1842-First Anglo-Afghan War

The First Anglo-Afghan War broke out in 1839 as an episode of the wider rivalry between Britain and Russia for influence in Central Asia, a contest later known as the Great Game. The British authorities in India, alarmed by signs of growing Russian and Persian influence over Afghanistan and distrustful of its ruler Dost Mohammad Khan, resolved to replace him with a friendlier candidate.

A British and Indian army advanced through the mountain passes into Afghanistan, capturing the fortress of Ghazni and then occupying Kabul. They installed Shah Shuja, a former ruler from a rival line who had long lived in exile, upon the throne. Dost Mohammad eventually surrendered and was sent into India, and for a time the British position appeared secure.

Shah Shuja, however, was widely regarded as a puppet of foreign power and commanded little genuine support among the Afghan population. Resentment at the British occupation, the burden it imposed, and the presence of foreign troops steadily mounted. This discontent would soon erupt into a general uprising, leading to one of the most disastrous reverses in British military history during the catastrophic retreat from Kabul.