Wade's Expedition to Kabul

Summary

Although the main invading army could not pass through Sikh territory for political reasons, it was seen as desirable to mount an attack from two directions to compel Amir Dost Mohammed Khan to divide his forces. Claude Wade, who was political agent in Ludhiana, was entrusted with making the subsidiary movement through the Khyber Pass to Kabul. he arrived at Peshawar in March 1839 and, aided by Lt Frederick Mackeson, Dr Percival Barton Lord and Lt Joseph Cunningham, he tried to win over the Afridi tribes. This was only partially successful and he was obliged to try to force the Khyber Pass with a mixed contingent of Shah Shujah's Afghan levies, punjabis from Ranjit Singh's regular army and a few East India Company troops. He was accompanied by Shazadeh Muhammad Timur the son of Shah Shujah ul Mulk. He took the strategic fort of Ali Masjid on 27 July 1839. The British threat from the south forced Dost Mohammed to recall his son Mohammed Akbar from Jalalabad and the way was open. The strategy had worked and the expeditionary force reache Kabul on 3 September less that a month after Shah Shujah and the combined army.

Wade's Expeditionary Force

• 380 Company troops
• 4,000 Shahzadeh Timur's Afghan levies
• 6,000 Nao Nahal Singh's Sikh troops

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
Mahommed Akbar Khan (1813?-1849)
Joseph Cunningham (1812-1851)
Percival Lord (1808-1840)
Frederick Mackeson (1807-1853)
Shah Shuja (1780?-1842)
Claude Wade (1794-1861)

External Links

1st Afghan War Wikipedia
Afghan Wars Heritage History
1st Afghan War Somerset Record Office
Sir Claude Martine Wade ODNB

Historical books on-line

History of the War in Afghanistan, Volume 1 - Wade's Expedition by Sir Kaye John William 1851 (Google Books)