IOR/L/PS/5/230, ff 13-28

This part of the volume consists of copies of enclosures to a secret despatch from the Government of India Foreign Department to the Secret Committee, Number 3 of 1857, dated 8 January 1857. The enclosures are numbered 3-4 and are dated 5-28 December 1856.

The enclosures consist of two letters from Captain Hugh Rees James, Officiating Secretary to the Chief Commissioner for the Punjab, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department. The letters, with enclosures, chiefly convey intelligence on Afghanistan affairs, the main sources of which are Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Benjamin Edwardes, Commissioner and Superintendent Peshawur [Peshawar] Division, and news writers at Herat and Teheran [Tehran].

The enclosures notably cover the following:

• The siege of Herat and the circumstances of the city’s surrender to Persian [Iranian] troops, including the role of Esau Khan [ʻĪsá Khān], chief minister in Herat
• The view of Edwardes and the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab regarding: whether Persian forces will try to advance further into Afghanistan [also spelled Affghanistan in this item] or just consolidate their position in Herat; if there is any immediate danger to Candahar [Kandahar] and Caubul [Kabul, also spelled Cabool in this item] from the Persian Army; if there is any need to assemble a British force at Scinde [Sindh]; and if Russia is likely to assist Persia with troops
• The Persian military establishment and operations at and around Herat
• Speculation whether Ameer Dost Mahomed Khan [Dūst Muḥammad Khān Bārakzāy, Amīr of Kabul] would be able to resist the Persian Army if it advanced on Candahar
• The position of the deposed Candahar Sirdars [Sirdārs, leaders] and the Cabool and family enemies of Dost Mahomed, and their relations with the Persian and British Governments
• Events at the Court of Persia in Teheran connected to Afghanistan.

Also covered in this item are the activities of the Tooree tribe [Turi, a Pashtun tribe] beyond the Khurrum [Kurram, or Kurrama, River, also spelled Koorrum in this item] and a British expedition against them to exact compensation for their various ‘raids’ in recent years.