The First Anglo-Afghan War commenced in 1839, driven by British strategic concerns regarding Russian influence in Central Asia as part of the geopolitical rivalry known as the Great Game. The British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Auckland, initiated an invasion to replace Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Khan with the exiled Shah Shuja, perceived as a more favorable ruler. A British-Indian force, comprising approximately 21,000 troops and 38,000 camp followers, advanced from India, securing control of Kandahar and Ghazni before occupying Kabul in 1840. The campaign’s initial success was undermined by a subsequent Afghan uprising led by Akbar Khan, resulting in the near destruction of the British garrison during a retreat from Kabul in January 1842, with only one British survivor, Dr. William Brydon, reaching Jalalabad, alongside significant losses among Indian sepoys and camp followers, cementing it as one of the worst defeats suffered by Britain.
What’s the meme is about:
In mid-1842, the appointment of Lord Ellenborough as Governor-General, following a shift in the British government, marked a shift in policy aimed at restoring British prestige. Ellenborough authorized military expeditions led by Generals William Nott and George Pollock to recapture Kabul in September, secure the release of British prisoners, and inflict punitive damage on the city. As part of this effort, Ellenborough directed Nott to remove ornate wooden gates from the tomb of Mahmud of Ghazni, the 11th-century Afghan ruler associated with the historical raid on the Somnath Temple in 1026, based on the belief—later disproven—that these gates originated from that site. This action was intended to serve as a symbolic gesture of retribution.
On November 16, 1842, Ellenborough issued the “Proclamation of the Gates,” addressing Indian princes, chiefs, and the general populace. The document asserted that the British military had reclaimed the gates of the Somnath Temple from Afghanistan, framing the act as a restoration of historical justice against an earlier desecration even though no primary sources indicate of gates being taken away to Afghanistan as loot. The gates were subsequently transported through Indian cities such as Delhi and Agra, accompanied by military escort, and were presented as a demonstration of British support for Indian religious sentiments, particularly among Hindu communities.
Subsequent analysis revealed that the gates were not authentic artifacts from Somnath, being constructed from deodar wood native to Afghanistan and lacking evidence of Indian origin or design. Plans to reinstall them at Somnath were abandoned, and the objects were stored in Agra Fort. The proclamation faced criticism in Britain, with the House of Commons debating its implications in March 1843, where it was described as an ill-considered move that contravened British policy of religious neutrality. Ellenborough’s tenure as Governor-General concluded with his recall in 1844, and the episode is often cited as an example of colonial miscalculation. The gates remain in Agra as historical artifacts, while the event contributed to narratives of cultural grievance that persisted in later Indian historiography. The war itself ended with a British withdrawal from Afghanistan by late 1842, reinstating Dost Mohammad, underscoring the limited strategic gains of the campaign.
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Context:
The First Anglo-Afghan War commenced in 1839, driven by British strategic concerns regarding Russian influence in Central Asia as part of the geopolitical rivalry known as the Great Game. The British East India Company, under Governor-General Lord Auckland, initiated an invasion to replace Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Khan with the exiled Shah Shuja, perceived as a more favorable ruler. A British-Indian force, comprising approximately 21,000 troops and 38,000 camp followers, advanced from India, securing control of Kandahar and Ghazni before occupying Kabul in 1840. The campaign’s initial success was undermined by a subsequent Afghan uprising led by Akbar Khan, resulting in the near destruction of the British garrison during a retreat from Kabul in January 1842, with only one British survivor, Dr. William Brydon, reaching Jalalabad, alongside significant losses among Indian sepoys and camp followers, cementing it as one of the worst defeats suffered by Britain.
What’s the meme is about:
In mid-1842, the appointment of Lord Ellenborough as Governor-General, following a shift in the British government, marked a shift in policy aimed at restoring British prestige. Ellenborough authorized military expeditions led by Generals William Nott and George Pollock to recapture Kabul in September, secure the release of British prisoners, and inflict punitive damage on the city. As part of this effort, Ellenborough directed Nott to remove ornate wooden gates from the tomb of Mahmud of Ghazni, the 11th-century Afghan ruler associated with the historical raid on the Somnath Temple in 1026, based on the belief—later disproven—that these gates originated from that site. This action was intended to serve as a symbolic gesture of retribution.
On November 16, 1842, Ellenborough issued the “Proclamation of the Gates,” addressing Indian princes, chiefs, and the general populace. The document asserted that the British military had reclaimed the gates of the Somnath Temple from Afghanistan, framing the act as a restoration of historical justice against an earlier desecration even though no primary sources indicate of gates being taken away to Afghanistan as loot. The gates were subsequently transported through Indian cities such as Delhi and Agra, accompanied by military escort, and were presented as a demonstration of British support for Indian religious sentiments, particularly among Hindu communities.
Subsequent analysis revealed that the gates were not authentic artifacts from Somnath, being constructed from deodar wood native to Afghanistan and lacking evidence of Indian origin or design. Plans to reinstall them at Somnath were abandoned, and the objects were stored in Agra Fort. The proclamation faced criticism in Britain, with the House of Commons debating its implications in March 1843, where it was described as an ill-considered move that contravened British policy of religious neutrality. Ellenborough’s tenure as Governor-General concluded with his recall in 1844, and the episode is often cited as an example of colonial miscalculation. The gates remain in Agra as historical artifacts, while the event contributed to narratives of cultural grievance that persisted in later Indian historiography. The war itself ended with a British withdrawal from Afghanistan by late 1842, reinstating Dost Mohammad, underscoring the limited strategic gains of the campaign.
Research paper on it, if you’re interested:Â [https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/somnath-mandir-in-a-play-of-mirrors-heritage-history-and-the-search-for-identity-of-the-new-nation-18421951/A7809AEE9FC17740CD76CA0239CD6048#fn41](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-royal-asiatic-society/article/somnath-mandir-in-a-play-of-mirrors-heritage-history-and-the-search-for-identity-of-the-new-nation-18421951/A7809AEE9FC17740CD76CA0239CD6048#fn41)