The Sikhs and Afghans,

Scarce account of a journey across the Punjab to meet Ranjit Singh shortly before the First Anglo-Afghan War, by one of the first Indian students of Delhi College.

Shahamat Ali was one of the first six students, alongside Mohan Lal Kashmiri, to receive an English language and literature education out of Delhi College. Shortly after his graduation he became attached as an aide to Sir Claude Martin Wade (1794-1861), then political agent in Ludhiana, and accompanied Lord Auckland on his expedition to meet Ranjit Singh at Peshawur and form the 'Army of the Indus' which would proceed to march through the Kyber and install Shuja Shah (1785-1842) at Kabul.

Shahamat Ali mixes narrative of his journey with historical and contemporary descriptions of the important places and peoples he encountered. The work starts at Lahore and the court of Ranjit Singh, describing important figures such as Khushal Singh Jamadar (1790-1844), and moves through the Gujarat, Jammu (including description of Ranjit Singh's conquest of the region), Jhelum and the river, Rawalpindi, and the Indus valley, before proceeding through the Khyber, Peshawar, and into Afghanistan, Jalalabad, and Kabul. After returning to Lahore he describes the court in the wake of the death of Ranjit Singh and the accession of his son Kharak.

First edition; 8vo (21 x 13 cm); discreet library stamp to half-title and p. v, final leaf of adverts repaired with some loss to upper outer corner, half-title a little frayed; later full green morocco, spine in six gilt ruled compartments with gilt black lettering pieces, a very good copy; xxii, 550, 12 (ads.) pp.