British Policy towards the Afghan War of Succession (1863-68)

Summary

Analysing the Afghan civil war that followed Emir Dost Mohammad’s death in 1863, this article examines British policy toward the conflict. The succession struggle among Sher Ali, Afzal Khan and Azam Khan threatened to destabilise the northwest frontier and invited Russian intrigue. Viceroy Lord Lawrence and his advisers opted for nominal neutrality, hoping to avoid entanglement while keeping Afghanistan as a buffer state. Nevertheless, British officials secretly channelled subsidies, arms and diplomatic support to Sher Ali when his interests aligned with theirs and withheld assistance when he defied them. The article reviews correspondence between officials in India and London, showing debates over whether to intervene militarily or maintain a hands-off stance. Ultimately the British reinforced frontier defences, observed the fighting from a distance and encouraged a settlement that restored Sher Ali to power in 1868. The author argues that this policy reflected Britain’s broader strategy in the ‘Great Game’: restrain Russia without committing troops, use influence rather than occupation and preserve Afghanistan’s independence while ensuring it remained friendly to British India. The episode demonstrates the pragmatic, sometimes inconsistent, character of nineteenth-century imperial diplomacy on the Indian frontier.