1885 Disturbing action of Russia--Abdur Rahman Khan--The Rawal Pindi Durbar -- Unmistakable loyalty of the Natives In March, 1885, we again visited Calcutta.

The Marquis of Ripon had departed, and the Earl of Dufferin reigned in his stead.
Affairs on our north-west and south-east frontiers were at this time in a very unsettled state.

Indeed, the political outlook altogether had assumed rather a gloomy aspect.

Our relations with the French had become somewhat strained in consequence of their interference with Upper Burma and our occupation of Egypt; while Russia's activity in the valley of the Oxus necessitated our looking after our interests in Afghanistan.

These considerations rendered it advisable to increase the army in India by 11,000 British and 12,000 Native troops, bringing the strength of the former up to nearly 70,000, with 414 guns, and that of the latter to 128,636.
Russia's movements could not be regarded with indifference, for, while we had retreated from our dominating position at Kandahar, she had approached considerably nearer to Afghanistan, and in a direction infinitely more advantageous than before for a further onward move.
Up to 1881 a Russian army advancing on Afghanistan would have had to solve the difficult problem of the formidable Hindu Kush barrier, or if it took the Herat line it must have faced the deserts of Khiva and Bokhara.