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First Anglo Afghan War 1836 – 1842:
Reason:
- Interference of British in the war of succession in Afghanistan.
Persons:
- Dost Muhammad (ruler of Afghanistan) vs Lord Auckland (Governor General of India) + Shah Shuja (Afghanistan) + Ranjith Singh (Punjab ruler)
Tripartite Treaty
- signed between British, Shuja and Ranjith Singh.
- All are agreed to help each other in need of emergency.
- British and Ranjith Singh agreed to help Shah Shuja to capture the throne.
- Shuja agreed to stop all the ties with Russia and Iran.
- British captured most of the Afghanistan and ruler Dost Muhammed surrendered in August 1839 and deported to Calcutta.
- Shah Shuja became the ruler but people of Afghanistan considered him as a traitor and the rebels under Suja-ud- Daulah killed Shah Shuja in 1842.
- During this rebellion thousands of British soldiers including officers brutally killed as a result British agreed to sign Peace Treaty.
- Lord Auckland recalled to England and new Governor General Lord Ellenborough signed the treaty. As a result Dost Muhammad restored as the ruler.
Second Anglo Afghan War 1878 – 1880:
Reason:
- Assumed threat of Russian invasion on India when Russia sent a mission to Afghanistan.
- British government instructed Lord Lytton the Viceroy of India to follow Forward Policy so he declared war.
- British soon captured area between Kabul and Kandahar.
- Sher Ali the son of Dost Muhammad, the ruler of Afghanistan fled and died in 1879.
- His son Yakhub Khan became the ruler and concluded the war with Treaty of Gandamak.
- According to the treaty British sent a resident to Kabul but he and many officers were killed by rebellions.
- Again war waged and British captured Kabul and Yakhub Khan surrendered and sent to Dehradun as a prisioner.
- Abdur Rahaman the grandson of Dost Muhammad became the ruler.
- Though English captured most of the region but it was difficult to hold it.
- Lytton policy on Afghanistan was severely criticized by New Government in England and forced him to resign in 1880.
Third Anglo Afghan War 1919:
Reason:
- In 1917 the Afghanistan demanded full independence from British.
- Habibullah the son of Abdur Rahman became the ruler and he was assassinated. As a result war of succession occurred between His brother Nasrullah and Habibullah’s son
- To secure his position Amanullah captured Bagh region of India so British declared war in 1919.
- The war came to an end with Treaty of Rawalpindi on 8 August, 1919.
- Afghan got their complete independence and British accepted the Durand Line as the boundary between India and Afghanistan.