The British government was very eager to reach Chitral against the potential threat from the Tzarist Russia via the passes in the mountains of Chitral. It had established friendly relations with the Kashmir Darbar with gifts and defence pledges and goaded the Maharaja of Kashmir to send emissaries to Chitral with two motives:
- To engage Gohar Aman and hold his movements against the Dogra Forces in Gilgit.
- To inform Amanul Mulk of Chitral about British intentions to establish diplomatic relations or enter an agreement in order to stop the possible Russian invasion in the second half of the 19th century.
The Mehtar of Chitral did know about the power of the British over Indian subcontinent and was also curious to create some kind of link with the Britons as he was under threat of invasion from the king of Kabul, so he was restless about Afghan movements in the lower Kunhar valley down to Chaghansarai – now called Asad Abad.
Relations of the rulers of Chitral with Afghans of Afghanistan or the Pathans outside Afghan borders like Bajaur, Dir, Mohmand and the tribal chiefs of those territories had never been friendly. The Wali of Swat came into the scene very late. The Pathan population living close to the southern borders of Chitral were not under an organized princedom and they lived a tribal life of their own choice and their various social systems were known to the rulers of Chitral so in that scenario Amanul Mulk was pro-British by the efforts of the Maharaja.
The two smaller states were encouraged to build ties by exchange of gifts. (The Minor Siege ) George Robertson had visited Chitral and thence went to Bashgal by permission of Amanul Mulk and overstayed there.
No information came about his safety for many weeks and the ruler of Chitral was worried and, it is said that, he also wept for the disappearance of the Farangi. However, his courtiers dismissed his worries saying it is unbecoming of him to weep for a Farangi. Amanul Mulk replied: “I am not weeping for the Farangi, but for the heavy amount of money i.e. six thousand rupees that he received annually from the British Indian authorities and the continuation of that amount depended on the safe return of the Farangi.”