Moreover, rather than instigating a war between the Afghans and Punjabis and thus allowing Russians to exploit the situation, it is clearly in Britain's interest for them to coexist peacefully.
Ensuring peace between the Afghans and their neighbors is the first step; the second step is to reintegrate the divided Afghanistan, helping them establish a unified regime to guard against the ever-present risk of Russian invasion.
As for who should be the Afghan leader, Lieutenant Burns naturally supports Dost Muhammad of Kabul.
Unfortunately, Muhammad is not the only candidate; Camran, who controls Herat, is also a key figure to watch.
This is because before Lieutenant Burns, Lieutenant Connot of the East India Company had already visited the Afghan region, and he considered Herat a critical military point.
The experiences of Lieutenant Connot on this journey could indeed be called a legendary travel memoir.
