Treaty of Gandamak

British soldiers lining road on arrival of Yakub Khan at Safed Sang, at treaty of Gandamak, Afghanistan, May,1879.

In the Gandamak treaty concluded in May 1879, Ameer Yaqub Khan Barakzai surrendered districts of Kurram, Pishin, Sibi, Harnai and Thal-Chotiali (Loralai), and the control of the Khyber and the Michini Passes to British empire.

Ameer Yaqub Khan of Afghanistan signing Treaty of Gandamak with the British, 1879. From 'The Graphics', a weekly newspaper. The original caption reads: "The End of the Afghan War — The Ameer Signing the Treaty of Peace at Gandamak, May 26th, 1879." At this point, the British — as in the previous war with the Afghans — were too hasty in concluding that the war had been won and was over. Source

The Ameer Yakoob Khan signing the treaty at Gandamak, Afghanistan, May 26, 1879.  Illustration from the magazine The Graphic, volume XX, no 501, July 5, 1879.

Writing out the Treaty of Gandamak, 1879

Writing out the Treaty of Gandamak, 1879. Second Anglo-Afghan War. 

 Artist: William Simpson. Source

In the first phase of Second Anglo-Afghan war, Afghans could not successfully resist the British aggression and Yaqub Khan , the new Afghan King , was forced to sign the infamous Treaty of Gandamak. Under the treaty (signed on 26 May 1879), the Afghan Amir, Muhammad Yaqub Khan surrendered various frontier areas to the British raj, including, Quetta, Sibi, Pishin, Harnai, Kurram and Khyber. Abdur Rahman , who was placed on the throne by the British after Yaqub was deposed , reaffirmed the treaty of Gandamak. In 1919, Amir Amanullah Khan ended the Treaty of Gandamak which had given the British control of Afghan foreign policy at the end of the Second Afghan War (1878-80).

Afghans and Afghanistan in 1879-1880 (Illustrations for the London Illustrated News)

Amir Yakub Khan, 30th May 1879. The Illustrated London News, October 4., 1879, William Simpson: Sketches at a review at Gundamuck