1st Afghan War

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1st Afghan War
1839-42
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
[[Image:|250px| ]]
Location: Afghanistan
Combatants:
East India Company Afghan tribes
Result:
Disastrous defeat of first invasion
Qualified success of second invasion
Medals:
Ghuznee 1839
Jellalabad 1841-42
Defence of Kelat-I-Ghilzie 1842
Candahar
Cabul and Ghuznee 1842-43
Links:
Category: 1st Afghan War
Invasion of the HEIC Army
General Sale's March from Kabul to Jalalabad
Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak
The Withdrawal from Afghanistan
The Army of Retribution March to Kabul
See our interactive map of
Invasion of the HEIC Army
locations and routes on Google Maps
See our interactive map of
The March from Kabul to Jalalabad
locations and routes on Google Maps
See our interactive map of
Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak
locations and routes on Google Maps
See our interactive map of
The March from Peshawar to Kabul
locations and routes on Google Maps

The 1st Afghan War 1839-42.

Summary

In the face of continued expansion of the Russian Empire, Britain sought to secure the northwestern borders of British India by establishing Afghanistan as an ally and buffer. Under the pretext of restoring the former ruler Shah Shuja to the throne the British assembled an invading army. 21,000 troops under Sir John Keane entered Afghanistan via Quetta occupying Kandahar and Kabul. This led to the disastrous retreat to Gandamak and a second invasion by the Army of Retribution under Maj-Gen George Pollock. General William Nott advanced from Kandahar meeting Pollock and recapturing Kabul. After releasing British prisoners and destroying Kabul bazaar the British returned to India.

Actions

See Category:1st Afghan War for an alphabetical list.

Troop Strength

1st Army of the Indus (Bengal) under Maj-Gen Sir Willoughby Cotton 9,500
2nd Reserve Division at Ferozepore under Maj-Gen Duncan 4,250
3rd Shah Shooja ul Mulk’s Contingent 6,000
4th Bombay Force under HE Lt-Gen Sir John Keane 5,600
5th Bombay Reserve (Sind Force) 3,000
_______
To act in Sind & Afghanistan 28,350
6th The Shahzada’s Force 4,800
7th Sikh Contingent 6,000
To move from Peshawar to Kabul 10,800
_______
Total 39,150
8th Sikh Army of Observation at Peshawar 10,800
_______
Grand total 54,150

Casualties

Names of fallen officers from the British Army and native forces can be found on Stephen Lewis' Officers Died site.

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
Thomas Anquetil (1781-1842)
Willoughby Cotton (1783-1860)
Wiliam Dennie (1785?-1842)
William Elphinstone (1782-1842)
John Keane (1781-1844)
John McCaskill (?-1845)
William Nott (1782-1845)
George Pollock (1786-1872)
John Shelton (?-1845)
Robert Sale (1782-1845)
Claude Wade (1794-1861)
Thomas Willshire (1789-1862)

Recommended Reading

"First Afghan War" by H Durrand 1879 ISBN 818650530X

External Links

The FIBIS Google Books Library
has books tagged:
1st Afghan War Afghanistan

Historical books online

  • Narrative of the Campaign of the Indus in Sind and Kaubool in 1838-9 by Richard Hartley Kennedy M.D. Chief of the Medical Staff of the Bombay Division of the Army of the Indus. 1840 Volume 1 Volume 2
  • The Campaign in Affghanistan, Journal of an Officer of the Army of the Indus by Captain Ogle H.M.4th Lt Drags published 1840 and 1841 in the Asiatic Journal. Google Books. Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

  • Ten years in India, in the 16th Queen's Lancers by WJD Gould (1880). Chapter 2 covers the Afghan Campaign (Archive.org)