Debunking conventional narratives of afghanistan as a perennial war zone and the rule of law as a secularliberal monopoly. B efore we look at your five book choices, for the uninitiated, can you describe when the british empire was at its height. Afghanistan traces the historic struggles and the changing nature of political authority in this volatile region of the world, from the mughal empire in the sixteenth century to the taliban resurgence today. The british empire was by far the biggest empire in human history, which doesnt sound as impressive if we just leave it at that. In dalrymples usual happy style of historical narrative, applied to a fascinating. Pashto renaissance was not confined to literature and in books. Britain british cent central century changed claims commanders communications considerable continued daoud economic effect elected empire fact fighting forces foreign four frontier further groups hand hekmatyar herat important. The british public are generally proud of their countrys role in colonialism and the british empire, according to a new poll. The first angloafghan war also known by the british as the disaster in afghanistan was fought between the british east india company and the emirate of afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. Angloafghan wars britishafghani history britannica. For over 2,500 years, the forbidding territory of afghanistan has served as a vital crossroads for armies and has witnessed historyshaping clashes between. The best books on afghanistan recommended by thomas barfield.
William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan the guardian. A large collection of manuscript sources in european and south asian languages from the private collections of two prominent british empirebuilders in india, from the national library of wales, now part of the digital collection british online archives. The best books on the british empire five books expert. British empire, a worldwide system of dependenciescolonies, protectorates, and other territoriesthat over a span of some three centuries was brought under the sovereignty of the crown of great britain and the administration of the british government. Various authors contributed well written chapters to create an understanding of the empire by century. And, third, any readers who have looked for the historical context of the great. A timely and provocative comparison of the british and american empires. The oxford history of the british empire edited by wm roger louis is an excellent compilation of top scholarship related to all aspects of the british empire. It also gave an impetus to the pathan identity, culture and this region in general. Top 10 books about the british in india books the guardian. Peter hopkirk rip brings to life the machinations of the british in india that were in response to the perceived threat to their empire from tsarist russia in the 19th century. The rise and fall of the british empire by lawrence james, empire. British people are proud of colonialism and the british. William dalrymples top 10 books on afghanistan books.
The written recorded history of the land presently constituting afghanistan can be traced back to. Rudyard kipling is widely understood to be a strong defender of the british empire. Similarly, gilley uses his claims about colonialism to argue for the. Initially, the british successfully intervened in a succession dispute between emir dost mohammad and former emir shah shujah, whom they installed upon conquering kabul in august 1839. Khushhal khan was a tribal leader who had revolted against the mughal emperor aurangzeb in the late 17th century and eluded his armies as. Alexander mccall smith, new statesman books of the year. The imperial history wars journal of british studies. British military history score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Why its so difficult to win a war in afghanistan history.
To understand afghan society, read before taliban and heroes of the age by david edwards, and afghanistan. List of books and articles about afghan history online. Both the british empire and the soviet union were ultimately unable to create a lasting presence in afghanistan because they werent just. One account, in a history of afghanistan by former british diplomat sir martin ewans, contends that in the 1920s two elderly women in kabul were introduced to british diplomats. Learn more about the british empire in this article. In the spring of 1839, the british invaded afghanistan for the first time. At its height in 1922 the british empire governed a fifth of the. Despite british pressure, afghanistan remained neutral in world war i. See also the list of leaders of afghanistan and the list of years in afghanistan. In the spring of 1839 british forces invaded afghanistan for the. The region of afghanistan has for much of history been part of the persian empire.
In the autumn of 2011 the nearsimultaneous publication of a number of books on the british empire promised to add fresh momentum to the debate, if debate is the word, on the memories or lack of them that the british people currently carry for their empire. History of afghanistan, from the earliest period to the outbreak of the. Following a protracted civil war that began in 1816, the barakzay clan became the ruling. The british involvement in afghanistan only makes sense in the context of the indian empire, since they only occupied it in order to keep the russians from establishing a colony on the indian border. Rudyard kiplings view of the british imperial empire. The idea that afghanistan is some sort of unbreakable fortress has less to do with the history of our independence and more with the ego and superiority complex of europeans specially the british. From time to time it has been linked with the northern plains of india, as under the kushan dynasty of the 2nd century ad. The story of the british invasion of afghanistan in 183942 what was. Bridgeman art library it is a very bad idea to invade afghanistan. In any event, with the advent of operation barbarossa in june 1941, afghanistan found itself rocked by a more serious international shockwave. There are several books that are excellent in covering different aspects of afghanistans history.
This is a timeline of afghan history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in afghanistan and its predecessor states. Peter brings to life what might otherwise been a dry and dusty arcane subject. History books about the british empire history books about afghanistan books about foreign relations of the united kingdom books about british india british. The april issue of military history monthly, the british military history magazine, is now on sale. Very occasionally, as in the time of mahmud of ghazni, it has existed as a kingdom approximating more closely to the modern borders of aghanistan. As the british empire expanded, a growing attitude of racial superiority enveloped colonial practices in india. Afghanistan has been a strategic prize for foreign empires for more than 200 years. The present american empire is often compared with the british one of yorenot surprising in view of the fact that afghanistan and. A major contribution to the historiography of southwest asia and of the british empire. Abd arrahman khan died in 1901 and was succeeded by his son habibullah. In what was called the great game, the russian empire moved south while the british empire moved north from its socalled crown jewel, colonial india.
Why is afghanistan called the graveyard of empires. Thomas barfield introduces readers to the bewildering diversity of tribal and ethnic groups in afghanistan, explaining what unites them as afghans despite the regional, cultural, and. A summary of the british empire through time the british. However, kiplings prose piece, the man who would be king, reveals a deeper ambiguity about the empire, exposing many of the flaws that lay at the heart of the imperial expansion. What the british empire tells us about western interventions in iraq and afghanistan was not that the interventions were wrong but that successful intervention requires more, earlier. To read about the background to these events, see history of afghanistan. Custom, conflict and british strategy in waziristan until 1947 library of middle east history. The central theme of the book is the strategic importance to the british empire of afghanistan. The volumes locate and analyze key documentation that charted shifts in the political, social, and economic policies of british officials, both at home and in the colonies. In a rich irony, david attenborough defended the 1973 bbc series the british empire against critics who complained that it cast the empire in too negative a light. Volume four is an understanding of the twentieth century and looks at the fall of.
How britain made the modern world by niall ferguson. During the 19th century, britain, looking to protect its indian empire from russia, attempted to annex afghanistan, resulting in a series of britishafghan wars 183842, 187880, 191921. British documents on the end of empire downloadable fulltext versions of a series of books containing materials from the the u. When at a loss to describe disasters the famous massacre of british forces in afghanistan. The british empire over an 80year period, the british fought three wars in afghanistan, occupying or controlling the country in between, and lost tens of thousands of dead along the way. Considering its very ancient history, afghanistanor khurasan, as the.
Birth of the raf 100 years after its birth, renowned military historian jeremy black revisits the creation of a revolutionary military organisation. The comparisons are dotted throughout this long history. The anglorussian agreement of 1907 guaranteed the independence of afghanistan under british influence in foreign affairs. Of the books swooped into being by his scholarship to which he himself has. The soviet union heretofore the great opponent of the british empire in central asia and ally of afghanistans german friends suddenly became an enemy of the germans and a friend of the british. Their british parents had apparently been killed, but they had been rescued and brought up by afghan families. During the nineteenth century, two large european empires vied for dominance in central asia. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Dalrymple is a writer who can make the most recondite historical issues come alive and. Astoundingly, they had been on the retreat as babies. The british empire through time from early discoveries, through bitter wars with other powers, to popular uprisings, the british empire went through many changes during the course of history. Islamic law and statecraft between the ottoman and british empires faiz ahmed on. Their interests collided in afghanistan, resulting in the first angloafghan war of 1839 to 1842. Ego, that forced them to mythologise their enemies.