The Great Game

														The Great Game

	The Great Game was the struggle for power in Central Asia throughout the nineteenth century. It was mainly between two great and powerful empires, Russia and Great Britain. Russia saw great potential in the British colony of India. It was hoped that eventually, Russian troops would be able to pour into the various mountain passes found near the vulnerable North-West side of India, and then eventually conquer it. To do this of course, the Russians needed to get close to India and they did exactly that. Near the end of the Great Game, parts of Russia lay only 20 miles away from British India. The British did not stay entirely idle while this occurred. They decided that they needed to defend their Indian holdings. However, this posed a great question, what lay beyond the British-Indian territories? In the early nineteenth-century, the British did not control those passes that they suspected the Russians might use, and they knew almost nothing about the lands that lay there...


Uncharted Territory:

	With few of these vital lands north and west of the Indian territories on the maps, the British felt vulnerable. Throughout the Great Game explorers were sent from British India to chart out these lands. Exploration, however, was dangerous, and many of these areas were either fiercely independent or practically lawless.
	The first of these British explorers were Captain Charles Christie and Lieutenant Henry Pottinger, and like many of their future counterparts, they would stay in disguise throughout their journeys. They were tasked with exploring the area of Baluchistan. They introduced themselves to their Afghan bodyguards as workers for a Hindu master looking to buy horses. One would go towards Herat and the other to South Persia. As they made their way towards their respective destinations, they secretly gathered information. If they were found out, it would mean immediate death, as the areas they explored were wary of British rule.
	Lieutenant Pottinger was tasked with exploring the deserts on his journeys. It was hoped that armies would be unable to successfully sustain themselves in it. Trouble arrived immediately, as they were told by a friend that people from Sindh (modern day south-eastern region of Pakistan) were looking to arrest them. Pottinger hastily left westward, any wasted time might let his pursuers catch up to him.
	Captain Christie faced his own issues. As he approached Afghanistan, he was told by a passerby that men were looking to rob and kill him. He avoided this, but in hopes to prevent any future attacks he changed his guise from that of a horse-dealer to instead a Muslim going on the hajj. This however led to other issues. In one instance he entered a theological discussion with a local priest. To avoid giving away his identity, he claimed he was a Shia, not a Sunni. This excuse let him leave, though not without a few suspicious looks. In the end Christie and Pottinger accomplished their goals, though not without more bumps on their road.

Shock in London:

	It was at this time that the Russians drove Napoleon out of their lands. As they campaigned, the Russians were observed by a British General, Sir Robert Wilson. He was sent only to observe and report all that was going on in the Russian army. Despite being a non-combatant, he earned Tsar Alexander’s trust by actively participating in various offenses.
	Upon Wilson’s return to London he reported an account nobody expected. His book was shocking to the British public. He claimed the Russians participated in multiple atrocities against the French prisoners, including burying them alive, and leaving them naked in the frigid Russian winter. He also claimed they were inactive against the French, and said "Had I commanded 10,000 or might I say 5000 men, Bonaparte would never again have sat upon the throne of France.”
	However, Wilson was not done yet. Four years later, in 1817, he anonymously published another book, 'A Sketch of the Military and Political power of Russia'. The book, in which he claimed that the Russians were intent on taking the Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire in addition to British India, was an instant bestseller. He supported his claim by pointing out that the Russians owned a massive army and continued to build it up. The book brought immediate controversy with some calling Wilson a fear-monger, while others welcomed his timely remarks.

The Bear in the East:

	Persians and Turks had been in conflict with the Russians for many years. At one point they even set aside their differences to fight Russia together. However, as Russia moved its forces away from the South, it made peace with Turkey, giving back all the land they had gained. This now left only Persia to fight against. With only one enemy the Russian forces could concentrate their power.
During one night in 1812, a small Russian force led by General Pyotr Kotlyarevsky crossed the Aras river. They attacked a much larger, but unsuspecting Persian camp. In the camp were two British officers who were assisting the Persians against their Russian enemies. Captain Christie, the same man who journeyed with Pottinger, and Lieutenant Henry Lindsay. As the Russians attacked them, both commanded the Persian forces. The son of the Shah, Abbas Mirza, was also present in the fighting. Suffering heavy casualties, the Persians retreated. They left behind Captain Christie, who died from a bullet to the head. The brief encounter at the Battle of Aslanduz left two thousand Persians dead. The Russians on the other hand lost only 127 men.
	Kotlyarevsky now marched his troops east to the Caspian Sea. It was here that the Persian stronghold of Lankaran stood. After five days of intense fighting, the Russians prevailed. Casualties on both sides were numerous. The four thousand Persians at Lankaran were killed to a man. The Russians lost almost two-thirds of their men as well. Kotlyarevsky was found semi-conscious, with bullet wounds in his head. He would earn one of the highest honors a Russian general could ever receive, but his head injuries would prevent him from being able to take control of the entire Russian army at the Caspian area.
	The treaty between Russia and Persia would make the Russian border almost 250 miles closer to that of British India. This would not be the end for British worries either. It was at this time that the final bits of the information gathered by Christie and Pottinger were being compiled and analyzed. The report summed up that while an invasion by sea was near impossible, an invasion by land would have multiple routes of entrance. Even this was not the end of it though, as now was the time for the first true Russian players of the game.

Journey to the Steppe:

	Captain Nikolay Muraviev was tasked with one mission, to reach the Central Asian city of Khiva. Almost 100 years earlier, Russians had tried and failed to conquer the city. The Khan of Khiva was wary of the Russians; he knew their eyes had been set on the city for years. The Russian plan was to try and woo the Khan over with promises of trade, and then at the right moment, conquer them.
Muraviev set out from Tiflis (Tbilisi in modern day Georgia). He first sailed across the Caspian Sea and onto its desolate eastern shore. He departed again on foot, and then decided to join up with a caravan for protection. Muraviev disguised himself as a fellow Turkmen, though members of the Caravan all knew his secret. In order to get to Khiva, he would have to cross the deadly Karakum Desert. Within roamed violent tribes of Turkmen who made their livings by enslaving Persians and Russians. Fortunately, the journey was mostly uneventful, but five days before reaching Khiva a member of the town they went through called him out through his disguise. The men of his caravan came to the rescue by claiming that he was their slave that they had just captured.
	Once he left the Karakum and entered the fertile lands near the Oxus river, he sent out some men to go and announce his arrival to the Khan. He was then escorted towards the great mud-brick walls of Khiva. Trouble followed almost immediately. Muraviev was quickly led to a fort, and it didn't take him long to figure out that he was essentially a prisoner of the Khan. The Khan himself was furious at the Turkmen traders who aided Muraviev on his journey. It was quite clear to him that the Russian was a spy, and that if they let him go, they would next see him leading the army that would be his own ultimate downfall.
	The Khan struggled back and forth with his advisers about what to do with the nuisance on their hands. One adviser suggested burying him alive, though the Khan rightly countered that idea by claiming that it gave the Russians a Casus Belli (cause for war). After seven weeks the Khan decided to hear out what the foreigner had to say. Muraviev finally had his chance.

Audience with the Khan:

	Muraviev was given a one-day notice of his about the plans made to meet him. The message was timely, as he was already in the midst of planning out a daring escape by horseback. The next day he was led onto walls of Khiva, where his arrival created an uproar among the natives. Many clamored to see Muraviev in person and for him to be tried. As he rode through the streets, Muraviev noticed the many Russian slaves. A few of them would whisper in his ear to set him free.
Upon reaching the central yurt where the Khan lay, the captain was pushed down and dragged inside. He struggled fiercely, fearing that the meeting was actually an execution. He was finally calmed upon hearing that this was simply a way of showing submission. Muraviev soon explained his reason for entering Khiva. He claimed that the Russians, who now owned most of the Caspian, wished to trade with Khiva through a new port town under construction.
The Khan found the expected problem quickly. A caravan sent towards this port town would have to venture through Persian lands, where it could be easily plundered. It was this that the Russian Captain used to his advantage. Muraviev then said "If thou wilt but ally thyself to us, thy enemies shall also be our enemies." He suggested that the Khan send a Khivan official to visit Tiflis as the Tsar's guest.
	With a successful mission under his belt, Muraviev now set out for home. But before he left, a single message was slipped to him in the barrel of a gun he sent for repair. It read "We venture to inform Your Honor that there are over 3,000 Russian Slaves in this country who have to endure unheard of suffering from hunger, cold, and overwork, as well as every kind of insult. Take pity on our plight and lay it before His Majesty the Emperor. In gratitude we poor prisoners pray to God for your welfare." As per his own inquiries into the subject, Muraviev discovered that if the slaves were not soon freed, they would revolt sometime within the next 2 years.
	Upon returning, Muraviev gave his report to his superiors. He had obtained important information about Khiva and its ability to defend against a Russian attack. Muraviev estimated that to conquer Khiva would take "3,000 brave soldiers." He based this number on the various observations from his time at Khiva, including army size and defenses. He also took into account the great number of slaves (3,000 Russians and almost 30,000 Persians and Kurds). He thought that they might prove valuable in the conquering of the city, as they had nothing to lose.
	Muraviev would later set up a meeting with Tsar, and carry out the wishes of the slaves in Khiva by informing him of their plight. The Tsar kept this information handy, so that it may serve as a Casus Belli in the future.

Moorcroft’s Obsessions:

	If one were to today travel along the banks of the Amu Darya/Oxus river, he might find himself upon a small, lonely, unmarked grave. It was here, that the British explorer William Moorcroft was buried. It would be nothing but a wooden cross, most likely rotting, if not entirely lost. Moorcroft was famed for being among some of the first people to set foot on Mount Kailash, in Tibet. So then how did his body end up in a such a desolate, barren area?
Moorcroft would find an obsession on his journey through Mount Kailash. He was simply there to acquire horses for the East India Company. However, while staying at the house of a Tibetan official, he found something that piqued his interest. He learned that the official owned two dogs, a terrier and a pug. The problem was that both of these dogs were European breeds. He asked the official about this and learned that he got them from Russian traders, but his own inquires led him to believe that these were actually military dogs. The finding would haunt him for the rest of his life, for now he was sure that Russians were up to something in Asia. Despite the popularity of Sir Robert Wilson's books, many were not entirely convinced of Russian plots. Moorcroft hounded his superiors in Calcutta about his fears of St. Petersburg, but they brushed them off.
	Moorcroft was, as it turns out, obsessed with something else. It was his dream to see the Central Asian city of Bokhara. He was convinced that he would find great and strong horses there that the East India Company could use for its army. Moorcroft also had his own ulterior motive that tied back with his Russo phobia: Opening up the markets of Central Asia to British trade. His wish was granted, in the Spring of 1819 he was given the go ahead to lead a two-thousand-mile expedition to Bokhara. On March 16, 1820, Moorcroft would set out on his journey across the Oxus.
Moorcroft decided to get to Bokhara by way of Chinese Turkestan. The easiest way into this would be to start from Leh, the capital of Ladakh in Northern India. After travelling across the Punjab for more than a year, he finally arrived, being the first Englishman to set foot there. Upon entering Leh, Moorcroft would attempt to establish contact with Chinese Authorities in Yarkand so that he may enter their territory. This was easier said than done, for the powerful merchant class was reluctant to anybody they feared might disrupt their monopoly on trade. Some merchants even told Chinese officials that Moorcroft was going to lead an army through the mountain passes and into their territory.
	While Moorcroft stayed in Leh, his worst nightmare came alive. He found himself a Russian rival. The man, Mehkti Rafailov, claimed that he was simply a native trader who operated through the passes. Moorcroft refused to believe him, and through his own agents learned that he was Russian spy of Persian origin.
Aga Mehdi started out as a small-time peddler of cheap goods. As time went on though, he started selling more and more expensive items. He eventually found himself a business in Kashmiri Shawls. The shawls he sold were of great quality, and his fame as a merchant of them grew exponentially. The Tsar himself soon knew of his name, and Aga was ordered to come and meet him. The Tsar asked Aga to go and make commercial contacts with Ladakh and Kashmir for Russia. Aga succeeded in this mission, and for this he was rewarded. Aga was given a new, Russian name: Mehkti Rafailov, and he was now sent out on a more ambitious mission.
	He was to go further South than he had ever gone before, in order to meet the powerful emperor of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh. He bore a letter with him that claimed that the Russian Empire wished to trade with the Ranjit Singh's merchants. Mehkti was staying in Leh while on his mission towards the Punjab. It was here that Moorcroft would learn of him.
	If there had ever been a doubt in Moorcroft's mind about Russia, suddenly it was all washed away. He was wholly convinced, and it was here that his obsession caused him to overstep his authority. First, Moorcroft sent back his findings on Mehkti back to Calcutta, almost 1,100 miles away. Next he would set up a trade deal with British merchants in Ladakh, despite lacking the authority to do so. This was especially damning, for Ranjit Singh claimed that Ladakh was in his sphere of influence. Though worst of all would be Moorcroft's letter to the emperor himself. In his letter to Ranjit Singh, Moorcroft warned him that Ladakh was an independent state, and that incursions into it would not be tolerated. He did this too without proper authority. The emperor was enraged, and so too was the Company. Ranjit Singh boasted a powerful army that was modernized to the European standard of the day. The last thing the East India Company needed was to sour good relations with its powerful neighbor. The statement was immediately retracted, and Moorcroft sent an apology, though the damage was done.
	The fury of the emperor was now unleashed, for multiple attempts on Moorcroft's life were made. One attempt came from an unidentified gunman in the night. Another two from nocturnal invaders, one of which was shot dead. Soon Moorcroft and the rest his group started getting extremely sick. They found out it was poisoned tea, which they quickly disposed of.
It was quite clear to Moorcroft that he had made a misstep. His salary was cut, and he was ordered to return. However, he and the group had longed to see Bokhara, and they would not stop now. So instead of going through Chinese Turkestan, they would go through the more dangerous route. Lawless Afghanistan, on the brink of civil war was the only way to go, and so Moorcroft and his small group of Gurkhas would travel through it.
	As for Mehkti, he would be found dead of a mysterious affliction, high up in the mountain passes...

A Dream of Bokhara:

	By all accounts, the chances of getting through Afghanistan were slim to none. But this would not stop Moorcroft and his team who set out for it in the spring of 1824. Wild stories preceded their arrival into Afghanistan. Some people claimed that Moorcroft was just the beginning of a huge force that would take over Afghanistan. Moorcroft himself advocated for this, if only so that the Russians may not get the country first. The Afghan summer was intense on the group. Despite Moorcroft being a veterinarian, two dogs had died from the heat. Moorcroft's group would also be the first Europeans to ever see the great Buddhist statues at Bamyan (the same ones destroyed by the Taliban).
	After eight months since they crossed the Khyber Pass, Moorcroft and his group found themselves on the bank of the Oxus river. He would be the first Englishman to set foot there. After even more travelling through intense terrain, Moorcroft would make it to Bokhara. However, when he entered the city, he was greeted by great numbers of curious children who called him a Russian. Moorcroft knew now that he had been beaten in his race towards Bokhara. His disappointment only grew as he learned that the Central Asian horses he had hoped for were now long gone. His failure devastated him, and he now decided to turn back to India. In one final attempt to buy horses, Moorcroft would split up with his group and travel to another area. Here he would fall ill of fever and die, his body carried back and buried along the Oxus. Mysteriously, three other Europeans on the mission would quickly die in succession as well.
	Moorcroft would not be remembered well immediately after his death. However, many later players of the game would use his maps and descriptions to help them out in their own journeys through Central Asia.

Three Armenians:

	The truce between Russian and Persia was at this point beginning to fail. Persia was angry at its loss and it was slowly building up its forces. Hostilities broke out over a vaguely worded part of the last peace treaty. Persia claimed the area between Lake Sevan and Erivan. After talks broke down and Russia occupied the region, the Shah rallied up his forces and sneakily attacked. Russia was not ready for war, and so initial efforts to try and slow down the 30,000 troops pouring into their southern borders were futile. Key towns and forts like Lankaran were recaptured by the Shah, and his troops even got close to Tiflis.
	The new Tsar, Nicholas I, quickly replaced the widely loved Russian general with another man, Count Paskevich. With new reinforcements on the way, Paskevich turned the tide of the war, and forced the Persians back, culminating in his capture of Erivan. Persia called on its ally, Great Britain, to help, for they had earlier signed a defense pact. The now embarrassed British got out of the situation by using a loophole in the wording of the pact. Britain would not have to come to Persia's aid if they were the aggressor in the situation. Britain later asked Persia to waive away the defense pact for a sum of money.
	The situation would evaporate British influence in the Persian court. As Persia sued for peace, Russia would become the next nation to hold power over the Shah. Russian diplomats would now find themselves in Tehran. An ambassador by the name of Alexander Griboyedov would be sent to the Shah's court to ensure that all payments for the war would be on time. He was the same man who negotiated the humiliating peace treaty for the Persians.
	Griboyedov would enter Tehran during the holy month of Muharram. Anti-Russian sentiment were running high, and the stage was set for a spark to light the powder keg.
	Griboyedov's peace allowed for the return of Armenians in Persia to their homeland. While this may not seem important, the acts of three Armenians wishing to do just this would prove devastating. One was a eunuch of the Shah's harem, the other two were girls from the harem of the shah's son-in-law. They escaped and entered the Russian embassy where Griboyedov gave them temporary refuge while he tried to make sense of the situation. Soon the Shah asked for all three of them back, but Griboyedov, knowing the punishments that they would be given, refused. They claimed that exceptions to the treaty could only be made by Russia's foreign minister.
	Word of the event and response spread quickly throughout Tehran. The Anti-Russian feelings now exploded. The Persian people refused to take this insult to their Shah peacefully. Mobs gathered quickly with the help of mosques that commanded the Persians to siege and kill the Russian legation. A group of several thousand people surrounded the embassy demanding the three Armenians. At this point the legation gave up, and decided to try and hand them over. But now it was too late, and the mob began to attack. Griboyedov's own small security force could do nothing but try and make a last stand.
	The Cossacks held up for an hour, but soon it became too much. Among the first to die were the Armenians, the eunuch being literally torn to pieces. Next would be Griboyedov and his now smaller group of Cossacks. Griboyedov would die sword in hand against the mob. His body would be tossed to the street, where a kebab vendor would cut off his head and pass it around among the crowd. The rest of his body would be so mutilated that it would be almost unrecognizable.
	Persia apologized and Russia would end up not militarily punishing Persia for the incident. It was at war with Turkey, and having another war to deal with would add cause unneeded distress. But pressure was now building up, for Russian troops were now beginning to close in on Constantinople.
	Count Paskevich had managed to drive back the Ottomans from the Southern Caucasus and attack them in the west. By the summer of 1829, The garrison at Erzurum would fall into Russian hands. Now Russia would be able to fight through modern-day Romania and Bulgaria. Two months later Edirne would fall. Russian troops were closing in; they could attack the ailing Ottoman Empire on command. But Russia knew better than to provoke the European powers. Despite its cavalry being a mere 40 miles from the Ottoman capital, Russia would end its campaign. Had they continued and attempted to take the city, a new European war would not be out of question.

Albion Horse:

	Victories against both Persia and the Ottoman Empire had boosted Russian confidence and there were fears that it now looked towards India. One man, Colonel George de Lacy Evans, who could almost be called the Wilson of his day claimed that this was exactly the case in his book: 'On the Practicality of an Invasion of British India'. Evans believed that while Russia would not necessarily invade India, they would in fact incite rebellion there. He believed that should Russia get too close; they would urge the natives of India to shake off British rule. This thought terrified the East India Company, for they were heavily outnumbered should it happen. His book would have a profound effect on British policy regarding the Game.
	Lord Ellenborough, President of the Board of Control for India was terrified by the things outlined in the book. As he inquired more into the subject, he found the deficiency of proper maps and information. Ellenborough would now set off a host of new explorers and spies to chart out Central Asia, for now the Great Game had come into full swing.
	European knowledge about the geography of the Indus River was very limited at the time. Any attempts to explore its expanse would be heavily opposed by both the Sindhis and Punjabis, who viewed its secrecy as vital to their protection. But the defense of India was important and the Indus was one of its keys. With this in mind, Lord Ellenborough hatched a devious plot to try and scout out the river and see if it was navigable.
	The old ruler of the Sikh Empire, Ranjit Singh, had recently given the gift of Kashmiri Shawls to the King of England, William IV. The emperor now expected something in return, and it was this that Ellenborough used to his advantage. The plan was to give Ranjit Singh five huge English draft horses and a gilded stage coach. The gift would hopefully impress the ruler, as horses like this were not often seen on the subcontinent. However, the British reasoned that travelling these huge horses 700 miles by land would exhaust them. So, in order to give the king his gifts, the British would have to sail up the Indus River. As they sailed, the British would secretly survey the river. The officer chosen for this mission would be a young subaltern named Alexander Burnes.
	Approval of the mission was not universal. A man named Sir Charles Metcalfe was particularly against it. He said, "The scheme of surveying the Indus, under the pretense of sending a present to Rajah Ranjit Singh is a trick... unworthy of our government." He also pointed out that this was exactly the kind of deviousness that people claimed the British empire partook in.
	As a new Whig government (which Ellenborough feared would be against the mission) took power, the mission along the Indus began. Alexander Burnes would set out from Kutch in 1831. A holy man who saw the vessel along the Indus is reported to have said "Alas, Sindh is now gone."
	Nobody was fooled by the expedition's true purpose, and at first, many emirs strongly objected to the passage of the boat. However, fears that Ranjit Singh would retaliate for holding up his gifts would cause the Emirs to reluctantly allow the boat to go through. Five months after entering the Indus, Burnes and his crew would reach Lahore. He had proven that the Indus was navigable for flat bottomed craft up to this point. Now the British, with the permission of Ranjit Singh, might be able to unload and carry their high-quality goods throughout Central Asia. This they hoped, would rival with Russian goods and reduce the influence Russia had.
	The five draft horses which survived the blazing Punjabi sun created a sensation among the locals and court officials. The animals would be inspected head-to-toe with the most precise measurements. Nothing but perfection could be given to the king. Upon seeing the coach driven by the horses, locals dubbed them the "little elephants."
	Burnes was received with great celebration in Lahore. Singh wanted cordial relations with the Company just as much as they wanted it with him. No side wished to put their equally strong armies on the test. However, what was of interest to the Company was his age. Ranjit Singh was now old, and had already lost an eye to small-pox. If he were to die, then a power struggle in his empire would take place.
	As Burnes walked through the streets, he was greeted with lines of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, all of which saluted him. Upon entering the royal palace, a small man walked up to him and hugged him. This was Ranjit Singh himself, who had come to Burnes to meet and discuss with him. After their greetings were over, Singh would be led over to see his horses. He would jump up and yell with glee as each one walked by him.
	Burnes would end up staying at Lahore for two months full of parties and gifts. In August of 1831, Burnes would return. In his mind, he bore a new, more dangerous plan.

Burnes in Bokhara:

	Alexander Burnes, now 26 years old, wished to first travel to Kabul and make friendly relations with the Afghan ruler and rival of Ranjit Singh, Dost Mohammed. Then, going through the deadly passes of the Hindu Kush, he would arrive at the Oxus, and later, enter Bokhara. His plan was daring due to its danger and complexity. Most people would settle for either Kabul or Bokhara, but not both. He expected his plan to be turned down by the Whig government in London, but to his surprise, it was green-lit. As it turns out, the Whigs were now getting just as scared as the Tories about Russian influence seeping through Central Asia.
	Burnes would choose three men to go on his journey with him. One was an Englishman, a doctor by the name of James Gerard who had experience exploring in the Himalayas. The other two were Indians whose names were Mohan Lai and Mohammed Ali. Lai was a well-educated Kashmiri who would help in translating languages and guiding the group through the various niceties of diplomacy in Central Asia. Ali was an experienced Company surveyor who had joined Burnes on his journey up the Indus.
	On March 17th, 1832, the group would cross the Indus at Attock, and leave the Punjab where they enjoyed Ranjit Singh's protection. They would end up not using the Khyber Pass due to the danger of robbery there. Instead they would go through a longer route in the mountains. Once they entered Afghanistan, they would change their clothes, leave behind many luxuries, and put on turbans. However, Burnes and Gerard did not hide the fact that they were Europeans. They claimed that they were Englishman looking to go back home by land. Their goal was to stay in the shadows and melt into the crowd. Burnes claimed that cheap disguises would do just the opposite, attract attention.
	Once they passed through Jalalabad, Burnes and his group got onto the main road to Kabul. All around them stood huge snowy mountains. Burnes still had a long path to travel on in order to reach Bokhara.
Things on the road had so far gone well. Burnes’ plan of blending in had worked. One night, despite the presence of Christians in the group, they were all allowed to stay in a mosque. Burnes and Gerard did nothing to try and hide their religions, though they did lie about their consumption of pork. Burnes wrote in his journal: "When they ask me if I eat pork, I of course shudder and say it is only outcasts who commit such outrages. God forgive me! For I am very fond of bacon and my mouth waters when I write the word." The group would reach Bokhara safely on March 1st.
	When Dost Mohammed and Burnes met, they would become immediate friends. Unlike his Sikh rival, Mohammed stayed modest. He and Burnes sat across from each other, both cross-legged in a simple, almost empty room. Burnes viewed Mohammed as strict, wise, and overall benevolent, though Mohan Lai felt differently.
	There were many claimants to the throne of Afghanistan, and the British had to decide which to back. Burnes of course backed his new friend, though others in the company thought that Mohammed's rivalry with Ranjit Singh was too problematic. Burnes wished to stay in Kabul and prove the company wrong, but time was limited and they now had to leave for Bokhara.
	As they traveled, Burnes' group decided to try and find the graves of William Moorcroft's expedition. They would end up finding the graves of all members who died in the journey, including Moorcroft's. They wished to try and add headstones to them, but they needed to reach Bokhara quickly, and so they silently left.
	The group now crossed the Oxus and headed into a ten-day stretch of desert. There was a real danger of being captured by Turkmen slavers, but they avoided it all. After a grueling journey, they had reached Bokhara.
	Before reaching it, Burnes would write a letter to Bokhara's Grand Vizier. Burnes wrote that his group wished to see the holy city. In order to convince the Vizier, named Koosh Begee, he used flowery language and called him "the Tower of Islam" and "the Gem of the Faith." The approach seemed to work, as they were allowed into the Bokhara. That same day, Burnes would be escorted to Bokhara's "Ark" where he would be interrogated. Despite his status as an officer in the East India Company, the Vizier was more concerned with Burnes' religion. Burnes emphasized that he was a Christian, but he claimed that he was not an iconolater and didn't eat pork.
	As it turns out, Burnes would become a friend of the Vizier too. Begee would be gifted one of Burnes' only two compasses. In return, Begee would make arrangements to allow Burnes and his group to freely walk around the city. Begee would also play an important task keeping the group safe. The Emir of Bokhara was a wicked and cruel man, and so Begee kept the group away from him. Burnes would end up not meeting the Emir at all inside the entirety of his trip in Bokhara. Begee's decision might have saved Burnes and his group's lives.
	After a month in Bokhara, Burnes decided that he would leave. He wished now to see Khiva as well, but Begee advised against this. The land between the two cities was dangerous, and should the group go through they very well may not make it out alive. It was instead decided that the group would go through Persia instead. Upon reaching the Persian Gulf, the group would sail to Bombay and report back their findings. As Koosh Begee bade the group farewell, he is recorded asking Burnes to bring with him some "fine English spectacles" should he ever return.
	Upon landing at Bombay, the group would be astounded by the news they heard. In the thirteen months that they had been away, a single event had greatly reduced British and Russian relations.