Information AboutAkbar Khan |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT AKBAR KHAN | |
| people of the first anglo-afghan war | |
| emirs of afghanistan | |
| 1849 deaths | |
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Akbar was the son of Dost Mohammed Khan , and he led a revolt in Kabul against the British mission of William McNaughten , Alexander 'Sekundar' Burnes and their garrison of 4,500 men. In November of 1841, he murdered the two British agents and besieged Major-General William Elphinstone 's force in Kabul. Elphinstone, aged and sick, vacilated between launching a strong resistance to the combined Afghan forces and retreating to India. Ultimately he made the disastrous decision to move the British force to India through the winter snows covering some of the most difficult terrain on earth. On January 6th the small army and about 12,000 refugees having been promised safe conduct to India began the fateful march which one week later would see all but a handful dead on the road to Jalalabad. From the moment the 4 mile long column had exited the cantonment alongside the famous Bala Hissar fort, the Afridi tribes began a series of attacks on the largely undefended force of camp followers and families of the soldiers. The tragedy of the British forces retreat from Kabul rates as one of the most disastrous events in British military history. It is thought unlikely that Akhbar Khan wished for the total annihalation of the British force. An astute man politically he would have been aware that allowing the British to extricate themselves from Afghanistan would have given him the necessary time to consolidate his control of the diverse hill tribes, on the other hand, a massacre of 14000 people of which only approximately a quarter were a fighting force would not be tolerated back in London and that another, larger army would be sent to exact retribution which was in fact what was to happen the following year. Of the 14000 who died, several thousand had frozen to death in the snow during the first two nights prior to reaching the narrow defile known as the Khoord-Kabul, the Afridis were waiting in force at this natural point of ambush and once the British force was well into the gorge began a slaughter resulting in the deaths of a further 3000. The majority of the survivors died of exposure over the next few days. The remainder of the fighting troops, the 44th, succeeded in reaching Gandamak and there put up a final heroic resistance against a vastly overwhelming attacking force.... the only survivor of the 44th was a Lt Souter who having exhausted his ammunition wrapped the regimental colours (flag) across his body and continued fighting with sword until cut down and left for dead, he was found badly wounded still wrapped in the colours but recovered from his injuries. Britain continued her occupation of Afghanistan essentially to prohibit Russia from gaining control over India, something that was an Ambition of Russia for almost 300 years, the occupation India would have not only given Russia access to the enormous wealth of the sub-continent but would have offered them the strategic advantage of having a series of warm-water ports for her navy. Afghanistan was the route to India and the lack of a stable centralised government in Afghanistan rendered it impossible to negotiate a treaty securing the country in defense of Britains interests. The presence of a British force was considered essential to maintaining security over the north-west frontier. |
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