1 CHAliACT£R OF THE GOVERNMENT.
2 fciirfmm- w&e oonfinod to tho dafenf^ of KlionMiiiiiiiii ind BuUdi*
3 It wHa tiidocd* a doith'bcitl iiiiiiiicfcboii'dif Ahiiifwl to
4 flonii imt to attack' the' Uibeint whom he caUad a hive withoul
5 hoocj. -
6 Awflthp^' wise precept is attributed to him, which was, to forbear
7 attieJring the Siks, till their zeal had oubaided, and theb manneia
8 softened. In &ct, the Siks have become attached to .agriculture, and
9 hare entirely lost their aptitude for the protracted and desultory
10 warfare, which enabled them to withstand the power of Ahmed
11 Shauh.
12 The Afghaun government has always shewm a good deal of mode-
13 ration towards its own subjects, its dependent states, and even its
14 enemies. It is mild in punishments, and its lenity is more conspicu-
15 ous, iVom a comparison with the severity of the Persians. Tf is not
16 uncommon for a great rebeiliou to terminato without a sin^'le execu«
17 tion ; and when there are punishments tor rebellions, thev always
18 &11 on the chiefs alone. The Persian practice of blinding or maim-
19 ing the aim moil people is unknown. Ihiring the time the embassy
20 was at Peshuwer, there was but one execution; it was that of a
21 Shecali dervise, who was tried on the accu^aLioii oi tiie Alooliahs,
22 and found guilty of blasphemy.
23 The Af^aun govenmient, however, lihe mort others in the east,
24 ia disgraced by the peifidioua meana iome^ea leaotted to by its
25 mmiatera to leiie o^den, and by the use of torture. A temptap
26 tion to the fbtmer pnctice may be found m the eaae with wfaicli a
27 crinunal cm elode the puranit of goverameiits m a oountiy ao fidl of
28 ^wtniaaMi and where it ia a pomt of honour to aaaiat a fogitive. The
29 vae of toMme wet learned fiom the Pefaiana: ithaa longeadatedt
30 but it ia only under Mahnlood that it ia oonmiooly pvactiaed. It ia
31 dikfly made nae of to eiloit money, and* oonaeqnently, &Ua oftenea^
32 ed the rich and 0ceat
33 The government endeavours to maintain quiet and prospeiity
34 eniflQg eU the A%faaun tribea { but, aware of their having inteieato
35 8d 2 '