afghanistanprovided further propaganda for the Serajids, who accused the Musahiban
brothers of being British stooges. The Serajids had made much of the pres-
ence of aircraftsman T. E. Shaw, alias Lawrence of Arabia, in Quetta from
1926 to 1928 as ‘proof ’ of a British conspiracy to overthrow ’Aman Allah
Khan, although there is no evidence that Lawrence was involved in Afghan
affairs. Nadir Shah repeatedly denied he had received any support from
Britain for his campaign against Habib Allah Kalakani, though eventually
he did admit to unspecified assistance, probably cash.
Shortly after Nadir Shah became king, the Viceroy sent him a congratu-
latory telegram expressing the hope for a renewal of ‘the old friendly
relations’. Full diplomatic recognition came a month later after Shah Wali
Khan, who was on his way to London, verbally assured British officials in
India that the new government had abandoned the aggressive, anti -British
policies of ’Aman Allah Khan. However, as the Kabul Legation had been
badly damaged in the fighting and required extensive repairs, the new
Minister, Sir Richard Maconachie, who had been Humphrys’s deputy during
the ’Aman Allah era, did not return to Kabul until the following spring.
Shah Wali Khan’s assurances about Frontier policy were timely as far
as Britain was concerned, for in 1930 the Indian government faced the
King Nadir Shah’s
plaque in the Bala
Hisar marking the
place where Cavagnari
and his guides
were killed in 1879.
Nadir Shah publicly
distanced himself from
Britain but behind
the scenes Anglo-
Afghan relations
were extremely
cordial. Britain even
covertly provided the
Musahiban brothers
with financial and
military assistance.