Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 12.7.11

12.7.11

For it is observable that in the last expedition, which ended by delivering the Governor of Oressa from confinement, Mustapha-qhan had represented, "That His Highness had already more than once ordered new levies to be made under mighty promises, and so soon as the time of danger was over, had suddenly dismissed them again without the least regard to the wrong done to so many deserving officers, as well as to their men ; and he added openly that as he spoke not only for himself, but also for others, he requested that at this time no infraction of agreement, nor breach of promise should take place." Such a heavy complaint at the beginning of such a campaign had appeared ominous. Aaly-verdy-qhan had thought it expedient to stop their murmurs, and to regain Mustapha-qhan's good will, as well as that of the others, by giving him his word that the subject of their complaint would not happen again ; and nevertheless, so soon as the last expedition to Catec had been over, and the young Governor was rescued from his danger, all the new levies had been disbanded to a man : a proceeding which did not fail to break the hearts of the whole army, and highly discontented Mustapha-qhan and all the Afghans. Nor can it be denied, but that such a duplicity of behaviour, and such a glaring breach of promise, highly disparaged the Viceroy's character, and shockingly tarnished the lustre of all his good qualities ;