Hajee Khan Kauker. – Taj Mahomed Khan, more generally known as Hajee Khan, belongs to the Kauker tribe of Afghans, near neighbours to the Beeloochees to the south eastward. A soldier of fortune, he was originally in the service of a follower of the Khan of Kelat, then in that of Nuwab Jubbar Khan, and having brought himself to notice during the struggles of the Barukzye brothers for supremacy, became an anherent of Sher dil Khan, one of the Sirdars of Candahar. But the influence of the Kuzzilbash faction in Cabul, being in favour of Dost Mahomed Khan, the Hajeejustly concluded that he would succeed in establishing himself in power; and being aware of the determination of his brethren to seize and blind this their most formidable rival, he determined on founding a claim to his gratitude, and accordingly warned Dost Mahomed by a sign to retire when he was about to enter the apartment, where his fate would have been sealed. To avoid accompanying the Candahar Chiefs when they quitted Cabul, he retired to the shrine, and assumed the grab of a religious mendicant, avowing his determination to renounce the world, but no sooner had they left the city than the persuasions of Dost Mahomed to assist him with his advice prevailed, and the district of Bameean was conferred on him as a reward. The consummate treachery by which he inveigled into his power and murdered the Huzzareh Chief of that country rendered his ultimate intentions suspicious to Dost Mahomed himself, and intimation of this feeling on the part of his chief having reached the Hajee, in doubt of the reception he might meet with should he place himself in his power, he deemed it prudent to retire to Koondooz, but after remaining there for some time with Moorad Beg, he decided on returning to Cabul. On his arrival, the Umer at once dismissed him his service, and he was in consequence driven to seek employment under the Peshawur Chiefs. Their fortunes declining on the capture of that city by the Sikhs, he once more joined Dost Mahomed, but unable to recover his last position, he proceeded to Candahar, where notwithstanding his faithless conduct on a former occasion, he was honourably received by the Sirdars. In their employ he remained until the advance of a British force induced him to proffer his allegiance to Shah Shoojau, and he was by that monarch ennobled by the title of Nusseerood Dowla and a large estate at the same time bestowed on him. During the halt of the army at Candahr, he intrigued with the Giljee Chiefs to ensure himself in case of a reverse, but after the capture of Guznee, he expressed himself so hostile to Dost Mahomed that it was supposed he would gladly complete the ruin of a man he apparently so much detested. Under this impression he was ordered to accompany a small party of British officers under Major Outram, sent in pursuit of the flying Umeer, but his backwardness and duplicity plainly shewed he had no intention of allowing his former chief to be captured. For his treachery on this occasion, the king placed him in confinement and afterwards banished him to Honoostan. Late events have induced the Indian government to determine on the release of all the Affghan prisoners, and Jajee Khan willthus have an opportunity of again entering the political arena, but whether the good fortune which has hitherto befriended him throughout his long career of perfidy and dissimulation will still attend him, may be doubted.(1) James Atkinson, Captain Lockyer Willis Hart, The Character and Costume of Afghaunistan, lithographed by Charles Haghe, 1843, description of plate IX