1st Afghan War
| 1st Afghan War | |
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| 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 | |
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See our interactive map of Invasion of the HEIC Army locations and routes on Google Maps | |
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See our interactive map of The March from Kabul to Jalalabad locations and routes on Google Maps | |
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See our interactive map of Retreat from Kabul to Gandamak locations and routes on Google Maps | |
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See our interactive map of The March from Peshawar to Kabul locations and routes on Google Maps | |
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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.
(Note: this link refers wrongly to Maj-Gen Sir Howard Elphinstone. It should be Maj-Gen Wiliam Elphinstone.)
Biographies
Entries in the Dictionary of Indian Biography 1906:
Thomas Anquetil (1781-1842)
Willoughby Cotton (1783-1860)
William Dennie (1785?-1842)
William Elphinstone (1782-1842)
John Keane (1781-1844)
John McCaskill (?-1845)
William Nott (1782-1845)
George Pollock (1786-1872)
Eldred Pottinger (1811-1843)
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
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The FIBIS Google Books Library has books tagged: 1st Afghan War Afghanistan | |
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- 1st Anglo-Afghan War Wikipedia
- 1st Afghan War 1839-42 Somerset Record Office
- British Victorian War Medals www.acepilots.com
Historical books online
- History of the War in Afghanistan Vol I (1800-1841) by John William Kaye (1851)
- History of the War in Afghanistan Vol III (1841-1842) by John William Kaye Revised Edition (1858)
- A narrative of the march and operations of the army of the Indus, in the expedition to Affghanistan in the years 1838-1839 by William Hough (1841) including:
- 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 HM 4th Lt Drags published 1840 and 1841 in the Asiatic Journal (Google Books)
- Ten years in India, in the 16th Queen's Lancers by WJD Gould (1880). Chapter 2, covering the Afghan Campaign (Archive.org)
- Campaign of the Indus in a series of letters by an officer in the Bombay Division (Gutenberg.org)
- Historical geography of the British Dependencies Vol VII India, Part I - First Afghan War (archive.org)
- The first Afghan war and its causes Sir Henry Durand 1879 (archive.org)