1 SIR ROBERT EGERTON, 601
2 to retain the country as a British dependency, Abdul Rahman Khan, the
3 eldest surviving member of the family of Dost Muhammad Khan, whose _ installation of
4 ther Mahomed Afzul Khan, had been Amir of Kdbul, was installed as as Amir of Atghnals
5 mir. :
6 In September 1880, the British army which had been in occupation _ The British troops
7 of northern Afehanistdén, returned to India through the Khaibar Pass, “7? A‘saustin.
8 Garrisons were for a time maintained at Landi Kotal and Ali Masjid; but
9 they were ultimately withdrawn, The British troops vacated Kandahar
10 as soon as Amir Abdul Rahman Khan had established his authority in
11 southern Afghanistan. Soon after this, Ayub Khan, descending from Herat,
12 defeated the Kabul troops and captured Kandahar; but his success was not
13 of long duration, Abdul Rahman Khan, marching from Kabul at the jarpinman kh
14 head of his troops, inflicted a disastrous defeat on Aytib Khan, who was defeats Ayub Khan
15 compelled to fly, Kandahar being re-occupied by the troops of the new Amir, ** “*"™™
16 Ayub Khan, after his defeat at Kandahar, fled to Persia, but afterwards
17 surrendered to the British, by whom he was deported to India and detained Avi» Khan su-
18 at Rawalpindi, a liberal pension being allowed to him and his family and British
19 dependents who followed his fortunes in his exile to India.
20 At the close of the year 1881, an Exhibition of Industrial Arts was held pute a pipion of
21 at Ldhore, with the twofold object of ascertaining the progress made in this Lahore, 1831,
22 respect since the last Exhibition in 1864, and of encouraging the production
23 ' of genuine native work of original oriental designs, Specimens of indigenous
24 art and industry, and works chiefly of a domestic character, bearing the mark
25 of the individuality which only hand labour can bestow, from the tissue
26 wrought by the peasant’s needle to the jewelled ornament worn by the noble,
27 were brought together. The Exhibition was formally inaugurated by Sir
28 Robert Egerton on the 24th of December, 1881. In the course of his address
29 to the assembled chiefs, sardars and nobles, Sir Robert said :-—
30 In a frontier province like this, where, in former times, the professions of arms and __Sir Robert Egerton’s
31 agriculture chiefly occupied the attention of the people, it is essentially desirable to ews regarding local
32 foster arts and manufactures, for, in a period of peace and security, such as India :
33 enjoys under the rule of Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, these have an opportunity of
34 development which did not in former times exist. The rapid increase of the population
35 renders it necessary to seek in every direction for some means of employment besides
36 agriculture, which will briug money into the country and support its people ; and one
37 great means of providing such employment is to encourage a demand for local manu-
38 factures, which can best be done by making what our workmen can do more widely
39 known; and I have reason to hope that this, which is one great object of the present
40 exhibition, will be in some degree accomplished.
41 Selected artisans were sent from the leading towns in the Panjab to the
42 Exhibition, to obtain, by a comparison of the articles displayed, a correct idea
43 of what was best in style and execution, and the Exhibition was an unquali-
44 fied success.
45 Sir Charles Umpherston Aitchison assumed the office of Lieutenant- _ Sir Charles Aitchison
46 Governor of the Panjab on the 2nd of April, 1882. average dod Lon
47 In November, 1882, His Excellency the Viceroy personally opened the 78h, jnening of the
48 great Sirhind Canal, designed to irrigate a vast extent of country, The Sirhind Canal, 1882.
49 main line of this canal has been completed as well as the Abohar branch
50 and the Sutlej navigation channel. The Bari Do&b Canal, the Sirhind and
51 Western Jamna canals are great works which mark the efforts of Govern- _ Progress of works of
52 ment to bestow the boon of fertility upon waste tracts. Further west, the buss '>
53 Chinab Canal and several other works, undertaken at enormous outlay, have
54 conferred immense benefit on the country. The Swd4t river, Sidnai, and
55 Chinéb canals which have been opened, have fertilized nearly a million
56 acres. The construction of the Jhelum Canal, has received the approval of
57 the Government of India and the sanction of the Secretary of State. These
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