First Anglo-Afghan War

First Anglo-Afghan War
	Part of the Great Game
	; Lithograph depicting British-Indian force storming the fortress during the Battle of Ghazni, 23 July 1839
Date	1 October 1838 – 12 October 1842; (4 years, 1 week and 4 days)
Location	Afghanistan
Result	Barakzai Afghan victory
Belligerents
Durranis; Durrani Empire; British Empire East India Company; ; Sikh Empire; Maimana Khanate; Mirdom of Khulm	Barakzais; Emirate of Kabul; Principality of Kandahar; Hotak-Tokhi Country; Khanate of Kalat; Marri-Bugti Country; Mirdom of Khulm; Afghan rebels
Commanders and leaders
Shuja Shah Durrani X; Fateh Jang Durrani ; Durranis: Ghulam Khan Popalzai ; Mullah Shakar ; Mohammad Osman Khan ; Nawab Zaman Khan ; Sayyid Mohammad Khan ; Zaman Shah Durrani ; Timur Mirza Durrani ; Shahpur Mirza Durrani ; Safdar Jang Durrani (AWOL) ; Robert Peel; William Lamb; William Elphinstone †; British: Lord Auckland ; Sir Henry William Barnard ; John Keane ; Sir Willoughby Cotton ; George Pollock ; Henry Marion Durand ; Robert Sale ; Thomas Willshire ; James Outram ; Lewis Brown ; John Shelton (POW) ; John Connolly † ; William Hay Macnaghten † ; Robert Salusbury Trevor † ; Edward Connolly † ; Alexander Burnes † ; Percival Lord †; Ranjit Singh; Durrani loyalists: Mizrab Khan ; Mohammad Amin Beg (AWOL) ; Hajji Khan Kakar (AWOL);	Dost Mohammad Khan ; Mohammad Akbar Khan (WIA); Kabul: Mohammad Afzal Khan (WIA) ; Ghulam Haidar Khan ; Nawab Jabbar Khan ; Mohammad Akram Khan ; Mohammad Zaman Khan; Kohan Dil Khan; Kandahar: Rahim Dil Khan ; Mehr Dil Khan; Mehrab Khan II Ahmadzai †; Nasir Khan II Ahmadzai; Baloch tribes: Mir Sharbat Khan ; Sardar Doda Khan ; Mir Mohammad Shahwani ; Mir Shahdad Khan ; Afghan rebels: Mir Masjidi Khan X ; Akhtar Khan ; Abdullah Khan Achakzai ; Aminullah Khan Logari ; Mohammad Shah Khan Sulaimankhail;
Casualties and losses
15,000–40,000 British dead	Unknown

The First Anglo-Afghan War, locally known as the War of Independence, was fought between the British Empire and the Emirate of Kabul from 1838 to 1842. The British initially successfully invaded the country taking sides in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad Khan (Barakzai) and former King Shah Shujah (Durrani), whom they reinstalled upon occupying Kabul in August 1839. The main British Indian force occupied Kabul and endured harsh winters. The force and its camp followers were almost completely massacred during its 1842 retreat from Kabul.

The British then sent what was widely termed an "Army of Retribution" to Kabul to avenge the destruction of the previous forces. After recovering prisoners, they left Afghanistan by the end of the year. Dost Mohammed returned from exile in India to resume his rule.

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.