[Illustration: Sir Frederick Roberts] * * * * * THE AFGHAN WARS 1839-42 AND 1878-80 by ARCHIBALD FORBES With Portraits and Plans * * * * * CONTENTS PART I.--THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR CHAP. I.--PRELIMINARY II.--THE MARCH TO CABUL III.--THE FIRST YEAR OF OCCUPATION IV.--THE SECOND YEAR OF OCCUPATION V.--THE BEGINNING OF THE END VI.--THE ROAD TO RUIN VII.--THE CATASTROPHE VIII.--THE SIEGE AND DEFENCE OF JELLALABAD IX.--RETRIBUTION AND RESCUE PART II.--THE SECOND AFGHAN WAR I.--THE FIRST CAMPAIGN II.--THE OPENING OF THE SECOND CAMPAIGN III.--THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM IV.--THE DECEMBER STORM V.--ON THE DEFENSIVE IN SHERPUR VI.--AHMED KHEL VII.--THE AMEER ABDURRAHMAN VIII.--MAIWAND AND THE GREAT MARCH IX.--THE BATTLE OF CANDAHAR * * * * * LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND PLANS PORTRAIT OF SIR FREDERICK ROBERTS _Frontispiece_ PLAN OF CABUL, THE CANTONMENT PORTRAIT OF SIR GEORGE POLLOCK PORTRAIT OF SIR LOUIS CAVAGNARI AND SIRDARS PLAN OF CABUL SHOWING THE ACTIONS, DEC. 11-14 PLAN OF ACTION, AHMED KHEL PORTRAIT OF THE AMEER ABDURRAHMAN PLAN OF THE ACTION OF MAIWAND PLAN OF THE ACTION OF CANDAHAR _The Portraits of Sir G. Pollock and Sir F. Roberts are engraved by permission of Messrs Henry Graves & Co._ * * * * * THE AFGHAN WARS PART I: _THE FIRST AFGHAN WAR_ CHAPTER I: PRELIMINARY Since it was the British complications with Persia which mainly furnished what pretext there was for the invasion of Afghanistan by an Anglo-Indian army in 1839, some brief recital is necessary of the relations between Great Britain and Persia prior to that aggression. By a treaty, concluded between England and Persia in 1814, the former state bound itself, in case of the invasion of Persia by any European nation, to aid the Shah either with troops from India or by the payment of an annual subsidy in support of his war expenses. It was a dangerous engagement, even with the _caveat_ rendering the undertaking inoperative if such invasion should be provoked by Persia. During the fierce struggle of 1825-7, between Abbas Meerza and the Russian General Paskevitch, England refrained from supporting Persia either with men or with money, and when prostrate Persia was in financial extremities because of the war indemnity which the treaty of Turkmanchai imposed upon her, England took advantage of her needs by purchasing the cancellation of the inconvenient obligation at the cheap cost of about £300,000. It was the natural result of this transaction that English influence with the Persian Court should sensibly decline, and it was not less natural that in conscious weakness Persia should fall under the domination of Russian influence.