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SEPTEMBER, 1886.)
THE LAST YEARS OF SHAH SHUJAA.
263
Meanwhile, however, the gházís had girded him a regiment for protection. But this did up the loins of courage and shouting the blessed not arrive, and the ghdcis came in numbers and verne, “Verily Allah loveth those who fight almost captured him. Meanwhile the inhabifor his religion in battle array, as if they were tants of the Andarini Mahallah reduced him to & well compacted building," hastily assailed great straits for want of water. the house of Alexander Burnes, which was in On Thursday the twenty-first of the said the city, looted his property, and capturing him month [26th October 1841]the valiant gházis, whilst he was in the act of fleeing, cut him to who were under the command of the Naib pieces with their merciless swords. After Aminu'llah Khan Lahukurdt and 'Abdu'llah plundering his house they set it on fire, and Achakzii, considered that, as the English had no likewise robbed, in the twinkling of an eye, the stores (gudám) in the Cantonment, but had Government treasury, which was near it, and in transferred all their stores] to the forts of J'afir charge of the Farangi (European] Johnson; Khân and Sharif Khân, they must, if the stores which acquisition caused the poor and the be destroyed, perish partly by hunger, and destitute to lift up the banner of mendicanoy. partly by bullets. The conclusion was accord
On the other hand, it occurred to some of ingly arrived at that these two forts must be the upright and united Khâns, viz. 'Abdu'llah taken, and the stores, -that is to say, the proKhan Achâkzâi, Aminu'llah Lahukurdi, Sardar visions,-plundered. Accordingly, therefore, “Abdue-salâm Khân Bimizđi, Sikandar Khân | they so ravaged them that in a moment it was Bimizai, &c., that after having embarked in as if they had never existed.' They also set fire 80 dangerous an undertaking, they could not to the fort [of J'afir Khân) and attacked the fort impart stability to & Government without a of Shartt Khân, which was near the Cantonment. PadshAh. Therefore they unanimously elected The English Ensign Warren,' who was with Muhammad Zaman Khan to be Padshah, and one hundred fifty men of the Fifth Regiment in resorted to more violence in order to realize charge of the fort [of J'afir Khân), felt himself their hopes. Accordingly after slaying Alex- unable to resist the gházís, and was ready to ander Burnes and plundering the treasury under agree to leave it, and thus to save his life. Johnson, they attacked the fort of Nishan Khan, Meanwhile Captain Swayne, who had with two situated between Deh-i-Afghân and Bagh-i- hundred men of the Forty-fourth Regiment been Shih (Garden of the Shâh]. As the European marching from the Cantonment to relieve him, officers had purchased the gódáms of the became on reaching the Bigh-i-Shah & target fort, and adorned it for habitation, they for the bullets of the gházís, and lost an eye; showed fight. When, however, the ghasis im- and most of the other officers having been killed, petuously rushed upon them they could no as many of the rest of the force as escaped the longer resist, and most of them were slain. sword, trod the way of flight. About the time of Those who escaped the sword, fled by the aid mid-day prayers, Ensign Kärn [sic], intending of some friends the Chandaul Mahallah to to aid Ensign Warren, marched from the Can. the first Chháuni, whereon all the corn and tonment with one regiment of the [East India] stores, laid up in the fort for the winter, fell Company, and one division of the Nirami into the possession of the gházís.
Cavalry [regulars]; but before he had yet ap. When Mr. Trevor, who had on the first day proached near, the gházís discharged a shower taken up a position in the tower of Fath Khân, of bullets upon his advancing force, of which knew that Burnes had been killed, and the they killed eight and wounded fifteen, causing treasury plundered, he made the Janbaz it to retreat to the Cantonment. They then Shábi Sawârs, whom he commanded, his own continued their operations around the fort, pushbody-guard, and asked Mr. Macnaghten to send ing a mine to the base of it like mice. Captain
• Qurdn, Ch.lxi. v. 4.
from the Portuguese qudão meaning cotton, and the place where it is stored; hence anglicised into godown, and designating any kind of store-house. (See Panjab Notes and Queries, Vol. I. Note 183, Vol. II. Note 754.)
• This is again & mistake in date, as the events described took place more than a week later.
[This hyperbolical expression is not borne out by what follows. SED.)
" Lieutenant," 8.g. "Lieutenant Warren and his party had abandoned the fort, and returned to the Can. tonments, leaving all our supplies in the hands of the enemy, and inspiring them with fresh confidence and courage, Kaye, Vol. II. p. 33.
"Major,' p. 28 ibid.
