afghanistandue in part to their disaffection with Dost Muhammad’s discontinuation
of the jihad against the Sikhs, but their decision to change sides was far
from idealistic, for Ghulam Khan Popalzai had offered the brothers 8,000
rupees as an incentive. Within weeks of their arrival all but a handful of
the leaders of Kohistan, Tagab and the Koh Daman had declared their
support for Shah Shuja‘. In midJuly Ghulam Khan Popalzai set out for
Kabul at the head of a substantial army.
Following the chaotic retreat from Balkh, Dost Muhammad Khan’s
position had become untenable. Kandahar and Ghazni had both fallen
within a matter of days and Keane was now marching on the capital. In
the southeast Wade had secured safe passage through the Khyber Pass
while the Kohistanis were approaching the northern outskirts of Kabul.
Soldiers and army officers were deserting in droves and what was left of
the Amir’s army was in a mutinous state. Even the Jawanshir Qizilbash
refused to leave Kabul, fearing that Mir Hajji and Hafizji would take Kabul
in their absence, massacre their wives and children, and plunder their
houses. Khan Shirin Khan Jawanshir was already secretly corresponding
with Wade and had covertly pledged support for the campaign to restore
Shah Shuja‘ to the throne.
Faced with defeat, Dost Muhammad Khan made one last effort to reach
an accommodation with the British. Shortly after the fall of Ghazni, Nawab
Jabbar Khan arrived in the British camp and informed Macnaghten that
the Amir was prepared to abdicate in favour of Shah Shuja‘ on condition
that he was made wazir. Macnaghten, though, was not interested in nego
tiating and his offer was rejected outright. All he was prepared to promise
was that if Dost Muhammad Khan surrendered to him in person his life
would be spared and he would be sent into exile in India. Jabbar Khan
replied that his brother would never agree to such a fate and threw down
a challenge to Macnaghten:
If Shah Shuja‘ is really a king, and come to the kingdom of his
ancestors, what is the use of your army and name? You have
brought him by your money and arms into Afghanistan... Leave
him now with us Afghans, and let him rule if he can. 73Nawab Jabbar Khan prepared to return to Kabul but in an attempt
to save face he petitioned for the release of his niece, the wife of Sardar
Haidar Khan, who had been taken prisoner at Ghazni. The Afghan code
of honour, he told Macnaghten, forbade waging war against women and
children and the idea that women should be held as prisoners or hostages