afghanistanthe AfghanSikh War, securing in the process Britain’s commercial and
political supremacy beyond the Khyber Pass. In the event he was success
ful, Burnes was certain this would not only secure him promotion but
the plum position of envoy to the court of Dost Muhammad Khan. In
his private correspondence Burnes confided that he saw himself as ‘the
humble instrument of calming a nation’s fury’. 41 Even before he reached
Kabul, Burnes had formulated a bizarre plan to end the AfghanSikh War,
which involved persuading Ranjit Singh to agree that on his death all Sikh
territory beyond the Indus would be returned to Dost Muhammad Khan.
While in Peshawar, Burnes raised expectations further by discussing the
Peshawar issue with Ranjit Singh’s son and heir, who told Burnes that his
father might be willing to consider letting Sultan Muhammad Khan return
to govern Peshawar under Sikh suzerainty.
Burnes, however, had no authority to ‘make replies’ on the issue of the
AfghanSikh War, let alone attempt to negotiate a settlement. Any polit
ical proposals made to him had to be forwarded to Calcutta through Wade
and he would have to wait until he received the Governor General’s formal
response, which he then had to communicate to the Amir or other inter
ested parties. This was a tortuous process for it took up to six weeks for
letters to reach Calcutta from Kabul and some three months before Burnes
could receive a reply, a delay that was a key factor in the breakdown of
the talks. It also put Wade in a prime position to influence the Governor
General and ensure that his proSikh policy was maintained. This was even
more important for Wade since he was doing his best to repair relations with
Ranjit Singh in the wake of the confrontation over Sind. For the same reason
Wade did not want Britain to seem to be too friendly to Dost Muhammad
Khan, especially as the Amir was still technically at war with the Sikhs.
Indeed, Wade would have been happy for the Sikhs to occupy Kabul and
Kandahar. Burnes and Wade were therefore at odds over policy, but there
was also an element of personal rivalry. Burnes had made no secret of his
ambition to become Political Agent in Kabul, and if he secured the position
Wade’s monopolistic control over Afghan affairs would have been broken.
When Burnes reached Kabul on 20 September 1837, the mission was
accorded full diplomatic honours and he and his fellow countrymen were
borne into the Bala Hisar on the backs of elephants, while cheering crowds
thronged the streets. The Amir, convinced that Burnes was on a covert
political mission, held his first meeting in the most secret place he knew,
his own zanana, with only himself and Akbar Khan present. Even when
Burnes stated that his mission was strictly commercial, the Amir saw this
as mere posturing and began to discuss how to resolve the war with the