Gun-Running and the Indian North-West Frontier

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The interest of the British public had been centred on the internal problems of the Indian Empire, and chiefly those connected with the Hindu portion of the population. As a result of the alarming wave of sedition that swept over Bengal, accompanied by Brahmanical revivals in the two Presidencies, the affairs of the North-West Frontier, together with the problems connected with the Mahommedan subjects of the king emperor, had gradually been relegated to a hazardous obscurity. The crisis on the frontier in the autumn of 1910, as a result of the suppression of the arms traffic in the Persian Gulf, had the effect of switching the limelight once again to this quarter. They were beginning to realize that if the arming of the Pathans continued, a frontier rising in the future could be dangerous. It was with this objective, namely emphasizing the connection between the operations of the blocking squadron and the preservation of peace on the Pathan border, that the author ventured on the publication of this book.

Arnold Keppel (1858-1942) was a British soldier, courtier and politician.

OF late the interest of the British public has been centred on the internal problems of the Indian Empire, and chiefly those connected with the Hindu portion of the population. As a result of the alarming wave of sedition that swept over Bengal, accompanied by Brahmanical revivals in the two Presidencies, the affairs of the North-West Frontier, together with the problems connected with the Mahommedan subjects of the King-Emperor, have gradually been relegated to a hazardous obscurity, and have not received the attention they deserved. The crisis on the frontier in the autumn of 1910, as a direct result of the suppression of the arms traffic in the Persian Gulf; has had the effect of switching the limelight once again on to this most interesting quarter. People are at last beginning to realize that if the arming of the Pathan belt continues, a frontier rising in the future will be an affair of infinitely more gravity than heretofore. But in spite of this the operations of the blockading squadron in the Persian Gulf are not sufficiently recognized as an integral part of frontier policy, and have attracted attention more from the hazardous nature of the under-taking than from any bearing that the ultimate suppression of the traffic may have on the tranquillity of the frontier. It is with this object, namely, of emphasizing the connection between the operations of the blockading squadron and the preservation of peace on the Pathan border, that I have ventured on the publication of this book. Though it in no sense aims at bringing the history of the frontier up to date, yet so little has been written on this subject since the publication of Mr. Chirol's " Middle Eastern Question " and Mr. Angus Hamilton's " Afghanistan " (to both of which I am indebted as well for the interest I have felt in the subject as for the information therein contained) that I have thought it worth while to devote a chapter to a précis of the Zakka Khel and Mohmand Expeditions.

**Contents and Sample Pages**