afghanistanwas an ideal opportunity for Russian interference, either by providing
military assistance to a pro-Russian claimant to the throne or by outright
annexation of Balkh on the grounds that it had formerly been part of
the Khanate of Bukhara. This fear was exacerbated after ‘Abd al -Rahman
Khan and other Afzalids were given asylum in Samarkand, where Kaufman
provided them with houses and pensions, openly consulted ‘Abd al -
Rahman Khan on Bukharan politics and even tried to persuade him to
join the campaign against Muzaffar Khan.
The British government sought clarification from St Petersburg about
Russian intentions in the region and received assurances that Russia
regarded Afghanistan as being within the British sphere of influence and
had no plans for invasion or annexation. This reassurance, however, was
not as clear-cut as it seemed, for the Russian government’s definition of
Afghanistan was markedly different from the kingdom Britain had recog-
nized in the Anglo-Afghan Treaties of 1855 and 1857. According to the
Russian Foreign Ministry, Afghanistan was the Pushtun tribal belt of
the Afghan–India frontier. As such, the kingdom did not include Balkh,
Herat, the Hazarajat or even Kabul. Furthermore, since this Afghanistan
included the Pushtun tribes on the Indian side of the frontier, it opened
the door for Russian support of the Durrani dynasty’s long-standing claims
to sovereignty over all Pushtun tribal territory, as well as Kalat, Quetta
and Peshawar.
The civil war also created complications in Anglo-Afghan relations.
Lord Elgin, the Viceroy in 1863, recognized Sher ‘Ali Khan as Amir but,
in accordance with the policy of non-interference devised by Henry
Lawrence, the first Resident and Commissioner of the Punjab, Britain
did not provide military or financial assistance to any faction. There were
problems with an influx of refugees into the Northwest Frontier and when
‘Azam Khan fled to the Punjab he was closely watched, for he tried to
recruit levies from the Pushtun tribes on the Indian side of the Frontier
and had known ties with influential, anti-British pirs.
Henry Lawrence had died at the siege of Lucknow in 1857 but his
younger brother, John Lawrence, survived the Mutiny and in 1864 he
succeeded Lord Elgin as Viceroy. Shortly after his appointment Afzal Khan
took Kabul and was declared Amir, whereupon Lawrence, in accordance
with the policy of not siding with one faction in the civil war, recognized
Afzal and his successor, ‘Azam Khan, as Amir of Eastern Afghanistan. This
decision angered Sher ‘Ali Khan, who believed that, as the lawful heir of
Dost Muhammad Khan, the Viceroy should recognize him as the only
legitimate ruler of Afghanistan. It was only after Sher ‘Ali Khan regained