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Event of 1839: First Anglo-Afghan War – Battle of Ghazni: British forces capture the fortress c

When
1839
Where
Ghazni
Episodes
1

The Battle of Ghazni occurred on 23 July 1839 during the First Anglo-Afghan War. British forces, fearing Russian expansion, marched to install Shuja Shah Durrani as ruler. After capturing Kandahar, they besieged Ghazni, breached the Kabul Gate, and defeated Afghan defenders, leading to the installation of a pro-British government.

Episodes

  1. 23 July 1839 · GhazniBattle of Ghazni

    British forces breached the Kabul Gate on 23 July 1839, defeating Afghan defenders and capturing the city.

Background and detail

Background. By 1837, the British feared a Russian invasion through the Khyber and Bolan Passes. Lord Auckland planned to install a pro-British ruler, choosing Shuja Shah Durrani. The invasion force, short on supplies due to the southern route and tribal attacks, marched from the south, reaching Kandahar in May 1839 before advancing to Ghazni.

Prelude to Battle. British forces encircled Ghazni, while Shuja Shah Durrani camped nearby to block relief. On 22 July, Ghilji tribesmen attacked Shuja's contingent but were repelled. Captured Afghan soldiers revealed that all gates were sealed except the Kabul Gate in the north, which became the target for the British assault.

Aftermath. Following the battle, the British left a garrison in Ghazni and marched towards Kabul on 30 July. Dost Muhammad requested surrender terms, but the British offer of exile in India was unacceptable. Shuja Shah Durrani was installed as the new ruler, and battle honours were later instituted for the engagement.

People involved

Sources

  1. Battle of Ghazni Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.