1 1 76 ADTAMTAOBS OP THE GOVEBmiEMT.
2 nitkms are better adapted to a bad than to a good government They
3 cm all be brought to contribute their whole force to the support of a
4 dM|iuiiam> vithin the time that is required to over-run their territory;
5 and ages must pass away, before the slaves of India or China could
6 he made capable of taking a share in the government of their coimtry ;
7 but if a King, of sufficient genius to form the design of cordially
8 uniting his subjects, should fspring up among the Afghauns, he would
9 necessarily fall on a beautiful form of government, as the oidy one
10 by which he could possibly accomplish his design. An ordinaf}'
11 monarch might endeavour to reduce the tribes to obedience bv force ;
12 but one Afghaun King* has already had the penetration to discover
13 that it would require a less exertion to conquer all the neighbouring
14 kingdoms, than to subdue his own countrymen. A monarch such as
15 I have supposed, would therefore be obliged (as the Kin^ is at pre-
16 sent f) to concert his measures tlu- 1 km (.-(iitary Kl^auiis; and the
17 necessity of consulting the niLeresls ol the wliole, would uiduce them
18 to carry on their debates in a general assembly : such an arrange-
19 ment would be congenial to the habits of their internal government,
20 and couti II mable to the practice which the King now observes with
21 the Doorauiiee Sirdars j and it would tbnn a council of the nobility,
22 connected both with the King and the people, though more imme-
23 diately with the King. In most Ooloosses. the Khauns can levy no
24 taxes, and can take no public measures, without the consent of the
25 elected Mulhks, who are obliged, in their turn, to obtain the consent
26 of their divisions. The King might try to strengthen the Khauns,
27 and by their means to draw a supply from a reluctant people, but un-
28 leaa he began with greater means thim the Kings have yet possessed,
29 his attempt would probably be attended with as little success j nd If
30 • Alntd Bbuih,
31 t No neanire nm rtrtunwhwd m in SUnh tini^ wiliMMt a ogmwa «f dw
32 Bowamkmk.
33 Digitized by Google