defiled, were washed with their blood, as an expiation of their pollutions. But these barbarities instead of intimidating and deterring them from farther enterprize, animated them with a desire of revenge, superior to the fears of danger. Though unable to meet Ahmed's troops in the field, they neglected no opportunity to surprise them, and retaliate their cruelties. Some commotions in his western dominions having recalled him to Cabul, they attacked his troops in Lahore, took that city, and there levelled with the ground the mosques, which a few months before, had been stained with the blood of their countrymen. In 1762, Ahmed retook Lahore, and subdued also all the adjacent countries; but being obliged, as before, to recross the Indus, the Sikhs again made themselves masters of the Panjab. The discipline and courage of the Affghans, when deprived of the presence of their leader, gradually declined, and at last yielded to the extraordinary activity and unremitting perseverance of the Sikhs. Ahmed died on the 15th July,

1773, in the 50th year of his age, at a place to the north of Cabul, named Khotoba, whither he had retired on account of the temperature of its climate at that season. He seems to have possessed all the qualities fit for conquering, and forming an empire. With undaunted courage, and a spirit neither to be discouraged by difficulties, nor dismayed by adversity, he was at the same time a skilful captain and consummate politician. In the government of his Affghan and Persian territories, he is said to have been just; liberal in rewarding merit, but severe in his punishments. In warfare he was cruel. He, on those occasions, exhibits one of those terrible but happily rare examples of the exercise of power without mercy, by one insensible to pity, and incapable of remorse.* He left

* Impartiality, however, requires us to observe that a more favourable character of him than that above stated, has been given by Mr. Elphinston, in his Account of the Kingdom of Cabul and its Dependencies, p. 557. "After the battle of Pannyputh, thousands of Mahratta prisoners were put to death by him in cold blood. The

his eldest son, Taimur Shah, the sole heir of his very extensive dominions: but this

body of Biswas Row had been conveyed to the camp of Sujah Ul Dowlah. Ahmed sent for it, he said, to look at; all who saw it, were in admiration of its beauty; it was not disfigured by death, but appeared as an innocent youth asleep; he had a wound from a sword in the neck, and one from an arrow over his left eye. Some of Ahmed's troops, who had assembled to gaze at it, called out: This is the body of a king of unbelievers ; it ought to be preserved, and sent to Cabul to be shewn there. It was accordingly sent to the quarters of one of Ahmed's officers, named Berkhordar Khan. soon as Sujah Ul Dowlah was informed of what had passed, he waited on Ahmed, and represented to him, that animosity should cease with the life of an enemy; that it was always the custom in Hindustan, after a victory to restore the bodies of the chiefs, of whatever race or tribe they were, in order that they should receive their proper obsequies, according to the rites of their particular faith; such conduct, he observed, did honour to the victors. Your Majesty, said he, is only here for a time, but Sujah Ul Dowlah, and the other Hindustanee chiefs, are to reside in this country, and may have future transactions with the Mahrattas, when our conduct on the present occasion will be remembered; therefore let the body be given up to them, that they may act as is customary here.-Though all the Hindustanee Mohammedan chiefs joined in the request, it re

Affghan, or, as it is sometimes called, Dowranee and Abdalli empire, such as it then was, no longer exists; having, after various convulsions and changes, been divided under different rulers.*

The Sikhs, soon after the death of Ahmed, made themselves masters of Lahore, and even extended their conquests considerably beyond it. But the countries possessed by them, being divided under different chiefs, who, though confederated, are in the government of their immediate possessions

quired much entreaty and negociation, ere he would consent to send the body back, and permit it, together with the body of Sedashéo Row Bow to be burnt according to the custom of their cast."-See Account of the battle of Paniput, As. Res. vol. iii.

* Taimur Shah died after a reign of nineteen years. His government is said to have been mild and equitable, but having relaxed from that strict military discipline, and that exact administration of affairs invariably maintained by his father, his authority declined, order was no longer preserved, and to these causes, and the manner in which he bequeathed his possessions by dividing them, is to be ascribed the dissolution of the Affghan monarchy.

independent, feuds were the natural consequence of such a system. Each chief wished to increase his territories; each became the jealous rival and enemy of his neighbour; each had a fortress, or castle, for his residence, and in the Panjab, not only every town, but every considerable village, is surrounded with walls, to secure those who reside in them from being surprised by the enemies of their chief.* The Guru-Mata, or national council, still exists; but the powerful chiefs frequently refuse to obey its decrces. Hence their combined operations are necessarily tardy and imperfect, whether in the way of defensive or offensive war: and Dowlat Row Scindia, the adopted son and successor of MadahJee Scindia, besides compelling the Sikhs to abandon all they had taken possession

* This mode exists in other parts of India, particularly those which by their situation were exposed to sudden incursions of the Mahrattas. Instead of walls, the villages are sometimes inclosed with broad thick hedges, of bamboos and various species of thorns.