: Amîr’s generous proposal. Troubles of a Ruler: Secretary in disgrace. Amîr’s plans for the future. Geologists in the service: their difficulties. Occidental v. Oriental. Mercantile commissions. The Armenian’s leave. Delay. The locusts. Prince Mahomed Omer and his Lâla. The Palace gardens. A military Durbar. Amîr’s t

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CHAPTER XXVII. On Leave.

The last Durbar: the Amîr’s remark: a wedding present. Adieux. The journey down. An awful day: “difficult hot:” the walk. Played out. The stream and the wall. Triumph: exhaustion. The work of the locusts. Unwelcome guests: a rejected plan. The breeding establishment: a study in colour. A want of tact. An illegal march. Simla. The despatch. Dinners and dances. The study of character: an education. The Armenian in London. The “hub” of the universe: return to India. On the last day in May I went to

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CHAPTER XXVIII. The Welcome to Kabul.

Pathan rifle thieves. Dacca. The midnight alarm: the mêlée: the accident: rescued. “Bally rascals:” attempted explanation. The next morning. What it was all about. The terror of the Amîr’s name. Running postmen. Kabul post. Arrival. Armenian’s opinion of London. Changes in the English “staff.” Visitors: letters. Lady doctor’s application. Salaam to the Amîr. His Highness’s welcome: his conversation. The military Durbar. Presents. The new British Agent. Visit to the Sultana. Salaam to Prince Habi

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CHAPTER XXIX. The Cholera.

Ramazàn. The outbreak of Cholera. Precautions. Notices in the bazaars. Rapid spread. European medicine. The overwhelming dread. Processions to the Mosque. Oriental fatalism. Exodus of the Court. The shadow of death. Cases. Removal of the Court to the mountains. Closure of the Workshops. The Armenian as an Inspector. The Prince’s chamberlain. Death of the Dabier-ul-Mulk. The mortality. An incident. Afghan appreciation of British motives. Arrival of an Englishman with thoroughbred horses. Dying ou

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CHAPTER XXX. Another Winter.

A political Durbar: tact of the Amîr: a friendly soldier. The banquet. Return of the Cholera. Essay on “Precautionary measures:” its fate. Health of the English in Kabul. Serious illness of the gardener: lying rumours. Report to the Amîr: His Highness’s kindness. Visit to Prince Nasrullah: a “worm-eaten” tooth: the consultation: the operation: the present: effect of example. Erring Englishmen: the Amîr’s remedy. Amîr as a chess-player: the unhappy Courtier. The far-sighted Armenian: winter quart

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CHAPTER XXXI. Adieu to Kabul.

Afghan artists: their “style.” Presentation of the little Prince’s portrait. His quarters at the Palace: presents. The Prince as a host. After dark, a walk in the Kabul Bazaars. Before the Amîr: the shock: the result, landscapes. A fresh commission. The “Gnat’s” interpreting. The Amîr’s answer. Cogitation: decision. Art pupils before the Amîr. His Highness’s criticism. The Amîr’s kindly remark:—an interpretation thereof. The miner’s dog: other dogs: shattered nerves and surgical operations. The

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CHAPTER XXXII. The Argument.

Afghan court life from an English standpoint. The rise and fall of the Afghan Courtier. Untrustworthiness: the inevitable result. Intrigue: a similar result. Question of “cause” or “consequence.” Possibility of raising the moral plane: reasons in favour of. The Amîr’s obvious opinion. His Highness’s great work. Certain evils. Former condition of the middle classes: present condition: opening of the eyes: comparison with similar class in India. Progress in Afghanistan. Civilizing effect of the Am

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