The war in Afghanistan, it is evident, has assumed something
of a religions character. The Afghans, white- in possession of Cabal, not only plundered the houses of the Sirdars who had submitted to the British, but attacked the Hindoo traders, plundering them, and strip- ping their women,—a declaration of war to the death. The same special animosity, it will be remembered, was shown to the Hindoo soldiers in the attack on Cavagnari, a curious fact, when the alliance of the two creeds during the Mutiny is remembered. The Afghans, however, have never learned to tolerate Hindoos and their idol-worship, as the Indianised Mussulmans have done. The Kuzzilbashes, or Persians of the capital, were also assailed, and their quarter plundered, and they were only spared on condition of taking an oath that although sectaries, they would stand loyally by Islam. On the other hand, it should be noted that the bursts of furious courage by which the Ghazees, or fanatics, are dis- tinguished, were not displayed in the attack on Shirpore, the- approach of which, moreover, must have been betrayed to General Roberts.
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