IOR/L/PS/7/47 ff.1121-1132

Description

Scope and content : Despatch from the Government of India, Foreign Department (Secret/Frontier), to the Secretary of State for India, dated Simla 6 Aug 1886, forwarding the North-West Frontier Memorandum of Intelligence for July 1886.Contains summary of affairs under headings for Central Asia, Western Afghanistan, Eastern Afghanistan, Dir and Chitral, Punjab border.From Kabul, among other matters, the writer reports the Amir's continued dissatisfaction with the British (particularly in relation to the Boundary Commission): 'the Amir observed that the English were time-servers and nobody's friends, and that, if he recovered, he would arrange about his sons with the Russian, as well as with the British Government ... The British Agent at Kabul reports that, although the Amir always speaks of Colonel Ridgeway before him with respect, still that in private Darbars His Highness is in the habit of using arrogant language regarding the British Commissioner. During His Highness's recent illness, the Agency Native Doctor being present, the Amir is said to have made use of some passionate language about Colonel Ridgeway. Seeing the Native Doctor, however, His Highness changed his tone, and remarked theat the British Government was working for his welfare.'