<P> The First Anglo - Afghan War ( also known as Disaster in Afghanistan ) was fought between British imperial India and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842 . The war is notorious for the loss of 4,500 British and Indian soldiers , plus 12,000 of their camp followers , to Afghan tribal fighters , but the British defeated the Afghans in the concluding engagement . Initially , the British successfully intervened in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad ( Barakzai ) and former emir Shah Shujah ( Durrani ) , whom they installed upon conquering Kabul in August 1839 . However , in 1841 the Army of the Indus , numbering between 24,000 and 28,000 including families of soldiers , military and political pundits , suffered a series of defeats at the hands of rebel Afghan tribesmen . The main British Indian and Sikh force occupying Kabul , having endured harsh winters as well , was almost completely annihilated while retreating in January 1842 . It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game , the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between Britain and Russia . </P>
<P> The First Anglo - Afghan War ( also known as Disaster in Afghanistan ) was fought between British imperial India and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842 . The war is notorious for the loss of 4,500 British and Indian soldiers , plus 12,000 of their camp followers , to Afghan tribal fighters , but the British defeated the Afghans in the concluding engagement . Initially , the British successfully intervened in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad ( Barakzai ) and former emir Shah Shujah ( Durrani ) , whom they installed upon conquering Kabul in August 1839 . However , in 1841 the Army of the Indus , numbering between 24,000 and 28,000 including families of soldiers , military and political pundits , suffered a series of defeats at the hands of rebel Afghan tribesmen . The main British Indian and Sikh force occupying Kabul , having endured harsh winters as well , was almost completely annihilated while retreating in January 1842 . It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game , the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between Britain and Russia . </P>
when did the british army first go to afghanistan
when did the british army first go to afghanistan
1839
1839