CHAPTER VIII.
AFGHANISTAN AND BALUCHISTAN.
Separation from Persia. — Afghan kingdom.—'Description.— Turkistdn.—
Mountains of Afghanistan.—Rivers.—Herat.—The Hdlmand.—Yalley of
the iHelmand.—Arachosia.—Kabul Proper.—City of Kdbul.—Margiana.—
Leading features of Afghdnistdn.— Climate and Temperature. Productions.
—Character of the People.—Domestic Government—Amusements.—Revenue,
and Method of Raising Troops.—Bdluchistdn. Description. ■
Mountains.—Rivers.— Exports.®- Kach’h Ganddvah. — Kohistdn. Climate,
&c.
T h e three preceding chapters contain a description of the
territories occupied by Turkey and Russia towards the western
extremities of I'ran; and in the present will be given some
account of the regions which border that country towards
the east. These regions possess the highest interest for the
British public, in consequence of our recent operations westward
of the Indus; and the following brief description of
them has been drawn up chiefly from the well-known works
of Elphinstone1 and Pottinger.2
Afghanistan and Baluchistan became a separate kingdom
under Ahmed Khan, who, at the close of the bloody contests
which followed the death of Nadir Shah, was crowned at
Kandahar, in October, 1747; but, at a later period, his successor
removed the seat of government to the present capital,
Kabul.3
The former territory nearly represents the ancient Ariani,
1 An Account of the Kingdom of Kdbul, and its Dependencies in Persia,
Tartary, and India. By the Hon. Mountstewart Elphinstone. London, 1815.
8 Travels in Bdluchistdn and Sinde, accompanied by a Geographical and
Historical Account of those Countries, with a Map. By Lieut. Henry Pottinger.
Longman, Hurst, Rees, &c., London, 1816.
3 Elphinstone's Kdbul, pp. 343 and 559.
and is almost a square, extending from 25° to 35° 50' north
latitude, and from 58° 10' to 72° 30' east longitude. It has
the elevated range of the Hindu Kush, with its continuation,
the Paropamisus, to the north, the Indian Ocean on the
south, Panj-ab and Sinde to the east, and the Persian provinces
of Khorasan and Kirman on the west. The extreme
length, from the northern slopes of the Paropamisus to the
coast of Mekran, is about 640 miles, and its width, from the
river Indus to the deserts of Khorasan and Siwistan, 550
miles. It therefore contains about 327,853 square miles,1 and
its superficies is consequently more than twice as great as that
of France.2
Within these limits are several extensive provinces,, which
contain numerous lofty plains and elevated valleys, lying between
and along mountain ranges, which, by intersecting the
territory in almost every direction, cause a variety of soil and
a diversity of climate. The great distinctive feature of this
part of Asia, the stupendous Himalaya, appears to be the root
of the Afghan mountains, which are more immediately derived
from one of its principal arms.
The range of Bulut Tagh, or the Cloudy Mountains, forms
the natural division between Western Turkistan and the
Eastern, or Chinese Turkistan; since it gives rise to the
different great rivers which water both countries. The
Jaxartes and Oxus descend from the western side; the Darija,
the Chaidu, and other streams, flow from the opposite side;
whilst the Hydaspes and Indus spring from its southern slopes
a little lower down; and all take their departure before the
range joins the elevated peaks of Hindu Kush, at a point
which is nearly north of Kabul. From thence this range
(the Paropamisus) has a westerly direction, and forms the
north-western boundary of the Afghan territory, as far as
the country beyond Herat. It occupies about two degrees of
latitude, but with a diminished elevation, when compared with
that of the still more stupendous Hindu Kush.3
1 Nearly 36,428 square geographical leagues.
8 France contains 154,000 square miles.—Balbi, Abrege de Geograpbie,
p. 594. Paris, Jules Resnouard, 1833. 8 Elphinstone’s Kdbul, pp. 86, 87.
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