CAUBUL. That extensive territory in the centre of Asia, which at present composes the kingdom of Caubul, is formed of various and disunited por• tions. The basis is a large tract of mountain table land, interposed between Persia and Indostsn, and to which the Persians have given the generally re ceived appellation of Afghaunistann. To this ori ginal territory, conquest has added, on the east, Cashmeer, with the greater part of Moultaun and Lahore, Called commonly • the Punjaub ; on the north, Bulkh, or Beanie ; on the west, Heraut and a great part of Khorasan ; and, on the south, a portico of Sinde and ,Beloochistaun. Several of these pro vinces are very. slightly attached to the main body of the kingdom. Beloochistaun and Balkh have been already described; and the provinces of Mout taun and the Punjaub are so connected with Wo tan by natural boundaries and physical aspect, that we cannot forbear referring them to that country, notwithstanding the political events which, at pre sent, sever them from it. Our details will refer chiefly to the remaining provinces, which may be considered as the integral portions of the kingdom of Caubul. Under the heads of Aeonaes, and CANDAHAR, in the original work, will be found a summary of the very little that was known relative to this part. of Asia, Mr Elphinstone's excellent ac count of his recent mission to Caubul, has thrown an entirely new light upon those regions; and will enable us to exhibit a much more full and satisfactory view, than was before possible, of their condition.
The modern Afghaunistaun was recognised by the ancients under the appellations of Aria, Drangisne, Arachosia, and Parapomisus ; but these countries were scarcely known, unless by the marches of Alexander, who traversed them only partially ; for, iriadvanciee, he went chiefly to the north of this regien,.and to i the south of it in returning. In modern times, Can but has shared•all the.revolutions which WI changes the face of Southern Asia. • In the eleventh century, under Mahmood of Ghuznee, it was the seat of an Empire, which extended from the Ganges to the Euphrates, and from the Jaxartes to the ocean. This sceptre was broken by the inroad of those in numerable hordes which, under Gengis and Timour, poured down from the interior of Tartary. Caubul was conquered, in 1506, by the Emperor Bauher, who made the city of that name his capital. This ex
ample was not followed by the Moguls his suc cessors ; but the plains of Afghaunistaun conti nued be divided between Persia and India, while the mountainous tracts commonly maintain ed their independence. In the beginning of the last century, a tribe of Afghauns conquered Persia, and continued to reign over that Empire till its in dependence was re-asserted by Naudir Shauh. That daring Chief not only expelled the. invaders, but rendered Caubul, in its turn, subject to Persia, and carried his arms into Indostan. After the death of Naudir, Ahmed Shauh, the head of one of the princi pal Afghaun tribes, founded the present kingdom of Caubul. He not only made it independent of every foreign power, but extended its boundaries on every side, twice entered Delhi, and annexed to his dominion several of the Indian provinces. In 1778, he was succeeded by his son Timour, a moderate Prince, who made it his chief aim to maintain tranquillity throughout his extensive dominions. In this object be with difficulty succeeded ; but a train of policy, so adverse to the habits and inclination of his sub jects, was not calculated to make his government respected, and he left, in 1793, a weakened sceptre to his posterity. In this kingdom, the Chiefs select from the sons of the deceased monarch the individu al whom they judge best qualified to reign. The choice, in this instance, fell upon Zemaun Shauh. A half-brother, Mahmood, however, raised the stand ard of revolt, and, after various successes, obtained possession of the person of Zemaun, whom he depo sed, and deprived of sight. Meantime another bro ther, Shnjah, advanced a claim to the throne, which' he made good, and was found reigning at Peshawer when Mr Elphinstone arrived there in 1808. Mali mood, however, had escaped Troin prison, had raised a new force, with which he had taken Candahar, andwas advancing upon Peshawer. The mission afterwards learned that he had entered that city, driving Shu jab before him. A civil war then ensued, in which the contending parties alternately obtained posses sion of the capital. Which of the two now holds the preeminence is not known, and is not of very much importance ; but it is of importance to ascer tain the general statistical and political state,of a great kingdom, which borders so closely on our east ern possessions.