Editing Great Game (section)

== First Anglo-Afghan War ==
{{Further|First Anglo-Afghan War}}
[[File:Dost Mohammad Khan, 1793 to 1863. Emir of Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Dost Mohammad Khan, 1793 to 1863. Emir of Afghanistan. From The World's Inhabitants by G.T. Bettany published 1888.]]
British influence was to be extended into Afghanistan and it was to become a buffer state. The intention to invade was clear, and when a copy of the Manifesto reached London there was no objection.{{sfn|Ewans|2002|pp=60–62}}

In 1838, the British marched into Afghanistan and deposed [[Dost Mohammad Khan]]. After a [[Parwan Campaign (1840)|period of resistance]], Dost Mohammad surrendered despite his victories. The British sent him into exile in India and replaced him with the previous ruler, [[Shah Shujah Durrani|Shah Shuja]], who shared their more progressive vision for the people of the region. Shah Shuja ul-Mulk had ascended the throne in 1803 and had signed a mutual defence agreement with the British in 1809 against a possible Franco-Russian invasion of India via Afghanistan. In the same year he was deposed and imprisoned by his half-brother, [[Mahmud Shah Durrani]]. There were a number of Amirs of Afghanistan until Dost Mohammad Khan gained power in 1826.<ref name="snedden2015" /> Shah Shuja was not popular with the Afghans and tensions grew, leading to the killing of the British envoy, Captain Alexander Burnes, in 1841. By January 1842, the Afghans were in full revolt. With a weakening of military discipline, the British decided to [[1842 retreat from Kabul|withdraw from Kabul]]. The Kabul garrison of 4,500 troops and 12,000 camp followers left Kabul for Jalalabad that was 80 miles and 5 days march away. They were attacked by 30,000 Afghans.<ref name="snedden2015" /> Six British officers escaped on horseback but only one, the wounded Dr [[William Brydon]] riding on a wounded horse, made it to Jalalabad. Over one hundred of the British and 2,000 sepoys and camp followers were taken hostage and the rest killed. So perished the "Army of the Indus".{{sfn|Ewans|2002|p=70}} In April, a punitive expedition was dispatched and recaptured Kabul and freed the captives in September. The new Governor-General, [[Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough|Lord Ellenborough]], decided to withdraw all British garrisons from Afghanistan and Dost Mohammad Khan was freed in India to return to the throne.<ref name="snedden2015" /> Dost Mohammad is reported to have said:<blockquote>I have been struck by the magnitude of your resources, your ships, your arsenals, but what I cannot understand is why the rulers of so vast and flourishing an empire should have gone across the Indus to deprive me of my poor and barren country.{{sfn|Ewans|2002|p=70}}</blockquote>

=== Khiva (1839) ===
{{Main|Khivan campaign of 1839}}
[[File:Meyers_b18_s0817a.jpg|thumb|[[Russian Empire]] acquisitions by year in Central Asia up to 1885]]
In 1839, acting Captain [[James Abbott (Indian Army officer)|James Abbott]] of the Bengal Artillery undertook a mission to the Khanate of Khiva in an attempt to negotiate the release of Russian slaves that would deny the Russians a pretext for invading Khiva. If war had already broken out, Abbot was instructed to attempt to negotiate a settlement.<ref name="storey2012" /> The attempted Russian assault on Khiva may have been in response to Britain's "forward policy" on Afghanistan, however it failed to reach Khiva due to the severe winter conditions. Of the 5,000 men who had left Orenburg, only 4,000 returned.{{sfn|Ewans|2002|p=66}} Abbott was hampered by a lack of understanding of Khivan language and culture, and the attempt to release Russian slaves was unsuccessful. He did agree with the Khivan ruler, [[Allah Quli Khan]], to establishing a British agent to Khiva and to mediate between Khiva and Russia. Abbott set off from Khiva in 1840 towards Russia to commence negotiations, which he did on his own initiative and it was not authorised by his superiors. His caravan was attacked by Khazakhs and he was wounded in the hand and taken hostage, however he and his party were released because they feared retribution. He reached Saint Petersburg but the attempt at mediation failed. His bravery was recognized through promotion to full Captain.<ref name="storey2012" /> In the same year, Lieutenant [[Richmond Shakespear]] of the Bengal Artillery was successful in negotiating the release of 416 Russian captives, whom he escorted into Russia.<ref name="aberigh1875" /> He was knighted for this undertaking.<ref>{{London Gazette
| issue = 20012
| date = 31 August 1841
| page = 2203
}}</ref>