Afghanistan and British India Relations during the Second Reign of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan (1843–1863)

Abstract

The First Anglo-Afghan War was instrumental in shaping the relationship between Afghanistan and British India in the second reign of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan. Having suffered a humiliating defeat, the British abandoned direct military confrontation and resorted to political maneuvering to recover from their humiliation. So they restored Dost Mohammad Khan to the throne of Kabul, but only on condition that he remain on friendly terms and deal with foreign powers only thru Britain.

Using a historical-analytical approach, this study examines the political, military, and diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and British India during this period. It explores the factors that shaped the Anglo-Afghan wars, the treaties, and the diplomatic conferences, while assessing their broader consequences. The central aim is to provide a nuanced analysis of the political relationship between Amir Dost Mohammad Khan and British India within the wider context of nineteenth-century imperial rivalry.

Findings reveal that Dost Mohammad Khan’s second reign was defined by his alliance with British India an exclusive partnership that shaped his foreign policy. Faced with Britain’s overwhelming military strength, he refrained from reclaiming lost territories despite earlier Afghan victories. His acceptance of the first and second Treaties of Jamrud, drafted entirely by the British, undermined his legitimacy, as he signed without objection or concessions. Even contemporary British writers acknowledged these treaties as one-sided.

As the Duke of Argyll noted in The Afghan Question, the treaty should have defined mutual friendship and hostility. In practice, Dost Mohammad Khan’s main gain was the incorporation of Kandahar and Herat into the central government an outcome better understood as internal consolidation than diplomatic achievement.