IOR/L/PS/5/143

The volume contains manuscript copies of secret letters, memoranda, translations of letters, intelligence reports, financial and statistical statements and translations of local 'newsletters', relating to diplomatic, military and logistical aspects of the British-led invasion of Afghanistan by the so-called Army of the Indus.

Packets (individual or groups of documents) are numbered 2-388 (No.1 does not appear to be bound at the front of the volume), and all annotated ‘No: 34 of 15th November’ (the volume is labelled 'Nov to Nov 1839'). Each document records the date received at the Presidency, Fort William, Simla [Shimla], Secret Department, Secret and Separate Department, or Political Department, 1839, as well as the date of the original document, the correspondent and a summary of the content. Original documents mostly date from March to August 1839 but the volume includes some from November 1838 to February 1839. Copy letters end on folio 786. Folios 787-794 contain: ‘List of Packets to the Hon’ble [Honourable] the Secret Committee of the Hon’ble the Court of Directors. Per [blank]’. The list includes dates and correspondents only.

The principal correspondents are: Thomas Herbert Maddock, Officiating Secretary to the Government in India with the Governor-General; William Hay Macnaghten, Envoy and Minister with the Court of Shah Shooja ool-Moolk [Shah Shuja ul-Mulk]; Henry Torrens, Deputy Secretary to the Government in India with the Governor-General; Lieutenant William Joseph Eastwick, Officiating Political Agent, Khyrpore [Khairpur] Agency; (Andrew) Ross Bell, Collector of Delhi, also referred to as Officiating Political Agent, Shikapore, and Political Agent Upper Sinde [Sindh]; Elliott D’Arcy Todd, in temporary charge of the British Mission, Cabool [Kabul]; Alexander Burnes, Envoy to Kelat [Kalat]; Henry Pottinger, Resident in Sinde; George Clerk, Political Agent, Loodhiana [Ludhiana] (sending translations of his 'newsletter' Punjab Akhbar [also spelt Akbar in the volume]).

Other correspondents include: [T J] Nuthall, Deputy Assistant Commissary General; J D D Bean, In charge of Political Affairs, Shawl [Sahiwal]; Captain H Johnson, Paymaster and Commissariat Officer, Shah Shoojah’s Force; Lieutenant General John Keane, Commander of the Army of the Indus; Lieutenant Colonel I Stuart, Officiating Secretary to the Government in India, Military Department, with the Governor-General; Lieutenant General Sir Willoughby Cotton, Commanding Bengal Column of the Army of the Indus; Major-General E H Simpson, Commanding Shah Shoojah’s Force; John McNeill, British Envoy in Persia; and various British diplomatic and military personnel.

Matters covered notably include:

• Progress of the Army of the Indus towards and into Afghanistan including: landing at Vikkur of the Bombay Column under Lieutenant-General John Keane, progress to Tatta [Thatta], across the Indus, on to Shikapore [Shikarpur] and Dadar (also spelt Daddur and Dadur in the volume) [Dadhar/Dhadar]; march northwards through the Bolan Pass; arrival at Quetta; unopposed occupation of Candahar [Kandahar] by the united Bengal and Bombay Columns and Shah Shoojah’s Force on 25 April 1839 (official accounts on folios 160-64 and folios 355-67); capture of the Fortress of Ghuznee [Ghazni] 23 July 1839 (official account on folios 606-612); capture of Cabool [Kabul] on 6 August 1839 and departure of Ruler Dost Mohammed Khan with his remaining supporters (official account on folio 742-48)
• Supplying the Army of the Indus, particularly: logistics of transport routes, food stores, ordnance depots and supply apportionments; problems encountered by British political agents in procuring sufficient camels, livestock, forage and grain and Henry Pottinger’s suspicions of obstructionism by the Hyderabad ameers [amirs]; British attempts to induce local populations to contribute assistance
• Financing the Army of the Indus, particularly: authorised and disputed expenses submitted by political agents and army officers; payments to local rulers, loyal ‘native’ employees and informers; problems repaying loans from local bankers and wealthy inhabitants; salaries of military and non-combatant staff; auditing of the accounts of Shah Shoojah’s Force; gold coin supply
• British policy of conciliation with a view to securing the route and maintaining lines of communication and supply into Afghanistan, particularly: efforts to reduce the number of attacks, by Belochee (also spelt Belochee) [Balochi] marauders, on British forces in the Bolan Pass and other vulnerable areas; exhorting the troops to act humanely, avoid confrontations with locals and miscreants and only use force as a last recourse; engagement of Belochee tribesmen on the side of the British forces; soliciting support from local rulers and influential tribal chiefs (with monetary inducements) concurrent with exhortations of submission to Shah Shoojah
• Communications, particularly: arrangements for the campaign Dâks (or Dawks) [postal service]; retaining clear crossing over the River Indus; and improvement of the roads
• Intelligence, notably: reports by political agents Alexander Burnes, R Leech and George Clerk, on the political situation in Candahar, activities of Afghan Ruler Dost Mohammed and other suspected anti-British intrigues; interception of native letters; surveillance and disposal of questionable characters such as a ‘Prince of Persia’ apprehended at Shikapore; (false) rumours of Colonel Charles Stoddart’s murder in Bokkara [Bukhara] (folios 188-189); reports on the court of Maharajah Ranjeet [Ranjit] Singh, including his illness, death on 27 June 1839 and funeral rites (accounts in Punjab Akhbar, folios 705-21)
• Relations between the Hyderabad ameers (Meer Noor Mahomed, Nusseer Mahomed and Meer Mahomed Khan and Sobdah Khan), and Henry Pottinger, the Resident in Sinde, whilst the latter is en route to Bombay (on sick leave) via Kurachee [Karachi] in early April 1839, notably regarding the incident of the gun fired from the Moonarah [Manora] Fort, (near Kurachee), and hostile fire returned by HMS Wellesley; attempts by the ameers to negotiate amendments to the 14-point ‘dictat’ Treaty issued to each of them by the Governor-General of India (over-riding Pottinger’s earlier more liberal 23-point draft treaty), regarding currency, payments to the British and control of Kurachee (the Treaty of 14 points, was ratified by the ameers in July 1839); relations between Sobdah Khan and the other three ameers