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Khelat.
The state of Khelat and Baluchistan was, until
quite recently, left entirely to its own devices ; and
had never been interfered with. At the invitation of
the ruling chief or Khan the government of India
have placed an agent at Quetta, and have, by mutual
arrangement, quartered troops there. The independence
of the Khan of Khelat is otherwise maintained.
North-Western Frontier.
The British policy on the north-western frontier
extends only to strengthening and protecting the
natural frontier line, and is not aggressive ; where
it goes so far as to extend the =gis of its protection
to Afghanistan and Khelat, it does so at their request
and in their interests, and, moreover, at some considerable
sacrifice; for it undertakes pecuniary and
political obligations, which are demanded more in the
interests of those outlying states themselves than in
those of the integrity of the Indian empire,
The results of the recent Afghan wars, and of
the two conferences with the rulers of Afghanistan,
will satisfy all of the impartiality and moderation of
the British policy.
Kashmiy
The state of Kashmir formed part of the terri:
tories ceded to the British, after the Sikh war, by the
treaty of 1846. By a treaty made in the same year
all the hill country between the Indus and the Ravi,
including Chamba, and excluding Lahou! was