1 104 A Short History of the Sikhs.
2 to see Shah Shuja regain his throne, and no belief
3 that he would keep his promises if he did. But his
4 attempt to do so, whether successful or not, would
5 for a time at least occupy the attention and re-
6 sources of Dost Muhammad Khan, and thereby render
7 the Sikh occupation of Peshawar a comparatively
8 easy undertaking. Moreover, if Shah Shuja was
9 again to become the ruler of Afghanistan, it was just
10 as well that he should owe his throne to Sikh
11 assistance. Accordingly, Kanjit Singh, having as-
12 certained that his action would not be regarded as
13 unfriendly by the British Government, promised his
14 co-operation, and the Afghan expedition was fitted
15 out at his expense.
16 It is unnecessary to follow in detail the fortunes
17 of Shah Shuja. His attempt to win over the
18 Amirs of Sind was a signal failure, and it was only
19 by the force of arms that he was able to extract
20 from them either money or supplies. In Afghanistan
21 he was for a time more successful. He defeated the
22 Kandahar forces, and had almost effected an entry
23 into the town when Amir Dost Muhammad, at the
24 head of a large army, came to its relief. A fierce
25 battle followed in which the Amir was victorious.
26 Shah Shuja fled from the field, and with the
27 remnants of his expedition found his way, through
28 Baluchistan and Sind, back to Ludhiana. Better
29 fortune attended Ranjit Singh. While Barakzai and
30 Durani were struggling for supremacy under the
31 walls of Kandahar, a Sikh force of 8,000 men, led
32 by Sirdar Hari Singh, set out for Peshawar. The
33 Barakzai governor, who might have held out had