Ayub Khan

“ I knew nothing as to the actual condition of the troops in Baluchistan, except that, as belonging to the Bombay Presidency, they could not be composed of the best fighting races, and I had a strong feeling that it would be extremely unwise to make use of any but the most proved Native soldiers against Ayub Khan's superior numbers, elated as his men must be with their victory at Maiwand. ”

“ Burrows therefore determined to retire to Khushk-i-Nakhud, an important position half-way to Kandahar, covering the road from Girishk, and where supplies and water were plentiful.
Burrows reached Khushk-i-Nakhud on the 16th July. On the 22nd the Commander-in-Chief in India, who had been inquiring from General Primrose whether there were 'any routes from the Helmand passing by the north to Ghazni, by which Ayub Khan might move with his guns,' telegraphed to Primrose: 'You will understand that you [Page 470] have full liberty to attack Ayub, if you consider you are strong enough to do so. ”

“ In one of my last conversations with Yakub Khan, he advised me 'not to lose sight of Herat and Turkestan.' On my asking him whether he had any reason to suppose that his representatives in those places meant to give trouble, he replied: 'I cannot say what they may do; but, remember, I have warned you.' He, no doubt, knew more than he told me, and I think it quite possible that he had some inkling of his brother's4 (Ayub Khan's) intentions, in regard to Kandahar, and he probably foresaw that Abdur Rahman Khan would appear on the scene from the direction of Turkestan. ”

“ And mark thee, Sahib, Amir Khan has found favour with the little flower, for when I thought of an audience with her in her own tent—for to be a leader of men, in possession of two wives, and holding strong by the faith of Mahomet, it is as well to be circumspect—the Gulab warned me that a knife might be presented as I slept. A jealous lover, perhaps, I think—it would not have been Ayub Alli by any chance? ”

“ He [Pg 88] wrote many narrative and epic poems, among them "Francesca di Rimini," "Die Braut von Cypern," and "Ulrica," some fifty dramas, twenty-four volumes of short stories, nine long novels, and several works of criticism. He was regarded as "the creator of the short story" in Germany. He was at his best as a novelist, possessing great power of invention and of psychological description. He also translated much from Italian and Spanish.
Ayub Khan, s. of the Amir Shere Ali of Afghanistan, d. at Lahore about the middle of April, aged 59. ”

“ To have stayed at Girishk was almost impossible, as supplies were exhausted: to have moved to Hyderabad would have involved serious risk if Ayub’s army were joined by the people of the district; while to have fallen so far back as Asu Khan before a shot had been fired would have seemed excessive timidity. Khusk-i-Nakhud was an admirable point from which to watch Ayub’s passage of the Helmund, and thence to ascertain his strength and probable intentions.
On July 15th a night march was made, and on the morning of the 16th the brigade encamped on their old ground at Khusk-i-Nakhud. ”

“ And when He hides His face, who will go to Him, either on behalf of a nation or on behalf of an individual ; because of a king who is a profane fellow, a snare of the people ?
14. For to God one should say: I was at fault; I am not wilfully perverse. That I see not, shew Thou. If I wrought perversity I will not add to it. Did he recompense according to Thy mind ? It is for Thee to reject ; for Thou puttest to the test, not I. And who can see anything?
15. Men of heart will say to me ; and hear me, oh, wise man. Ayub has not spoken intelligently, and his words are thoughtless. ”

“ From hence he sent his generals to overrun all those vast and rugged sierras, which rise like ramparts along the ocean borders of the peninsula; and they carried the standard of Islam in triumph even to the Mountains of Biscay, collecting all manner of precious spoil.
“It is not enough, O Abdalasis,” said Ayub, “that we conquer and rule this country with the sword; if we wish our dominion to be secure, we must cultivate the arts of peace, and study to secure the confidence and promote the welfare of the people we have conquered.” ”

“ Who overturns mountains, and they perceive not how He has turned them in His anger. Who shakes the earth from her place, and her pillars are broken.
3. Who speaks to the sun and it rises not, and seals up the stars. Who stretches out the heavens alone, and treads upon the heights of the sea.
4. He made the Wain, Orion, and the Pleiades ; and
io. Bildad seems to exhort Ayub to humble himself before it is too late, and to lay aside his presumption, so that he may not be found among those previously described. ”

“ Ayub seems to have, so far, at least, discerned between the Almighty and the god- ling Satan as to feel that any paltering with the latter would be fatal to him.
19. Only two things do not against me, then I shall not be hidden from thy presence : Remove thy hand from off me ; and thy terror shall not overwhelm me. But call and I will reply, or I will speak and do Thou restore me.
20. For what are my crimes and shortcomings ? Shew me my transgression and my failure. Why wilt Thou turn away Thy face and count me as Thine enemy? Wilt shake a leaf driven by the wind, and hunt a dry straw? ”

“ The beaten force deserved no mercy. When the British triumph was assured, the Afghan chief ordered his prisoner, Lieutenant Maclaine, to be butchered; whereupon he himself and his suite took to flight. The whole of his artillery, twenty-seven pieces, including the two British guns lost at Maiwand, fell into the victor's hands. In fact, Ayub's force ceased to exist; many of his troops at once assumed the garb of peaceful cultivators, and the Pretender himself fled to Herat [326] . ”

“ Is it by thine understanding that the hawk hovers, spreading out his wings to the South wind ? Or will the vulture mount at thy bidding, and make her nest on high ? The precipice is her abode, and she hangs on the fang and snare of the rock. There she will feel the sting of hunger, from afar her eye will make search ; and her brood will guzzle blood, and where the wounded fall there is she.
27. And Jehovah answered Ayub, and said : He who impeaches a mighty one is a censor. One who criticises God shall answer it. ”

“ In fact, he says it is no wonder if Ayub reverences the gods, seeing how high he stands in the favour of their King.↑ Will he bless thee to thy face? Or it may be rendered also : Lo, he will not bless thee to thy face. A.V. renders not bless by a single word, which is at least an honest and straightforwad if not a very delicate way of turning the difficulty. R.V. shirks it altogether. The real point seems to be that Satan sees that the Almighty cannot submit to be patronised by Ayub ; but he had yet to learn that Jehovah does not lack resource, and can deliver those who trust Him.↑ Eat him up ”

“ As for man, his arm is the earth ; and his true ambition to dwell in it. You have sent widows away empty, and crushed the arm of the bereaved ; therefore everything about you is a snare, and terrors shall overwhelm
I. With them ; the exact intention here is obscure for it does not appear to whom them refers, whether to the gods or to mankind ; but the general drift is not difficult to follow.
3. Ayub had maintained in his last speech that the prosperous in this life of the flesh are those who pay n > attention to the Almighty and regard not His ways ”

“ At the end of the interval, he raised his weapon, saluted, and repeated quietly the customary phrase—
"To one of us life, to the other, death."
The violence of his anger had fallen from Boron; his eyes were bright and steady, the shadow of a smile on his lips. Demid had taken upon himself Ayub’s quarrel; if the man from the Don should be cut down in the duel, Ayub’s guilt would stand as before. Should Demid, by some chance, be the victor, his comrade would be free of all blame.
Such was the trial by combat in the Siech. ”

“ Ayub twisted around in his bonds and stared vainly into the shadows. The drum roared on. He wondered why the drummer was without a light and why the koshevoi alaman had not been aroused before the alarm was sounded.
Lights flickered in the windows of the barracks. Boots thudded on the ground, but no longer in the hopak and trepak of the dance. The fire by the chief’s hut blazed up and Ayub saw the koshevoi stride out, buckling on his belt, his baton in hand. Around Ayub masses of Cossacks gathered, and in the cleared space by the drum the leader and the captains of the kurens assembled. ”

“ Is there not a host for man upon earth, and his days like the days of a hireling? As a slave pants for shade,
6. You had seen terror. The meaning here seems to be that if his friends had dared to behave with Ayub's straightforwardness and simplicity or to approve of it in him they would have risked sharing his sufferings, and would have had more reason to tremble than Eliphaz found in his dream.
Here occurs a word of which lexicographers seem able to give no account, but the sense seems tolerably complete without it. ”

“ He rose in his stirrups and lifted his voice.
“Noble sirs, it is not modest in a man to relate all his deeds, so I will only touch on a few. When you wish to know how to capture the Sultan's navy, I can put a word or two in your ears, where at present there are only fleas. And as for capturing such cities as Aleppo with walls as high as the tallest pines—why I and Demid and the little cockerel of a Frank do not bother our heads about such trifles any more.”
The throng pressed nearer and Ayub’s old comrades began to grin and nudge each other. ”

“ Will you set up your heart, and spread out your hands to Him ? Is vanity in your hand ? Put it away and it will not cause the wicked to dwell in your tent. For
several meanings, e.g., " My way of taking things is simple and plain," and so not open to blame. The usual rendering, " My doctrine is pure," seems very wide of the mark, as Ayub has made no endeavour to teach any one, and his attitude suggests the words, " Si rixa est ubi tu pulsas ego vapulo tantum."
2. Wisdom is manifold; Gesenius renders it "God's wisdom has double folds." ”

“ He has nothing but his flesh, which is heir to many ills ; and his breath, which may fail at any moment.
I. Knowledge of wind ; the wisdom of God is foolishness with men and vice versd. "Except a man be born of water and wind . . . ." See note under ix. 4, ante. One great point of the book seems to be the impos- sibility of any real understanding between Ayub and his three frieuds, due to the fact that they would not credit him with any deeper insight than they had themselves, or even with as much.
Unprofitable discourse. Perhaps platitudes would be better as expressing Eliphaz' meaning. ”

“ The arrow of violence ; the usual rendering of the Almighty seems not to be justified by the word nor in harmony with the context. It was not the arrow of the Almighty, but of Satan, the homicide; and Ayub seems quite aware of it. How should mortal exist if shot down by the Almighty ? Similarly in the second clause. Ayub is not so mad as to suppose that he is contending with Jehovah. ”

“ Ayub's contention seems to be that mankind are all astray, and the height of their ambition is to die at a good old age. Whereas for Ayub anything transitory is not worth having.
I. Terrors; apparently in the sense of bugbears, bogey stories.
Page 58 3. Look even to the moon and she shines not, and the stars are not clean in his sight ; much more is man beguiled, and the son of Adam a worm.
4. AND AYUB REPLIED ; and he said : How hast thou helped the strengthless, and succoured an arm devoid of might! How hast thou counselled one without skill, and taught wisdom to the multitude ! ”

“ Aben Habuz was transported with joy on thus proving the efficacy of the talisman. “At length,” said he, “I shall lead a life of tranquillity, and have all my enemies in my power. O wise son of Abu Ayub, what can I bestow on thee in reward for such a blessing?” “The wants of an old man and a philosopher, O king, are few and simple; grant me but the means of fitting up my cave as a suitable hermitage, and I am content.” ”

“ Abdalasis relished counsel which accorded so well with his own beneficent nature. He endeavored, therefore, to allay the ferment and confusion of the conquest; forbade, under rigorous punishment, all wanton spoil or oppression, and protected the native inhabitants in the enjoyment and cultivation of their [Pg 201] lands, and the pursuit of all useful occupations. By the advice of Ayub, also, he encouraged great numbers of industrious Moors and Arabs to emigrate from Africa, and gave them houses and lands; thus introducing a peaceful and Mahometan population in the conquered provinces. ”

“ May he burn!”
“We have not done with him,” responded Demid. “A barb is in him that will goad him against us.”
“See the Turk reins in, and slows from a gallop to a trot. He seeks to tire out our men at the oars, knowing that we can not hide our trail from him.”
So said Ayub, and in fact the pursuer settled down to a long stroke that kept him about a mile distant. Aware by now of the exact strength of the men he was following and their lack of seamanship, he could afford to choose his own time to attack. El Riman had drawn closer inshore, but the coast was rocky and bare of cover. ”

“ The Afghan army was then believed to be about 12,000 strong, counting regulars alone, while the number of ghazis and irregulars from Zamindawar was said to be very large. Ayub’s advance could not be exactly foreshadowed, but from his position at Hyderabad it was most likely that he would try to reach Maiwand through Sangbur, as none of his troops were reported to be on the longer route viâ the Malmund Pass. ”