Afghanistan

1747.—Nadir Shah, a Turcoman bandit, conquers Persia with an army composed largely of Afghans. Sacks Delhi and is assassinated in camp on return from India.

Sirdar Ahmed Khan, an Afghan cavalry general of the Saddozai section of the Abdali Afghans, seizes the treasure near Kandahar and has himself crowned king of the Durani with the title of Ahmed Shah, Duri Duran. With Ahmed commences history of Afghan nation as an independent kingdom. He builds Kandahar shortly afterwards, calling it Ahmed Shahior Ahmed Shahr. (These events occur about 1747.) Ahmed Shah reigns twenty-six years. He replenishes his treasuries by frequent invasions of India. He is succeeded by his son Timour Shah.

1773.—Timour Shah’s succession to the throne. He removes the seat of government from Kandahar to Kabul. He reigns twenty years and dies 1793, leaving three sons:

(1) Zaman Shah, who reigns four years, living chiefly at Peshawar. He is deposed by his half-brother, Mahommed, and blinded as retaliation for having caused to be executed Wazir Surfaraz Khan Barakzai (called Paindah Khan).

(2) Mahommed, who is attacked and imprisoned by

(3) Shah Shujah, full brother of Zaman Shah. He ascends the throne of Kabul, but lives principally at Peshawar.

1800.—Proposed invasion of India by the emperors Paul and Napoleon.

1807.—Scheme of Indian invasion by the emperors Alexander and Napoleon.

1809.—News having been received that Emperor Napoleon and Tsar Alexander had agreed to invade India through Persia, Mr. Elphinstone is sent as an ambassador to Kabul, meets Shah Shujah at Peshawar, and concludes a treaty.

1809.—Fateh Khan, son of murdered Wazir Surfaraz Khan, releases Mahommed and places him on the throne. Flight of Shah Shujah from Peshawar to take refuge with Ranjit Singh at Lahore, the latter extracting from him the famous Koh-i-Nur diamond, but refusing to protect him.

1818.—Murder of Fateh Khan by order of Shah Mahommed and his son Kamran. Country again convulsed with anarchy. Mahommed and Kamran retire to Herat, the rest of the country being divided between the brothers of Fateh Khan, the murdered Wazir, amongst whom Dost Mahommed Khan got Kabul, Jelalabad, and Ghazni.

1826.—Accession of Dost Mahommed, Amir of Afghanistan.

1832.—Lieutenant A. Burnes’ journey to Kabul, Bokhara, Merv, and Meshed.

1833.—Unsuccessful Persian expedition against Herat.

1837.—Persia, instigated by Russia, marches against Herat.

1837.—Siege of Herat and defence by Eldred Pottinger, November 1837, to June 1838.

1837.—Mission of Sir Alexander Burnes to Kabul to make peace between Dost Mahommed and Ranjit Singh, September 1837.

1837.—Russian agent, Vitkievitch, at Kabul, December 1837.

1838.—Wood explores the Upper Oxus to Lake Siri-kol.

1838.—Rupture of relations with Dost Mahommed. Recall of Burnes.

1838.—Beginning of first Afghan War, November 1838.

1839.—Capture of Kandahar.

1839.—Capture of Kabul, flight of Dost Mahommed, and restoration of Shah Shujah (August).

1840.—Rising of Dost Mahommed (September).

1840.—Defeat and surrender of Dost Mahommed at Bamian (November).

1841.—Assassination of Sir A. Burnes at Kabul (November).

1841.—Murder of Sir W. Macnaghten at Kabul (December).

1842.—Siege of British forces in Kabul (December 1841, to January 1842).

1842.—Retreat and massacre of British army (January).

1842.—Advance of British relief column under General Pollock (April).

1842.—March of General Nott from Kandahar to Kabul (August to September).

1842.—General Pollock re-enters Kabul (September).

1842.—Evacuation of Afghanistan (October).

1842.—Dost Mahommed restored to throne.

1854.—Meeting between Ghulan Hydel, Envoy of Dost Mahommed and Sir John Laurence at fort Abbotabad to discuss question of alliance.

1855.—First treaty between Great Britain and Dost Mahommed (January).

1856.—Surrender of Herat to the Persians (October).

1857.—Meeting between Sir John Laurence and Dost Mahommed at Peshawar.

1857.—Second treaty between Great Britain and Dost Mahommed (January).

1857.—Grant of subsidy to Dost Mahommed of 12 lakhs.

1857.—Mission of Major Lumsden to Kandahar (March to April).

1857.—War between Great Britain and Persia upon behalf of Afghanistan (November 1856, to March 1857).

1857.—Appointment of British agent to Kabul. Removal to Kandahar.

1857.—Treaty of Paris between Great Britain and Persia (March).

1858.—Recall of Kandahar Mission: agent remains.

1858.—Russian Mission of Khanikoff to Herat.

1858.—Death of Ghulam Hyder, son of Dost Mahommed; and Shir Ali nominated successor to Dost Mahommed.

1863.—Death of Dost Mahommed (June). Accession of Shir Ali; return to Kabul with British Agent from Kandahar.

1863.—Requests recognition of Mahommed Ali; treaty of peace, and grant of 6000 rupees.

1863-1868.—Civil War in Afghanistan.

Consequent upon the nomination of Shir Ali, serious dissension occurred in the family of Dost Mahommed. Upon the succession of Shir Ali, rebellion broke out, and Azim, brother to Shir Ali by a different mother, fled into British territory. Afzal, the brother of Azim, serving as Governor of Balkh, also revolted. Shir Ali defeated Afzal, imprisoning him in August 1864. Abdur Rahman, the son of Afzal, was pursued by Shir Ali. Abdur Rahman was joined by Azim, the two marching on Kabul, released Afzal and attacked Kabul in 1866. Shir Ali fled to Kandahar, Afzal entering Kabul as Amir on May 21, 1866. Recognised by the Government of India, he died suddenly in 1867. He was succeeded by Azim, who was never recognised officially by the Government of India. Shir Ali then marched against Azim in 1869, defeating him. Azim died in flight to Teheran, the final triumph and the concluding act of the rebellion being the accession to the throne of Shir Ali Khan in 1869.

1865.—Mahommed Ali killed.

1869.—Flight of Abdur Rahman Khan to Samarkand.

1869.—Shir Ali endeavours to obtain recognition by British Government of his son Abdullah Jan as successor. Refused.

1869.—Umballa Conference between Lord Mayo and Shir Ali (March).

1869.—First overtures from Lord Clarendon to Prince Gortchakow about Afghanistan.

1872.—Gortchakow-Granville Agreement as to boundaries of Afghanistan (October).

1872.—Seistan Boundary Commission.

1873.—Evidences of estrangement of Shir Ali from Government of India.

1873.—Abdullah Jan proclaimed heir-apparent. Yakub Khan revolts. Flight to Herat.

1874.—Imprisonment at Kabul of Yakub Khan.

1876.—Cool reception of Mission from Lord Lytton to Kabul.

1876.—Quetta occupied.

1877.—Abortive Conference at Peshawar between Sir L. Pelly and the Prime Minister of Shir Ali, Nur Mahomet Shah (February).

1877.—Estrangement of Shir Ali completed.

1878.—Kauffman threatens invasion of Afghanistan and India (June).

1878.—Pamir column despatched under General Abramoff (June).

1878.—Arrival of Stolietoff mission at Kabul (July).

1878.—Refusal of Shir Ali to allow the Mission under Sir Neville B. Chamberlain, Commander of the Madras army, to enter Afghanistan. Major Cavagnari and party threatened with attack at Ali Musjid if progress through Khyber Pass maintained (September 20 and 21).

1878.—Advance continued, November 21.

1878.—Colonel Grodekoff’s ride from Samarkand to Herat (October to November).

1878.—Denunciation of alliance with Dost Mahommed by Lord Lytton (November 21).

1878.—Second Afghan War begun (November).

1878.—Flight of Shir Ali from Kabul and release of Yakub Khan.

1879.—Death of Shir Ali in February and accession of Yakub Khan (February).

1879.—Treaty of Gandamak with Yakub Khan (June 8).

1879.—Assassination of Sir L. Cavagnari at Kabul, Dr. Ambrose Kelly, Lieut. Hamilton, and Mr. Jenkins and others (September 3 and 4).

1879.—Third Afghan War begun (September 6). March of General Roberts on Kabul.

1879.—General Roberts arrives at Kabul (September 28), and occupies Dakka (September 22).

1879.—Execution of murderers of Sir L. Cavagnari (October 20-24).

1879.—Twenty-five thousand Afghans defeated by Generals Roberts and Gough (December 23).

1879.—Kabul deserted by Afghans; re-occupation by British (December 26).

1879.—Yakub Khan deported to India (December).

1880.—Recognition of Abdur Rahman Khan as Amir (July).

1880.—Disaster of Maiwand (July 27). Defeat of General Burrows by Ayub Khan.

1880.—March of Sir F. Roberts to the relief of Kandahar (leaving Kabul August 8, arriving Kandahar August 31).

1880.—Rejection of Ayub’s terms by Sir F. Roberts and defeat of Ayub at Mazra (or Battle of Kandahar on September 1).

1881.—Evacuation of Kandahar and entry of Abdur Rahman (September 30).

1882-1883.—Surveys of Lessar.

1882.—Moslim agent appointed to represent British Government at Kabul.

1882.—Quetta district handed over on a rent to the British.

1882.—Prince Lobanoff converses with Lord Granville re Prince Gortchakow’s circular of 1873.

1883.—Occupation by Russia of Tejend oasis (October).

1883.—Quetta district ceded to Great Britain.

1883.—Shignan and Roshan occupied by Abdur Rahman Khan.

1883.—Abdur Rahman passes a law concerning the status of women.

1883.—Subsidy of 12 lakhs, granted by Lord Ripon to Abdur Rahman, due.

1884.—Frontier negotiations between Great Britain and Russia. Sir Peter Lumsden proceeds with British Mission to Herat to demarcate Northern Boundary of Afghanistan.

1884.—Recommencement of Quetta Railway.

1884.—Sir P. Lumsden sent as British Boundary Commissioner (October 1884).

1884.—The Russians occupy Pul-i-Khatun (October).

1885.—The Russians occupy Zulfikar and Akrobat, and advance upon Pendjeh (February).

1885.—Fight between the Russians and Afghans at Tash-Kepri on the Kushk (March 30).

1885.—Rawal Pindi conference between Lord Dufferin and Abdur Rahman Khan. Amir received K.C.S.I. (April).

1885.—War scare in Great Britain (April).

1885.—Sir P. Lumsden recalled. Colonel West Ridgeway remains on the scene of activities of Mission.

1885.—British and Russian Boundary Commissioners meet again. First boundary pillar formally erected (November 12).

1886.—Bolan Railway constructed to Quetta.

1886.—Demarcation of Afghan boundary up to separation of Commission (September).

1886.—Return of British Commission through Kabul to India (October).

1887.—Occupation of Karki by Russia (May).

1887.—Negotiations at St. Petersburg continued and concluded (July).

1887.—Final settlement and demarcation of Afghan frontier (winter).

1887.—Escape of Ayub Khan from Persia; failure of rebellion in Afghanistan.

1887.—Surrender of Ayub Khan to General Maclean, Viceroy’s Agent at Meshed, and detention in India.

1888.—Quetta Railway continued to Kila Abdulla (January).

1888.—Revolt of Is-hak Khan against Abdur Rahman Khan (July to September).

1888.—Retreat of Is-hak Khan to Samarkand.

1889.—War scare on the Oxus boundary (February to March).

1891.—Abdur Rahman introduces the Oath of Allegiance on the Koran among his councillors.

1891.—Abdur Rahman appoints Habib Ullah to hold public Durbars.

1893.—Sir Mortimer Durand goes to Kabul to explain drift of negotiations between Great Britain and Russia in connection with Northern frontier and Pamir region.

1893.—Durand Agreement.

1893.—Increase of subsidy granted to Abdur Rahman by six lakhs, and permitted to import munitions of war as required.

1893.—Abdur Rahman recognises British protectorate over Chitral and agrees to respect Bajaor and Swat.

1893.—New Chaman occupied as railway terminus.

1894.—Abdur Rahman invited to England by Queen Victoria; unable to accept.

1895.—Abdur Rahman abolished slavery in Afghanistan.

1895.—Oath of Allegiance accepted from whole of the State of Afghanistan by Abdur Rahman.

1895.—Abdur Rahman adopts title Zia-ul-Millat-ud-Din.

1895.—Visit of Nasr Ullah Khan, second son of Abdur Rahman, to England.

1901.—Death of Abdur Rahman (October 1). Habib Ullah proclaimed (October 3).

1902-1903.—Re-erection of boundary pillars on Perso-Afghan border.

1903.—Construction Quetta-Nushki Railway begun.

1903-1904-1905.—McMahon Mission for delimitation of Seistan boundary.

1904.—Opening of the Orenburg-Tashkent Railway.

1904.—Visit of Sirdar Inayat Ullah to India.

1904-1905.—Mission of Sir Louis Dane to Kabul.

1905.—Opening of the Quetta-Nushki Railway (November).

1905.—Resignation of Lord Curzon of Kedleston. Appointment of Earl Minto as Viceroy of India. Kitchener-Curzon controversy.

1905-06.—Extension of railway to Dakka.

1906.—Shah rejects the award made by McMahon Mission in respect of the waters of the Helmund.

1906.—Rumours of autumn. Visit of Habib Ullah to India.