in Kandahar, when British political officials attempted to reform Administration, and opened plans for a major overhaul in land tax. General Nott, a local garrison commander in the region even flogged some of Timur Mirza's men, and when Auckland reprimanded him, tensions grew further within British command. A position that was expected to go to Nott was commander-in-chief, yet following this event and Nott going into a fit of rage, it was instead given to William Elphinstone, Auckland also appointed Brigadier General John Shelton as Elphinstone's second in command. Auckland believed these were the best candidates for the positions. When Elphinstone and Shelton arrived in Kabul, Macnaghten told them no worry of anything militarily, claiming that Kabul was secure, and many surrounding territories were all clear. According to Jonathan Lee, When junior officers had tried to warn Macnaghten of trouble brewing, he dismissed them as “croakers”. The unstable British occupation and its consequences (March–September 1841) The British occupation of Afghanistan was drawing on much longer than expected, raising concerns in Calcutta and London for how the war was progressing. In the Indus campaign, over 26,000 troops were tied up, with another 16,000 troops present in Afghanistan, and a further 9,000 men stationed in Sindh and Baluchistan to protect the British supply lines. As following Ranjit Singh's death, troops were deployed into Punjab, and even more were tied down against the Qing in the First Opium War. The deployment of these forces outside the frontiers of India raised concerns that there were insufficient forces in the Indian heartland to deal with rebellion if it became an issue. Auckland also grew more concerned with the British occupation and the implication of establishing Shah Shuja on the throne, as the occupation had already costed around 1 million British pounds. This was followed by another half a million pounds being used to upkeep the garrisons in Sindh. The cost of the war was growing more and more, and even put the British Indian government over 1 million pounds in debt, forcing them to borrow heavily to bear the expenses of the war. This grew more and more unsustainable, and in Spring 1841, Auckland informed London of his plan to all but two regiments to leave in Afghanistan, with one in Kabul, and the other in Kandahar. Thus as a result, he wished to withdraw within 1 year. Shah Shuja was hence, given the task