Affairs of State

Afghan Wars 1839-42 and
1878-80

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Title: The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80
Author: Archibald Forbes
Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8428] [Yes, we are more than one
year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 9, 2003]
Edition: 10

Language: English
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AFGHAN WARS ***

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[Illustration: Sir Frederick Roberts]
* * * * *
THE AFGHAN WARS 1839-42 AND 1878-80
by ARCHIBALD FORBES
With Portraits and Plans
* * * * *
CONTENTS

PART I.--THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR
CHAP.
I.--PRELIMINARY
II.--THE MARCH TO CABUL
III.--THE FIRST YEAR OF OCCUPATION
IV.--THE SECOND YEAR OF OCCUPATION
V.--THE BEGINNING OF THE END
VI.--THE ROAD TO RUIN
VII.--THE CATASTROPHE
VIII.--THE SIEGE AND DEFENCE OF JELLALABAD

IX.--RETRIBUTION AND RESCUE

PART II.--THE SECOND AFGHAN WAR
I.--THE FIRST CAMPAIGN
II.--THE OPENING OF THE SECOND CAMPAIGN
III.--THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM
IV.--THE DECEMBER STORM
V.--ON THE DEFENSIVE IN SHERPUR
VI.--AHMED KHEL
VII.--THE AMEER ABDURRAHMAN
VIII.--MAIWAND AND THE GREAT MARCH
IX.--THE BATTLE OF CANDAHAR * * * * *
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND PLANS
PORTRAIT OF SIR FREDERICK ROBERTS Frontispiece PLAN OF
CABUL, THE CANTONMENT
PORTRAIT OF SIR GEORGE POLLOCK
PORTRAIT OF SIR LOUIS CAVAGNARI AND SIRDARS
PLAN OF CABUL SHOWING THE ACTIONS, DEC. 11-14
PLAN OF ACTION, AHMED KHEL
PORTRAIT OF THE AMEER ABDURRAHMAN

PLAN OF THE ACTION OF MAIWAND
PLAN OF THE ACTION OF CANDAHAR
_The Portraits of Sir G. Pollock and Sir F. Roberts are engraved by
permission of Messrs Henry Graves & Co._
* * * * *
THE AFGHAN WARS

PART I: THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR

CHAPTER I
: PRELIMINARY
Since it was the British complications with Persia which mainly
furnished what pretext there was for the invasion of Afghanistan by an
Anglo-Indian army in 1839, some brief recital is necessary of the
relations between Great Britain and Persia prior to that aggression.
By a treaty, concluded between England and Persia in 1814, the former
state bound itself, in case of the invasion of Persia by any European
nation, to aid the Shah either with troops from India or by the payment
of an annual subsidy in support of his war expenses. It was a dangerous
engagement, even with the caveat rendering the undertaking
inoperative if such invasion should be provoked by Persia. During the
fierce struggle of 1825-7, between Abbas Meerza and the Russian
General Paskevitch, England refrained from supporting Persia either
with men or with money, and when prostrate Persia was in financial
extremities because of the war indemnity which the treaty of
Turkmanchai imposed upon her, England took advantage of her needs
by purchasing the cancellation of the inconvenient obligation at the
cheap cost of about £300,000. It was the natural result of this
transaction that English influence with the Persian Court should

sensibly decline, and it was not less natural that in conscious weakness
Persia should fall under the domination of Russian influence.
Futteh Ali, the old Shah of Persia, died in 1834, and was succeeded by
his grandson Prince Mahomed Meerza, a young man who inherited
much of the ambition of his gallant father Abbas Meerza. His especial
aspiration, industriously stimulated by his Russian advisers, urged him
to the enterprise of conquering the independent principality of Herat, on
the western border of Afghanistan. Herat was the only remnant of
Afghan territory that still remained to a member of the legitimate royal
house. Its ruler was Shah Kamran, son of that Mahmoud Shah who,
after ousting his brother Shah Soojah from the throne of Cabul, had
himself been driven from that elevation, and had retired to the minor
principality of Herat. The young Shah of Persia was not destitute of
justification for his designs on Herat. That this was so was frankly
admitted by Mr Ellis, the