RETURN OF A KING- The First Anglo-Afghan War & other disasters - conversation with William Dalrymple

9:30am BST Thu 26 Aug 2021 William Dalrymple (historian and multi-award winning author of meticulously well researched and much loved history books) in conversation with Jibunnessa Abdullah (founder & director, Digital Museum). His book, RETURN OF A KING tells the story of The First Anglo-Afghan War in 1839 when nearly 20,000 troops invaded Afghanistan with the objective of reinstating Shah Shuja ul-Mulk to the throne as a puppet ruler. After 2 years of occupation, Afghan tribesmen rose in rebellion and managed to force a retreat that resulted in British military disaster and utter humiliation. We have seen in recent days, the end of 20 years of US and allied military intervention in Afghanistan, and a consequent return of the Taliban to power across the country. What light can the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1839 and other foreign military disasters shine on contemporary events witnessed in Afghanistan today? WILLIAM DALRYMPLE is historian, author, critic and photographer. His other books include: ‘In Xanadu’, ‘City of Djinns’, ‘Nine Lives’, ‘From the Holy Mountain’, ‘Forgotten Masters’, ‘White Mughals’, ‘The Last Mughal’, ‘The Anarchy’, and ‘The Company Quartet’. He is currently working on his new book, ‘The Golden Road’. His research interests include the Silk Road, Mughal India, the Raj, history of religions, anthropology, art, music, Middle East, Central Asia, the East India Company, ancient and modern history, philosophy and contemporary cultures across Asia.