Second Afghan War

Second Anglo–Afghan War

Part of The Great Game

92nd Highlanders at Kandahar. Oil by Richard Caton Woodville

Date

1878–1880

Location

Emirate of Afghanistan

Result

British victory

British withdrawal from Afghanistan after achieving the desired political goals through the Treaty of Gandamak
Annexation of Afghanistan's frontier tribal areas into British India
Afghanistan becomes a British Protectorate

Belligerents

Afghanistan

British Empire

Commanders and leaders

Casualties and losses

5,000+ killed in major battles
Total unknown

1,850 killed in action or died of wounds
8,000 died of diseases

British victory

British Empire

The Second Anglo–Afghan War (Pashto: د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the latter was ruled by Sher Ali Khan of the Barakzai dynasty, the son of former Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. This was the second time British India invaded Afghanistan. The war ended after the British emerged victorious against the Afghan rebels and the Afghans agreed to let the British attain all of their geopolitical objectives from the Treaty of Gandamak. Most of the British and Indian soldiers withdrew from Afghanistan. The Afghan tribes were permitted to maintain internal rule and local customs but they had to cede control of the area's foreign relations to the British, who, in turn, guaranteed the area's freedom from foreign military domination. This was aimed to thwart expansion by the Russian Empire into India.

After tension between Russia and Britain in Europe ended with the June 1878 Congress of Berlin, Russia turned its attention to Central Asia. That same summer, Russia sent an uninvited diplomatic mission to Kabul. Sher Ali Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan, tried unsuccessfully to keep them out. Russian envoys arrived in Kabul on 22 July 1878, and on 14 August, the British demanded that Sher Ali accept a British mission too.

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