Mss Eur F90/31, no.40

Azim Jah and his title; is greatly concerned at Cranborne's orders to stop work on fortified cantonment at Peshawar [cf Cranborne's letter of 27 August]; outlines at length history of trans-Indus troop dispositions, and numbers involved, and explains reasons for holding Peshawar valley with British troops; valley is invasion route into India since ancient times; fierce and turbulent character of its inhabitants.

[Remaining pages misfiled: turn to folio 92 in Lawrence's letter of 16 September]

Peshawar cannot be held by native troops without an increase in numbers, and railway would not help; advantages of holding Peshawar and other key places with British troops, among them prevention of 'those panics among our own people which are so scandalous and do so much harm both in India and in England'; British 'folly and presumption' before mutiny in neglecting to construct fortifications, which made its suppression so difficult a struggle 'the evils of which will be felt for generations'; comparatively low cost of barracks and fortifications required; when Lt-Gov of Punjab favoured railway to Peshawar, but now he is responsible for finances of all-India, has changed his views, though all but one of his Council favour it; cost likely to be enormous; East Indian Railway management offensive to Indians; such management may eventually produce 'much political mischief' - a railway so managed running through Peshawar valley 'would be certainly damaged, and the Englishmen connected with it murdered'.