Battle of Ghazni
Part of the First Anglo-Afghan War
British and Indian soldiers storming the gates of Ghazni
Date 23 July 1839 Location Ghazni, Afghanistan Result Decisive British victory
Combatants
British Empire	Afghanistan
Commanders
Sir John Keane	Hyder Khan
Strength
20,500	3,500
Casualties
200 killed and wounded	500 killed, 1,600 captured

The Battle of Ghazni or called Ghuznee took place in city of Ghazni in central Afghanistan on July 23, 1839 during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Ghazni (Persian: غزنی , Ğaznī) is a city in eastern Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 149,998 people. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The First Anglo–Afghan War lasted from 1839 to 1842. ...

Prelude

In the 1830s, the British were firmly entrenched in India but by 1837, the British feared a Russian invasion of India through the Khyber and Bolan Passes as the Russian Empire had expanded towards the British dominion of India. The British send an envoy to Kabul to form an alliance with Afghanistan's emir, Dost Muhammad against Russia. The Emir was in favour of an alliance but wanted British help in recapturing Peshawar which the Sikhs had captured in 1834.^[1] The British were no mood for war with the Sikh's in Punjab and refused to help. Dost Muhammad then started negotiating with the Russians who had also sent an envoy to Kabul.^[1] This led the British Viceroy of India, Lord Auckland to conclude that Dost Muhammad was anti-British.^[1] British fears of a Russian invasion of India took one step closer to becoming a reality when negotiations between the Afghans and Russians broke down in 1838. This led to Persian troops along with their Russian allies to attack the Afghan city of Herat in western Afghanistan in an attempt to annex it. Russia wanting to increase its presence in South and Central Asia had formed an alliance with Persia which had territorial disputes with Afghanistan as Herat had been part of the Persian empire and only in 1750 had it been taken over by Afghanistan. Lord Auckland's plan was to drive away the besiegers and install a ruler in Afghanistan who was pro-British in place of the current Afghan ruler. The British chose Shuja Shah Durrani to be the new leader of Afghanistan. He was the former ruler of Afghanistan and had formed a strategic alliances with Britain during the Napoleonic Wars against Russia and France but was deposed and was living in exile in Lahore. Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Khyber Pass (also called the Khaiber Pass or Khaybar Pass) (Urdu: درہ خیبر) (el. ... The Bolan Pass (Urdu: درہ بولان) is a gap through the Toba Kakar Range of mountains in western Pakistan, 120 kilometers from the Afghanistan border. ... Official language Russian Official Religion Russian Orthodox Christianity Capital Saint Petersburg (Petrograd 1914-1924) Area Approx. ... Kabul, Kâbl (locally: کابل), is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population of approximately 3 million people. ... Dost Mahommed Khan (1793 - June 9, 1863) founded the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ... A Sikh (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is an adherent of Sikhism. ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Punjab (or Panjab) may refer to: Punjab region, an area of South Asia shared by India and Pakistan Punjab (India), a state in India Punjab (Pakistan), the most populated province in Pakistan Haryana, a former part of Punjab Himachal Pradesh, a former part of Punjab A number of former states... The Governor-Generals Flag (1885–1947) depicted the Star of India on a Union Flag. ... George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, 2nd Baron Auckland (1784 – January 1, 1849), served as a politician in the United Kingdom and as Governor-General of India. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Look up Persian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Court of the Friday Mosque in Herāt. ... Events March 2 - Small earthquake in London, England April 4 - Small earthquake in Warrington, England August 23 - Small earthquake in Spalding, England September 30 - Small earthquake in Northampton, England November 16 – Westminster Bridge officially opened Jonas Hanway is the first Englishman to use an umbrella James Gray reveals her sex... Shuja Shah (Shoja Shah, Shah Shujah, Shujah al-Mulk) (? - April 1842) was of the Sadozai line of the Abdali group of Pashtun clans. ... Combatants Allies: Austria[1] Portugal Prussia[1] Russia[2] Spain[3] Sweden United Kingdom[4] French Empire Holland Kingdom of Italy Kingdom of Naples Duchy of Warsaw Bavaria[5] Saxony[6] Commanders Archduke Charles Prince Schwarzenberg Karl Mack Gebhard von Blücher Duke of Brunswick Prince of Hohenlohe Mikhail Kutuzov... Lahore (Urdu: لاہور) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and the second most populated city in Pakistan, also known as the Gardens of the Mughals or City of Gardens, after the significant rich heritage of the Mughal Empire. ...

Invasion of Afghanistan

The British Army crossing the narrow Bolan pass and into Afghanistan

The British assembled two divisions from their Bengal Army led by Sir Harry Fane and another force of a single division led from Bombay by Sir John Keane.^[2] The Bombay Army, numbering some 6,000 men, would sail by sea and land near the Indus river and then march into Afghanistan to join Fane's forces. Before the invasion was set to begin, news had reached India that the Persians and the Russians had abandoned the siege of Herat. Many British officers now believed that there is no longer a reason to invade Afghanistan. However, Lord Aukland was adamant and pressed on with the invasion of Afghanistan. The size of the invasion force was reduced from three divisions to two because there was no longer any prospect of confronting Persian and Russian forces. The second Bengal division which was originally suppose to take part in the invasion was now relegated as a reserve force and would remain in India.^[2] The quickest route to Kabul was to march across the Punjab and enter Afghanistan by way of Peshawar and the Khyber Pass, but Ranjit Singh, the ruler of Punjab would never consent to such a large force crossing the Punjab. The invasion route had to be through the southern passes, with the approach to Kabul via Kandahar and Ghazni; a journey three times the distance of the direct route.^[2] Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई,IPA: , formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, also it is the most populous city in the world with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006). ... The position of the Sindhu River in Iron Age Vedic India. ... Peshāwar (Pashto: پښور; Urdu:پشاور) literally means City on the Frontier in Persian and is known as Pakhawar in Pashto. ... The Khyber Pass (also called the Khaiber Pass or Khaybar Pass) (Urdu: درہ خیبر) (el. ... Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Punjabi: ), also called Sher-e-Punjab (The Lion of the Punjab) (1780-1839) was a Sikh ruler of the Punjab. ... Punjab (or Panjab) may refer to: Punjab region, an area of South Asia shared by India and Pakistan Punjab (India), a state in India Punjab (Pakistan), the most populated province in Pakistan Haryana, a former part of Punjab Himachal Pradesh, a former part of Punjab A number of former states...

The Bengal Army which now numbered some 9,500 men would march inland towards Quetta after assembling in Ferozpur. In Quetta, it would link up with the Bombay Army and then invade Afghanistan. The Bengal Army would also be accompanied by 6,000 men led by Shuja Shah Durrani. The men under Durrani's command were Afghan exiles who believed that he was the rightful ruler of Afghanistan. The total size of the invasion force now numbered some 20,500 men. Sir Harry Fane refused to take part in the invasion because the Russians and Persians had abandoned the siege of Herat and the pretext for the invasion of Afghanistan was no longer there and so the command of the invasion force passed to Sir John Keane. Quetta (Urdu: کوئٹہ) is the capital of the province Balochistan in Pakistan. ... Ferozpur (also spelled Ferozepur) is an ancient city located on the banks of the Sutlej River, 20 km north-west of Mudki in the state of Punjab, India. ...

The Bombay Army landed near the Indus river in December in 1838 and continued to march where it met with the Bengal Army in Quetta. However, the Invasion force was short on supplies as taking the longer Southern route into Afghanistan had caused supplies to be exhausted and also many British supply convoys were lost due to harassing attacks by tribesman in Baluchistan. Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Quetta (Urdu: کوئٹہ) is the capital of the province Balochistan in Pakistan. ...

Many soldiers were starving and there was only enough water to feed the men which caused many horses to die. However, Sir John Keane pressed on with the advance into Afghanistan through the Bolan and Kojuk passes. His forces marched 147 miles into Afghanistan and reached Kandahar on May 4, 1839.^[2] The local city leaders escaped to Western Afghanistan and the city was captured without the British even firing a shot.^[1] The Army next objective was the fortress city of Ghazni as it commanded the trade routes and roads leading into Kabul. Before a final advance towards Kabul can be made, Ghazni had to be captured. For the 2001 movie by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, see Kandahar (film). ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ...

Battle for the city

The progress of the Battle of Ghazni

The severe shortages of supplies along with the lack of draft horses had led to heavy siege equipment to be left in Kandahar as the Army no longer had the necessary number of draft horses to pull the equipment. The Army arrived at Ghazni on July 21, 1839. Initial reconnaissance showed the city to be heavily fortified with a 70 foot wall and a flooded moat. The defense of the city was led by Hyder Khan, the son of Dost Muhammad. Lacking siege equipment meant that the only way for the British to capture the city was through a frontal attack which would result in heavy casualties. July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

However, captured Afghan soldiers were interrogated by the Army's chief engineer, Colonel Thompson to whom they revealed that all of the gates into the Ghazni had been sealed with rocks and debris except the Kabul Gate which was in the north. Thompson spied on the gate and observed an Afghan courier entering the city which confirmed what the prisoners have said. Further inspection showed the gate to be lightly guarded and inadequately defended. It was then decided to attack the city through Kabul gate. The Army went around the city and camped in the north side facing Kabul gate.

While the British forces had encircled the city, Shuja Shah Durrani and his forces had set up camp few miles away from the city to prevent any Afghan forces trying to relieve the besieged city. On July 22, 1839, thousands of Ghilzai tribesmen attacked Shuja Shah Durrani’s contingent but were repelled.^[2] With the Afghan relief forces driven away, the British were ready to mount an attack to capture the city. July 22 is the 203rd day (204th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 162 days remaining. ... The Ghilzais (also known as Khiljis or Ghaljis) are one of two largest groups of Pashtuns, along with the Durrani tribe, found in Afghanistan with a large group also found in neighboring Pakistan. ...

British artillery was positioned to give covering fire to the advancing troops and 4 British regiments were formed into a storming party commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dennie.^[2] The rest of the three British regiments formed the main attacking column commanded by Brigadier Sale. High winds prevented the garrison from realizing they were about to be attacked. Sir Robert Henry Sale (born 1782; died 1845) was a British soldier. ...

At 3am on July 23, 1839, British engineers moved towards the gate.^[2] As the engineers neared the gate they were fired upon by the Afghans inside the city. The British artillery bombarded the city and gave cover to the British engineers as they reached the gate. Gunpowder was piled besides the door and the subsequent explosion destroyed the gate. The signal was given to attack and the 4 regiments led by Lieutenant Colonel Dennie rushed through the shattered gate. Bitter hand to hand fighting during the darkness of the night ensued. The Afghan defenders launched a counterattack which cut off the storming party from the supporting columns. Brigadier Sale's forces fought their way through the gate to link up with Dennie's encircled forces. Sale's regiments linked up with Dennie's but Sale was severely wounded. The British then fought their way into the center of the city and by dawn the city was captured. The British forces suffered 200 men killed and wounded while the Afghans lost nearly 500 men and 1,600 were taken prisoner with an unknown number wounded.^[2]

Aftermath

General Keane was, for his service, elevated to the Peerage as Baron Keane of Ghazni. He left a small garrison in Ghazni and began to march his forces towards Kabul on July 30, 1839. When the Afghan ruler, Dost Muhammad, heard about the fall of Ghazni, he asked for terms of surrender but the British offer was exile in India, which was unacceptable to him. He fled Kabul towards Western Afghanistan and the Afghan army surrendered. The British installed their puppet, Shuja Shah Durrani, as the new ruler of Afghanistan. July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ...

British Order of Battle

British Forces^[2]

• 4th Hussars
• 16th Lancers
• 2nd Queen's Foot
• 13th Foot
• 17th Foot

The Queens Royal Hussars (The Queens Own and Royal Irish), (QRH), is the senior United Kingdom light cavalry regiment. ... The Queens Royal Lancers (The Death or Glory Boys) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. ... The Princess of Waless Royal Regiment (Queens and Royal Hampshires) is the senior English infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queens Division. ... The Light Infantry is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Light Division. ... The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queens Division. ...

Native Indian Forces^[2]

• 2nd Bengal Light Cavalry
• 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry
• 3rd Skinner’s Horse
• 31st Lancers
• 34th Poona Horse
• 3rd Sappers and Miners
• Shah Shujah’s Regiment
• 1st Bengal Fusiliers (European Regiment) later the Munster Fusiliers
• 16th Bengal Native Infantry
• 48th Bengal Native Infantry
• 31st Bengal Native Infantry
• 42nd Bengal Native Infantry
• 43rd Bengal Native Infantry
• 2nd Bengal Native Infantry
• 27th Bengal Native Infantry
• 19th Bombay Infantry later the 119th Multan Regiment

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} First Afghan War.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} British Battles: Battle of Ghazni. Retrieved on 2006-05-12.