Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 60, No. 373, November 1846
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
who, from his position as servant of the East India Company, would not
venture to distort the truth, "when I was concealed in the Persian
quarters, I heard both the men and the women saying that the English
enriched the grain and the grass-sellers, &c., whilst they reduced the
chiefs to poverty and killed the poor by starvation."
It is a well-known English foible to think nothing good unless the price
be high. This was strikingly exemplified in Afghanistan, where every
thing was done virtually to lower the value of money. The labourers
employed by our engineer officers were paid at so high a rate that there
was a general strike, and agriculture was brought to a stand-still. The
king's gardens were to be put in order, but not a workman was to be had
except for English pay. The treasury could not afford to satisfy such
exorbitant demands, and the people were made to work, receiving the
regular wages of the country. Clamour and complaint were the
consequence, and the English authorities informed Mullah Shakur, that if
he did not satisfy the grumblers, they would pay them for the Shah, thus
constituting him their debtor. Shuja's jealousy increased, and he showed
his irritation by various petty attempts at annoyance. Discontent was
rife in Afghanistan, even when the general impression amongst the
English officers there, was, that the country was quiet and the people
satisfied. Colonel Herring was murdered near Ghazni; a chief named Sayad
Hassim rebelled, but was subdued, and his fort taken, by Colonel Orchard
and the gallant Major Macgregor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account