Thread by @NafeesRehmanDr

#OTD in May 1879, the British forced the Afghans into signing the infamous #TreatyOfGandamak after invading them for the mere reason that Afghans had refused to accept a British envoy while they accepted a Russian envoy in Kabul.

Brief Thread.

Imperialists & colonialists have always invented excuses for their encroachment into foreign lands. Mutual Defense, Liberation, Democracy, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Establishing Friendship are some of these excuses. The 2nd Anglo-Afghan war was also waged on one such excuses.

The British were acting on their bloody #GreatGame in Afghanistan to counter the Russians, their influence & the perceived threat of their invasion of British India. In 1839, they had already tried, but badly failed, to install their man Shah Shuja with the help of the Sikhs.

They, however, did sign treaties with Dost Mohammad Khan to settle things and get Afghanistan under their influence.

After Dost M. Khan's death, Amir Sher Ali Khan tried to maintain a balance or neutrality between the Russians and the British but that didn't work out and the British acted against him by invading Afghanistan in Nov 1878.

They were able to force him out and install his son Yaqub Khan as the Emir.

Here is the historic photo of the Afghan Emir Yaqub Khan arrived at British camp at Gandamak, Afghanistan to sign treaty of Gandamak surrendering sovereignty & land to the British, May 1879.

For those interested, the text of the #TreatyOfGandamak is shared here.

Under article 3, Afghanistan surrendered its sovereignty to the British by agreeing that she only will conduct her foreign affairs according to the advice of the British.

Under article 4 & 5, Afghanistan agreed to admit British representatives & agents, with suitable military escorts, in Afghanistan and in return the British offered commerce & trade in under article 6 & 7.

The British promised a subsidy of Rs. six Lakhs (six hundred thousands).

The reason British chose Gandamak to sign the treaty was because the British Empire had suffered their worst defeat in Asia in 19th century at the hands of Afghans of which the last British stand was made at this place after Afghans annihilated them.

This was their revenge!

The 'friendliness' of Afghans as imposed by the British continued through the subsequent rules of Abdur Rahman and Habibullah Khan for the next 4 decades.

With Amanullah Khan in 1919, things turned around when he declared Jehad and won total independence from the British.

After Amanullah Khan, Nadir Shah and Zahir Shah continued to exhibit the same 'friendliness' as the previous Afghan rulers. before Amanullah Khan. But during all these years Russian influence grew in Afghanistan with the tipping point in 1979 when Soviet troops landed in Kabul.