Afghanistan Gains Independence from the United Kingdom
Afghan Independence Day is celebrated in Afghanistan on 19 August to commemorate the Treaty of Rawalpindi in 1919.
The treaty granted independence from Britain; although Afghanistan was never officially a part of the British Empire. The British fought three wars with Afghanistan. The First Anglo-Afghan War 1839–1842 led to the massacre of the entire British invading force by Afghan forces in the city Jalalabad. But the new British forces reinvaded shortly, defeated the Afghan forces, rescued the POWs and successfully withdrew.
The Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878–80 led to the British victory over the Afghan army in Kandahar, bringing the Afghan rebellion to an end. The war left the British in control of the territories ceded by Yaqub Khan and ensuring British control of Afghanistan's foreign policy in exchange for protection and a subsidy. The Third Anglo-Afghan War 1919 led the British to achieve the reaffirmation of Durand Line and give up on their imperialist ambition to conquer Afghanistan and Afghanistan declared its independence. The British had lost its 12000 warrior troops in Afghanistan Kandahar, Miwand district against the war of Afghan forces, which is the huge waste in the history of the British Army. So eventually Afghan won the war game from the British. The event is recognized throughout Afghanistan and also celebrates Afghan culture and national pride. It is celebrated every year.
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the British and Russian Empires until it won independence from notional British control in 1919.
A month of fighting between British and Afghan forces is inconclusive and rapidly leads to a treaty (signed in Rawalpindi in August 1919) in which Britain acknowledges Afghanistan's independence as a nation. With this much achieved, Amanullah accelerates a programme of reform on European lines. But in doing so he alienates the old guard. Amanullah is forced into exile during an outbreak of civil war in 1929.
