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 1. DOURAUNEE CHIEFTAINS IN FULL ARMOUR.
THIS costume of Douraunee warriors gives a fair idea of the style of armour worn by the Afghaun noblesse, though it was not a common occurrence to meet with them so completely clothed in clinquant mail as they are represented in the frontispiece. Doubtless many were as fully armed without giving an indication of it; as some wear a shawl round the steel head-piece, the nose-plate and the plume alone attracting attention to the fact of their being helmeted at all. Many have shown me the shirt of mail worn under their silken cameese, as a protection against the thrust of a brother’s knife, or midnight dagger, pointed expressly to split the links of chain. Breast-plate, trousers of mail, and arm-pieces, are worn under the chogah, or cloak. The celebrated Akbar Khaun usually appeared in full armour. The egret plume, collected for the Shauh, and presented by him as a mark of especial honour to chiefs meriting the distinction, is inserted in the steel tubes of the head-piece. Peacock feathers also (an emblem of royalty) I have often noticed. Having elsewhere briefly described the Douraunees, I will merely add that the accompanying figures were of the Populzye family, whence spring the Suddozye, or royal tribe of Caubul, of whom, and more especially of Shauh Shujau, I shall give a few anecdotes here, as characteristic of Afghaun manners.
Though this unfortunate monarch has been accused of leaguing himself with the populace during the insurrection against us, still no direct evidence in support of the charge has ever been adduced. As every suspicion of his treachery has been thus based on mere presumption, we would fain not believe him guilty of such impolicy, and utter forgetfulness of his own interests, as to destroy the sole prop which supported him on his tottering throne. Gratitude we could not expect from him; for though we had helped him to his throne, we made it a most unenviable and uneasy seat; so that, if by betraying us he could possibly have bettered his forlorn condition, we need not have been surprised at his breach of faith. He was a sovereign but in name, a monarch without power, a true “roi fainéant; ” while the British Envoy was “mayor of the palace.” The Shauh’s Wuzzeer was but the creature of our pleasure; the Shauh’s own will was thwarted in full court; and the faint disguise of the ally but poorly cloaked the real attitude of the master. However, it was our presence alone, hateful and intolerable as it must have been, which maintained his Majesty in his empty stateliness; and the fall of the Feringhee power, he must have known full well, would be the sure signal of his own destruction, as was proved by his assassination, which followed immediately after our abandonment of him. But to our anecdotes of this unhappy man, some of which, from his own vivâ-voce testimony, will show the extreme difficulty of the part he was called upon to play. British officers in his service, who attended his levees, were kept constantly waiting outside the palace. This treatment, together with the complaints consequent thereon, Sir Alexander Burnes informed me he took an opportunity of mentioning to the King, adding- “The English feel hurt, too, at your Majesty never returning their salutes.” The Shauh seemed sorrowful, and replied- “To the first of these grievances I can listen: it is the fault of my Ishikshibaushee (the master of ceremonies). My people are jealous of the English, and try to disgust them with my service by keeping them waiting at the door. But for the latter there can be no redress. Already the Lord Sahib (so they called our Minister) sits in the presence, which no noble of this nation presumes to do. ” The Shauh here alluded to the seat in the presence-chamber which had been unwillingly granted to Sir William Macnaghten. After repeated requests, a stool had been constructed of the least possible elevation, to receive, in an attitude the very reverse of imposing, the figure of his squatting Excellency. “And how, ” he continued, “can I alter a time-honoured custom which has existed for centuries, namely, that of returning a salute by the inclination of my eyes, which my own nobles consider not only an ample acknowledgment, but deem it the highest honour to gaze on the light of my countenance? Do you forget, too, I was educated in the court of my father, Timoor Shauh, the proudest man in the universe? When once in open Durbar, at broad midday, he remarked, “How brightly the moon shineth!” his courtiers immediately exclaimed, “Yea, verily, your Sultaunut, and lo the stars also!” Tell your officers they shall not be kept waiting at our levees, but we cannot alter the laws of our kingdom. Everything I do, ” he added bitterly, “is watched by the eyes of hatred and jealousy. I am already accused of favouring your nation. They say I have no power, and that I am overruled by your people in public.” The want of cordiality which existed between the Royal Family and their subjects may be accounted for by the following circumstances; - Riding one day in Afghaun dress, with a party of haughty Kuzzilbaush chiefs, we met the royal cavalcade. The Shauh was seated in his naulkee, a covered couch borne on men’s shoulders, which no subject is permitted to use. In years past, a powerful Baurikzye chief, Azeem Khaun, to whom Shujau was indebted for the recovery of his kingdom, was disgraced by him for thus presuming. This ingratitude on the Shauh’s part so disgusted him, that, forsaking his cause, he drove him into exile, and set up in his stead his brother, Eyoob.
As the King approached, we drew up on one side to salute, but received no sign of acknowledgment from the imperial eyes: on the contrary, we were rudely pushed, and our horses were struck by some of retinue. We pursued our evening ride, cursing the uncourteous treatment, to the gardens of Timoor Shauh, in whose shady retreats Caubul’s kings in their palmy days delighted to lounge away the hours. There we encountered the poor old blind Shauh Zemaun, and having saluted the palkee containing the shadow of former greatness, we passed on to salām to his handsome nephew, Futti Jung (in fight victorious). He, far from noticing our obeisance, growled out a few sharp words to his long-haired groom boy, who ran up and accosted us with “Shuneedee” (Have you heard), “Hookm e Shauhzauda hust” (it is his Highness’s command), “Uz een baug boorroo” (get out of this Garden). My blood boiled at this insolence, but “Do at Rome,” &c., and as my friends galloped their horses out, shrugging my shoulders, I followed. Do the Afghauns love their princes? I leave the reader to reply.
[Keywords]
qamis /chogha /farangi /ishikchi-bashi/sahib /darbar /nalki /palki/
Durrani /Afghan /Akbar Khan /Popalzay /Sadozay /Kabul / Shah Shuja‘ /Timur Shah /Saltanat /Qizilbash /Barakzay /Azim Khan /Ayyub /Shah Zaman /Fath Jang |
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