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In October 1841 Sir Robert Sale took his brigade out of Kabul (see [[General Sale's March from Kabul to Jalalabad]]) and a general uprising began on 2 November. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Burnes Sir Alexander Burnes] the senior political agent, his brother Lieut Charles Burnes and his assistant Major William Broadfoot were murdered. Elphinstone took no decisive action. The British were besieged in the cantonment and were unable to get supplies for men or animals. They were therefore forced to negotiate terms with the Afghan chiefs. Attacks and reprisals continued until on 23 December Sir William Macnaghten was lured to a meeting with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_Khan Mohammad Akbar Khan] on the promise of a new treaty. He and Captain Trevor were murdered and their heads paraded through the city.
[[Eldred Pottinger|Major Pottinger]], not yet recovered from the wounds he received at the [[Siege of Charikar]], took Macnaghten's place as political agent. On 27 December the Council of War (Elphinstone, Shelton, Anquetil, Chambers and Pottinger) acceded to the Afghan demands. In exchange for safe passage to Peshawar and the return of Capts Lawrence and Mackenzie they were to provide six hostages and hand over 1.45 million rupees and all artillery except six guns. In addition some 700 sick were left behind. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazi_warriors Ghazi warriors] continued to harass the British as they prepared for departure on the fatal [[Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak]] on 6 January 1842. Shah Shuja remained shut up in the Bala Hissar palace until 5 April 1842 when he was murdered on the orders of Akbar Khan.
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