First Anglo-Afghan War

First Anglo-Afghan War
	Part of the Great Game
	; Lithograph depicting British-Indian force storming the fortress during the Battle of Ghazni, 23 July 1839
Date	1 October 1838 – October 1842
Location	Afghanistan
Result	Barakzai Afghan victory
Belligerents
Barakzais; Emirate of Kabul; Principality of Kandahar; Khanate of Kalat; Khulm (August 1840, November 1841 onwards.); Marri; Bugti; Afghan Tribes; Barakzai Loyalists	Durranis; British Empire; • East India Company; Durrani Kingdom; Maimana Khanate; Khulm (August 1840 for mere days, September 1840–November 1841); Sadozai loyalists; Supported By:; Sikh Empire
Commanders and leaders
Dost Mohammad Khan ; Emirate of Kabul: Akbar Khan (WIA) ; Afzal Khan (WIA) ; Haidar Khan ; Nawab Jabbar Khan ; Akram Khan ; Nawab Muhammad Zaman ; Qandahar: Kohandil Khan ; Mehrdil Khan ; Rahmdil Khan ; Afghan Rebels: Abdullah Khan Achakzai ; Mohammad Shah Khan Sulimankhail ; Aminullah Khan Logari ; Mir Masjidi Khan X ; Akhtar Khan ;	Shujah ul-Mulk X; Durranis/Sadozais: Zaman Shah Durrani ; Fath Jang ; Timur Mirza ; Sultan Shahpur ; British: Robert Peel ; William Lamb ; Lord Auckland ; William Elphinstone † ; William Hay Macnaghten † ; Sir Henry William Barnard ; John Keane ; John Connolly † ; Sir Willoughby Cotton ; George Pollock ; Henry Marion Durand ; Robert Sale ; John Shelton (POW) ; Robert Salusbury Trevor † ; Edward Connolly † ; Alexander Burnes † ; Percival Lord † ; Durrani/Sadozai Loyalists: Mir Wali of Khulm (August 1840–November 1841) ; Hajji Khan Kakar ;
Casualties and losses
Unknown	~40,000 British dead

The First Anglo-Afghan War (Pashto: ده انګريز افغان اولني جګړه) was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad Khan (Barakzai) and former King Shah Shujah (Durrani), whom they reinstalled upon occupying Kabul in August 1839. The main British Indian force occupied Kabul and endured harsh winters. The force and its camp followers were almost completely massacred during the 1842 retreat from Kabul.^[2]^[3]

The British then sent what was widely termed an "Army of Retribution" to Kabul to avenge the destruction of the previous forces. After recovering prisoners, they left Afghanistan by the end of the year. Dost Mohammed returned from exile in India to resume his rule.

It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between Britain and Russia.^[4]

^ Dalrymple 2013, p. 314.
^ Kohn, George Childs (2013). Dictionary of Wars. Revised Edition. London/New York: Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-135-95494-9.
^ Baxter, Craig (2001). "The First Anglo–Afghan War". In Federal Research Division, Library of Congress (ed.). Afghanistan: A Country Study. Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Pub. Division. ISBN 1-57980-744-5. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
^ Keay, John (2010). India: A History (revised ed.). New York, NY: Grove Press. pp. 418–19. ISBN 978-0-8021-4558-1.

[FOOTNOTEDalrymple2013314-1] Dalrymple 2013, p. 314.

[Kohn-2] Kohn, George Childs (2013). Dictionary of Wars. Revised Edition. London/New York: Routledge. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-135-95494-9.

[baxter-3] Baxter, Craig (2001). "The First Anglo–Afghan War". In Federal Research Division, Library of Congress (ed.). Afghanistan: A Country Study. Baton Rouge, LA: Claitor's Pub. Division. ISBN 1-57980-744-5. Retrieved 23 September 2011.

[keay419-4] Keay, John (2010). India: A History (revised ed.). New York, NY: Grove Press. pp. 418–19. ISBN 978-0-8021-4558-1.

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