The 1842 retreat from Kabul was the retreat of the British and East India Company forces from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War. An uprising in Kabul forced the then-commander, Major-General William Elphinstone, to fall back to the British garrison at Jalalabad. As the army and its numerous dependents and camp followers began their march, it came under attack from Afghan tribesmen. Many in the column died of exposure, frostbite or starvation, or were killed during the fighting.

In total the British army lost 4,500 troops, along with about 12,000 civilians: the latter comprising both the families of Indian and British soldiers, plus workmen, servants and other Indian camp followers.

Out of more than 16,000 people from the column commanded by Elphinstone, only one European (Assistant Surgeon William Brydon) and a few Indian sepoys reached Jalalabad. Over one hundred British prisoners and civilian hostages were later released.

  • ennemi [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
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    1 year ago

    Please don’t celebrate chasing your oppressors out of your country and harassing and raiding them for weeks until there’s literally one guy left. Please don’t do that. It’s terrorism. Especially don’t say “lmao” or “lol” or anything of the sort about Afghans promising their oppressors safe passage and then murking them instead. That would be in extremely poor taste. These people were only there to appoint themselves as lords and take everyone’s shit and enslave them. They never expected or demanded to be chased in the snow and shot at by guys with horses and Jezails.