1839-42. AFGHAN WAR

1839. Captain James Abbott (1807-1896) conducted amission to theKhan of Khiva to negotiate therelease of Russian captives held as slaves. The initial agreement was disavowed by Lord Auckland.Abbott traveled onward to St. Petersburgand his placewas taken by Captain Richard C. Shakespear (1812-1861). Shakespear won the release of four hundred Russians and subsequently escorted them to OrenburgarrivingOctober 10, 1840.

1839-42. AFGHANWAR.

25 Apr. 1839. Army ofthe Indus reached Kandahar which fell to the British without a fight. Afteraperiod of resupply,the armyleft on June 27, 1839 for Ghazni.

7 May 1839. Sir William H. Macnaghten (1793-1841) negotiated a treaty with Shah Shuja (c.1780-1842)atKandahar. Itprovided for the collection of commercial duties, a British led contingent of Indian levies. and promised that no British administrative interference would occuraslongaspeace and commerce weremaintained. Lord Auckland ratified theagreementon October 24, 1839.

27 June 1839. Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab, died thus creating new important policy challenges for the British while simultaneously invading Afghanistan.

23 July 1839. At three o'clock in the morning a firing party led by Lieutenant Henry M.

Durand(1812-1871) blew in the Kabulgateof the Ghazni fortress. Storming parties led by ColonelWilliam H. Dennie (1785-1842) and Brigadier Robert Sale (1782-1845) tookthe city thencaptured theCitadel. British forces lost 17 killed and 165 wounded. TheAfghans suffered about 600killed and many prisoners.

7 Aug. 1839. Britishforces and ShahShuja entered Kabul without opposition. Afghan leader, Dost Muhammad, fled the city when deserted by his followers.

20Aug. 1839. Followingthefall of Kabul,a Minute released by Lord Auckland directed the return of most British forces to India. In order

HistoryofBritish india43 to supportShah Shuju, General Cotton was placed in over all commandatKabul, Major-General William Nott (1782-1845) retained control of Kandahar, and Brigadier Sale commanded atJalalabad.

3 Sept. 1839. The troops led by Lieutenant Colonel Claude M. Wade (1794-1861)arrived at Kabul. This body of 11,000 men had attackedthrough the Khyber Passcapturing the fortress atAli Masjid on July26, 1839.

13 Nov. 1839. The forces of General Willshire captured the fortressatKalat. Nasir, the Khan ofKalat, hadinstigatednumerous raids on the Army of the Indus when proceedingtoKabul.

He was killed andmucharmy property was recovered.

31 Mar. 1840. To pay for the costsofthe Afghan War, Lord Auckland openedanew loan at afive percent rate of interest. Furthermore he raised the interest charged merchants to slow their demands, and in January 1842 he stopped the remittances of funds to Britain.

The Afghan War costed an estimated eight million pounds.

30 Aug. 1840. Macnaghten's policy for northern Afghanistan unraveled with Dost Muhammad'sattackon the British pOSitionat Bajgah. Inconsequencethe British withdrew and reestablished forces at Charikar, forty miles north of Kabul. This marked the abandonmentof the British forward policy in northern Afghanistan.

18 Sept. 1840. Colonel William H. Dennie defeatedaUzbek force led by Dost Muhammad inan actionfought near Bamiyan.

3 Nov. 1840. Dost Muhammed (1826-1863) surrenderedhimself to MacnaghtenatKabul.

On November 13, 1840 the Amir was sent off to Indiatolive inexile atLudhiana.

5 Nov. 1840. Sikh leader Kharak Singh died asdid his son,Nau Niha1 Singh. In the months which followed the Sikhstate slippedinto a state ofanarchy causing theBritish tofear for the stabilityoftheir line ofcommunication with Afghanistan.

26 Nov. 1840. Major-General William G.K.

Elphinstone(I782-1842) tookcommandofthe British forces in Afghanistan follOWing the

44HistoryofBritish India

retirement of Cotton. At this time Colonel John Sheltonwasnamedcommandingofficer of the British brigadelocatedat Kabul.

Jan..July,andAug. 1841. British forces from Kabul suppressed a series of uprisings of the Durranitribe. InMay and August 1841 similar uprisings of the Ghilzai tribes were put down by forces of Shah Shuja and the British. These operations marked a shift from indirect to direct measures of Intervention and governance.

9 1841. Muhammand Akbar Khan expelled Major Elliott D'Arcy Todd (1808-1845),British Agent to Herat. Thisended the British vision ofannexation and control of Herat by Afghanistan and its use for the defense ofIndia. The lack of available troops, shortage of money, and the rugged terrain precluded British militaryactionand the matterlapsed.

Mar. 1841.Lord AucklandIn Council decided to increase the Afghan commitment In the face of suggestions from the Company's Court of Directors to withdrawcompletely and admit failure.

Oct. - Nov. 184 I. The British decision to eliminate a number of feudal Afghan cavalry units and to reduce tribal allowances stimulated a hostile sense and outright disturbances IneasternAfghanistan.

2 Nov. 1841. Afghans at Kabul murdered Burnes and sacked the British treasury.

British military leadership dithered and no forces weresent Into Kabul toquell the riot whichconsequentlybecameanInsurrection.

5 Nov. 1841.Britishcantonment atKabul lost Its commissariat fort to attacking Afghans leaving the British with about ten days offood.

10 Nov. 1841. ColonelShelton ledaforce of

three In the capture of the

Rikabashee fort whose Afghan fire had dominated the British cantonment. tons ofgrain werealso captured.

22 and23 Nov.1841. Britishattemptsto flush Afghan snipers outof thevillageof Beymaroo failed,buttheoperationacqUired someforage andprovisions.

25 Nov. 1841. Macnaghten Initiated negotiationswiththe Afghanswithout success.

The Afghans were seeking an unconditional surrender.

11 Dec. 1841. Macnaghten met with Muhammad Akbar Khan, son of Dost Muhammad, and agreed to the complete dismantling of the British establishment In Afghanistaninturn for thesafepassage of the Kabulgarrisonto Jalalabad.

23 Dec. 1841. At a conference between the British and Afghans, Muhammad Akbar murderedMacnaghten.

24 Dec. 1841. Major Eldred Pottinger (1811-1843)tookup negotiationswiththe Afghans.

He agreed to give up most artillery pieces, spare rifles, ammunition, monies, and six hostages for passage to Jalalabad.

6-13 Jan. 1842. During this period the British garrison at Kabul consisting of the 4,500 soldiers and about 12,000 camp followers retreated toward Jalalabad.One hundredand twentymen, womenand children were taken prisoner by MuhammadAkbar. On January 13,1842 Dr. William Brydon (1811-1873),the lone European survivor of the retreat,arrived atJalalabad.

Jan. 1842. A scratch force of four native Infantry regiments were forwarded to Peshawar. They failed to carry the Khyber Pass In anearlyattempt toreenforceMajor-General Sale(1782-1845)atJalalabad.

5 1842. Major·General George Pollock (I 786-1872)arrived atPeshawarandbeganto gatherforceswhichweretobecome theArmy of Retribution.

Mar.-Apr. 1842. Major-General Saleretained and strengthened the defenses of Jalalabad whileunder Siegeby Muhammad Akbar. On April 7, 1842. Sale launched a successful attack onanAfghanforceof6,000 andbroke the siege of Jalalabad.

Mar.-May1842. Major-General William Nott (1782-1845) retained possession ofthefortat Kandahar. On May 10, Brigadier Richard England (1792-1883) arrived with a brigade fromQuettatoreinforce NottatKandahar.

6 Mar. 1842. British garrison at Ghaznl commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer surrendered to Ghilzaltribesmen.

5 Apr. 1842.A Barakzal tribesman murdered Shah Shuja near Kabul.

5 Apr. 1842. Pollock's Army of Retribution began its march on Jalalabad entering the Khyber Pass and the following day capturedAll Masjid. On April 16 Major-General Pollock relievedMajor-General Saleat Jala1abad.

4 July 1842. Governor-General Lord Ellenborough (1790-1871) Issued orders to Nott offering a route out of Afghanistan via either Kabul or Quetta. Pollock's orders encompassed a march on Kabul, recovery of guns, colors and hostages, and a speedy withdrawfrom Afghanistan.

12 Aug. 1842. Nottleft Kandahar with a force of 8,000 men for Kabul while England tookthe remaining troops of the Kandahar garrison to Quetta.

20 Aug. 1842 Major-General Pollock left Jalalabad with 8,000 men to join Nott at Kabul.

30 Aug. 1842. Nott defeated aforce of about 12,000 under the command of the Afghan Governor of Ghazni at Ghoalne.

6 Sept. 1842. Nott recaptured Ghazni and on September 9 blewup its Citadel, breached Its walls, and carried away the "Gates of the Templeof Somnath".

13 Sept. 1842. At Tezln PassMajor-General Pollockrouted the tribesmenof Muhammad Akbar and then on September 15-16 the British forces occupied Kabul where they remained until October 12,1842.

20 Sept. 1842. British prisoners negotiated theirownreleaseand then passedInto the care ofCaptain Sir Richmond C. Shakespear (1812·1861) for the journey to Kabul.

1 Oct. 1842. Lord Ellenborough Issued a bombastic proclamation regarding British victories In Afghanistan. He Indicated that the British would recognize any government selected by the Afghans, and subsequently released Dost Muhammad to return to

History of BritishIndia 45 Afghanistan. The proclamation angered the Whig party In England who felt Lord Ellenboroughwas attempting to discreditLord Aucklandand his Simla manifesto.

10 Oct. 1842. Major-General Pollockblewup the Great Bazaar ofKabuland onOctober 12 commenced the withdrawal of British forces from Kabuland Afghanistan. On October 27 Pollock withdrew all British forces from Jala1abad, destroyed Itsfortifications, and thus ended British Influencein eastern Afghanistan.

15 Oct. 1842. Lord Ellenborough Issueda second proclamation announcing the return of the "Gates of Somnath" which the Muhammadans had carried offIn1024 A.D. to Ghaznl. Ellenborough'sintention was to bind a grateful Hindu population to British rule.

The gates, however, proved not to be the original whichhad been made of sandalwood, while these were constructed of deodar.

•••

1839-1842. OPWM WAR.

1 Aug 1839. British expeditionary force captured the Chusan Peninsula onthe China coast. Charles Elliot (1801-1875), British Plenipotentiary, agreed to unsuitable terms and was subsequently recalled.

1841-1842. The second phase of the war started on August 10, 1841 with thearrival from India ofSir Henry Pottinger(1789-1856) as British Envoy andMajor-General Sir Hugh H. Gough (1779-1869) as commander of a mixed British Indian force. Operations focused on control of the Yangtze-KiangRiver and the Imperial Canal to impede trade and force the Chinese to negotiations. On June13, 1842 the BritishenteredtheYangtze, June 16 captured Woosung, June 19 took Shanghai and proceeded to bring Nanking under siege. On August 29 the Chinese accepted British terms of the Treaty of Nanking: Chinese to pay

£4,000,000 indemnity, five Chinese ports to be opened to British trade, and the Island of Hong Kong to be ceded to the British.

•••

10 Feb. 1841. Major Elliott D'Arcy Todd (1808-1845), British Political AgentatHerat, declined to pay further subsidies to

46 History of British India

Muhammad Akbar Khan. He broke off all relations with the Heratlleaderand withdrew the British Mission. The Government of India disowned Todd's actions and assigned the post toMajor Henry C. Rawlinson(1810-1895).

Under Rawlinson the British policy was to encourageHerat's Independence and freedom from foreign intrusion.

28 Feb. 1842. Lord Ellenborough (1790-187I)assumed the duties of Governor-General of India.

Mar. 1842. Lord EllenboroughInitiated the practice of appointing two Indian aides-de-camps and later addedabody guard composed of a troop of Irregular native cavalry. This policy was executed for the purpose of enhancingrelationswith the Native States and their Indian princes and chiefs.

Apr. 1842. Due to Indian uprisings In Sagar and Narbada, Lord Ellenboroughappointed Colonel William H. Sleeman to Investigate theircauses. Sleeman's report Indicated the problem was rooted In the lack of British respect shown toward Indians belonging the middle or high classes. TheentirelocalBritish establishment was dismissed andthefollowing reforms were made:administrationofciviland criminal justice separated, judicial appeals removed from the lower courts, police and revenue departments segregated from one another, and additional military training provided to the local police force.

II Jan.1843. Major-General Napierblew up to the desert fortress of Imam Garh In Upper Sind to which the young Amlrs of Khalrpur had fled.

14/15Feb. 1843. A body of Baluchlsattacked the British Residence at Hyderabad. Sir JamesOutram(1803-I863),British Resident, escaped by steamer down the Indus.

17 Feb. 1843. Witha force of2,800 Major-GeneralNapier attackedanddefeatedaforce of20,000to30,000near Mlani. The British suffered256casualties against5,000to6,000 tribesmen, representing the combined forces of Hyderabad, Khalpur, and Mirpur. Napier's victory won for the British control of the Sind.

5Mar. 1843. LordEllenboroughannounced In general orders that from Sukkur to the sea, both banks of the Indus belonged to the British. This act was tantamount to the annexationof Sind to the British India.

13Mar. 1843. LordEllenboroughappOinted Major-General Napieras Governor of Sind,a roleInwhich he serveduntil 1847. He also announced reforms to include:suppression of the slave trade,abolitionof transit duties,and open navigation of the Indus to all nations.

26Mar.1843.Major-General Napierdefeated tribal forces led by Sher Muhammad at Hyderabad.

•••

1843. By Act Vofthls year, the Government of India abolished slavery In India.

28Aug. 1843. The Governor-Generalof India in Councilformallydecided ontheannexation of Sind to British India.

17June1842.At Bokhara Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Stoddart (1806-1842) and Captain Arthur Conolly (1807-1842) were publicly beheaded at the command of the Amlr of Bokhara.

2 Dec. 1842. Lord Ellenboroughgave his assent to Act XV which prOVided for the emigration of Indian labor to the Island of Mauritius. Emigration was allowed from Calcutta, BombayandMadras.