Panjdeh incident
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"In the 19th century, the United Kingdom was fearful that Russia would invade Afghanistan and use it to threaten the large British holdings in India. This regional rivalry was called the 'Great Game'. In 1885, Russian forces seized a disputed oasis south of the Oxus River from Afghan forces, which became known as the Panjdeh Incident and threatened war. The border was agreed by the joint Anglo-Russian Afghan Boundary Commission of 1885–87. The Russian interest in the region continued on through the Soviet era, with billions in economic and military aid sent to Afghanistan between 1955 and 1978."--Sholem Stein |
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The Panjdeh incident (known in Russian historiography as the Battle of Kushka) was an armed engagement between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the Russian Empire in 1885 that led to a diplomatic crisis between the British Empire and the Russian Empire caused by the Russian expansion south-eastwards towards the Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Raj (India). After nearly completing the Russian conquest of Central Asia (Russian Turkestan) the Russians captured an Afghan border fort, threatening British interests in the area. Seeing a threat to India, Britain prepared for war but both sides backed down and the matter was settled by diplomacy. The effect of this incident was to stop further Russian expansion in Asia, except for the Pamir Mountains and to define the north-western border of Afghanistan.
