When The Afghans Lost To Britain | Afghan History

The 19th century was a pivotal period for Afghanistan as a political state. Emerging out of the dying embers of the Durrani Empire, the state fought hard for its existence; first in the shape of civil wars between contenders and then surviving a British invasion during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Thanks in part to the diligence and acumen of Amir Dost Mohammad Khan, by the 1870s Afghanistan seemed to have a semblance of political stability that could be used as a platform from which to embrace the modernisation of the country. But Afghanistan’s destiny would be interrupted - as the country became embroiled in the rivalry between Britain and Imperial Russia once again. In 1878, British India would invade the mountainous country for the second time in 40 years - this time hoping to learn from the mistakes it had made the first time.

FREE NEWSLETTER:

- Become a Patron for as little as a dollar a month to vote on upcoming and keep the movement going!

Massive thank you to our Patreons:
Edgar
Tasso
Rob
Fodool
Elman
Ammar
Waleed
Preston P
Adam
Mohammad
Areeb
Awais
Omar
Farid
Ibrahim
Ari
Joshua
Bilal
Kjetil
Haseeb
Nahid
Amir
Mahmoud
Joel
CoreBard

- Join our social media community:

Twitter:

Instagram:

Facebook:

Facebook group:

#AfghanHistory #AngloAfghanWars #AfghanistanNews

Special Thank You to:
- George for the help on the script - you the man!

- Lida Afghan for her amazing drawing of Malalai of Maiwand:

- Rada Akbar for her help in tracking down videos and even her own videos:

- Jordan Bryon for the awesome drone footage:

Music used includes:

Doug Maxwell - Arabian Nightfall (Sting)

- The beautiful rabab music you hear in the video is Qais Essar. Check out his music at:

Epidemic Music

If any of the images or songs are yours, please let me know I will amend them. Please don't report me straight away!

[HikmaHistory]

Who won the war - the British or the Afghans?

[satyr]

Fascinating once again TY!
Clearly explained all the major events that led to the Durand line, the source of so many problems for Pakistan & Afghanistan.
The division of ethnic groups across the world by far away Imperial power's politicians etc has led to so much violence this century.

[rawahakamran]

Finally a video on this topic. People who love to pereptuate the myth of Afghanistan being Graveyard of Empires starting from First Anglo-Afghan War interestingly never even mention this episode of history with respect to Afghan-British conflict.

[Crash-zmqd]

My great great grandfather was in second Afghan war they marched from Quetta to Kandahar and took city without opposition.

[alecblunden]

The narrator seems surprised that Roberts won at Kandahar. He was a VC holder and a brilliant General - one who would wipe the Boer Army from the map during the Second Boer War, and was so beloved of the troops that he was trotted out to improve morale in the early days of World War 1. I think he needs a reality check.

[alikhan.]

There is no win, in every war, for the people. British almost lost the first Afghan war.. Then they had a second attempt.. as they have learnt from the First Afghan war.
The problem with Afghanistan is, always its strartegic location. But being in war for some 200 years, now everyone in Afghanistan believe, that life is nothing more than a war.. 😢

[ruggedindividual]

And still!! Undefeated, Undisputed. Can’t beat Afghanistan.

[lerneanlion]

Wikipedia said the British is the victorious one. But this video somehow wanted me to go there and fix it to either status quo or stalemate.

[San-Foor]

1- Russians came back 100 years later
2- The internal conflict for power leads to the conflict of those divided with outsiders.
3- The assassination of one son paves the way for the favorite to get into power.
4- There was no need for fiction in a true war story since Afghan’s are muslims & not Navaho Indians.

[purplerocket]

Very interesting. What's sad is that most Afghans these days don't know any of this. The Taliban aren't allowing the children to be educated.

[juanpablol-t]

what a curse to be in a place that can't make a country rich but yet no country with side interests can't leave alone. Bald & bankrupt brought me here.

[stevesogood]

A good, unbiased account, of the various conflicts!

[danamarcotteseiler]

Why couldn't people just Stop trying to Rule Afghanistan. !! Clearly Afghanistan was NEVER meant to be ruled by Outsiders " I wish them Luck, straighten out Their Country, Close Negotiations of Anyone trying to Rule Afghanistan. Then they will most likely Succeed, Inshalla.

[Balochistan_Baloch_]

Between Russian Empire and British Empire and war on Afghanistan The Islamic Kingdom of Balochistan lost its independence and freedom ... Very bad luck for Baloch Nation

[Hopknight]

This is a really interesting, detailed video on the subject, thank you! My only comment for improvement is at 14.36 you say British ‘consummation of pig meat’ when you mean ‘consuming/consumption of pork’.

Consummation means the act of completion, particularly the act of making a marriage complete by having sex.

[williambolton]

Afghanistan has been conquered many times in the past but only successfully by long-term invaders who settle the country. Like many others, Britain didn't want to do that. Most of the current population have Mongol blood from the time of Genghis Khan who didn't invade and set up military camps, his army settled the country and wiped out many of the tribes they found there. It is a fragmented tribal society that has often been defeated in the field but then relies on tribal guerrilla war. Now that the Taliban has established links to so many international gangsters to sell their opium to, they now have a natural "resource" and the wealth to solidify their authority in the country.

[joys]

The british are one hell of people when it comes to getting things done....they want something they make plans and then achieve it sometimes fail miserably but they persist.

[amori]

Afghanistan is a beautiful country, and rich in history I wish I could visit one day, and I would love journey to it as Mohammed ibn alqasem did more than a thousand years ago

[groundzero]

i dressed up a a afghan woman who goes shopping in markets in peshawar for halloween, whats your opinions about that?

[GreaterAfghanistanMovement]

Correction; Man at 15:20 is Mohammad Yaqub Khan