Alexander Balls

Sir Alexander Balls (May 16th 1805, Montrose (Scotland) - November 2nd 1841, Kabul) traveller and British explorer.

Sent like junior to the Indies (1821), it was, of the 1828, second chief of the staff, it explored the edges of the Indus. Knowing the indigenous languages, it was, in 1830, in charge of a mission near the rajah of Lahore: Ranjit Singh ; it succeeds and obtained the authorization to go on a journey in the Central Asia. Accompanied by the army medical officer Gerald, it explored the Turkestan, Balkh and Bukhara, returned in January 1833 by the Perse. It published in 1834 its Voyage to Bukhara ( Travels into Bokhara ) (London, 1834, 3 volumes; new edition in 1847; translated into French, 1835), work which gives invaluable information on the Afghanistan.

In November 1836, it is charged to negotiate with the khans Sind, of Kabul, Kandahar and Kélat, an alliance against the Russia. It could not decide Dost Mohammed Khan to return the Russian agents. It returned in 1839 with the forwarding which brought back Choudja in Afghanistan, remained beside him like English resident with the rank of colonel, and was killed in the Afghan insurrection, victim of a riot. It also published: Kabul ( Cabool ) (London, 1842).

Balls became member of the Royal Society the April 10th 1834.

See also: Sir John William Kaye, Lives off Indian Officers (1889).

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