2nd Afghan War

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2nd Afghan War
1878-80
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
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Location: Afghanistan
Combatants:
British and Indians Afghanistan
Result:
British took control of Afghan foreign relations
Border areas ceded to Britain
Medals:
The Afghanistan Medal 1878-1880
Clasps: Ali Musjid, Peiwar Kotal, Charasia, Ahmed Khel and Kandahar
Kabul to Khandahar Star 1880
Links:
Category: 2nd Afghan War
General Browne's March from Peshawar to Gandamak
General Roberts' March to Ali Kheyl
General Stewart's March to Kandahar
General Roberts' March to Kabul
General Stewart's March to Kabul
General Roberts' March from Kabul to Kandahar
See our interactive map of
2nd Afghan War: First Phase
locations and routes on Google Maps
See our interactive map of
2nd Afghan War: Second Phase
locations and routes on Google Maps
See our interactive map of
2nd Afghan War: Third Phase
locations and routes on Google Maps


The 2nd Anglo-Afghan War 1878-80 came about because the British were concerned over Tsarist Russian expansion and tried to get the Afghan Amir Sher Ali to agree to a diplomatic mission to Kabul. When this was refused but a Russian mission admitted, the British invaded from three directions. With the country occupied, Sher Ali's son Yakoub Khan signed the Treaty of Gandamak in May 1879. The British forces withdrew but an uprising in Kabul led to the murder of the British Resident Sir Pierre Cavagnari. This provoked a second invasion by the British under Major General Sir Frederick Roberts and the occupation of Kabul following the Battle of Charasia in October 1879. The Afghans were again defeated at the Siege of Sherpur Cantonment in December. A further revolt led to the defeat of the British at the Battle of Maiwand in July 1880 following which Kandahar was besieged. Roberts led a force from Kabul to defeat the Afghans under Ayub Khan at the Battle of Baba Wullee. The Treaty of Gandamak was confirmed and the British withdrew.

Chronology of events

Biographies

Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906 and Dictionary of National Biography 1912
Henry Abadie (1841-1915)
Ayub Khan (1849-?)
Thomas Baker (1837-1893)
Robert Onesiphorus Bright (1823-1896)
Samuel Browne (1824-1901)
Pierre Cavagnari (1841-1879)
Mortimer Durand (1850-1924)
Charles Gough (1832-1912)
Herbert Taylor Macpherson (1827-1886)
William Godfrey Dunham Massy (1838-1906)
Charles Palliser (1830-1895)
Frederick Roberts (1824-1914)
Robert Sandeman (1835-1892)
Sher Ali (1842-1872?)
Donald Stewart (1824-1900)

Also see

External Links

Maps

Historical books online

The same content was issued under the title The Second Afghan War, 1878-80: Abridged Official Account produced in the Intelligence Branch Army Headquarters, India 1908 Archive.org. Note: Part of the latter filming is unsatisfactory, with text missing from the sides of some pages, and some of the illustrations have not been filmed.
Also available as a pdf download PAHAR Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset.
The six volume The Second Afghan War compiled and collated by and under the orders of Sir C. M. MacGregor, published 1885-1886 as "Strictly confidential", on which the Abridged Official Account was based, is available at the British Library UIN: BLL01012490881, or IOR/L/MIL/17/14/29 (parts 2-6 only).
London Gazette and the Gazette of India

The London Gazette may be searched online for official correspondence relating to operations in Afghanistan. As examples, the following correspondence been noted for 1880 (there may be other correspondence).

The Gazette of India also contains some official correspondence relating to operations in Afghanistan which is not mentioned in the London Gazette. See Newspapers and journals online-Gazette of India for some online editions. Also available at the British Library . As an example, the Gazette of India for the period September-December 1880 has an entry dated 11 September 1880 concerning Major W Jacob of the 19th Bombay Native Infantry and the march to Chaman 29-30th July 1880. This account is now available at Archive.org, pages 440-442.

Fiction
  • The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye 1978. "...a 1,000 page epic of war and romance set in 19th century India; the book sold in its millions and was adapted for television in 1984..."
Archive.org version; Archive.org Lending Library edition in two volumes: Volume 1, Volume 2
Obituary: The Telegraph 31 January 2004