1850-THE 1ST GREAT GAME IN/AT AFGHANISTAN AND THE 1ST REVOLT BY INDIAN ARMY--{FROM Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief} -FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS V.C.OF KANDAHAR -AFGANISTAN

FORTY-ONE YEARS IN INDIA

                                                                                  FROM

                                                                 Subaltern to Commander-in-Chief


                                                                                       BY
  FIELD-MARSHAL    LORD ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR V.C., K.P., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., G.C.I.E                                                                  

                                
Field-Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar
                                            .

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.1898

The Natives of India are particularly observant of character, and intelligent in gauging the capabilities of those who govern them; and it is because the English Government is trusted that a mere handful of Englishmen are able to direct the administration of a country with nearly three hundred millions of inhabitants, differing in race, religion, and manners of life. Throughout all the changes which India has[page viii]undergone, political and social, during the present century, this feeling has been maintained, and it will last so long as the services are filled by honourable men who sympathize with the Natives, respect their prejudices, and do not interfere unnecessarily with their habits and customs.
.............I impute no blame to the Russians for their advance towards India. The force of circumstances—the inevitable result of the contact of civilization with barbarism—impelled them to cross the Jaxartes and extend their territories to the Khanates of Turkestan and the banks of the Oxus, just as the same uncontrollable force carried us across the Sutlej and extended our territories to the valley of the Indus.
                                               Piewar Kotal.
                                                                        PIEWAR KOTAL.

                                                       General Sir Abraham Roberts, G.C.B.
                                                                GENERAL SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS, G.C.B

                                                               Brigadier-General John Nicholson, C.B.
                                                                     BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN NICHOLSON, C.B.

                                                                Major-General Sir Harry Tombs, V.C., G.C.B.
                                                          MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HARRY TOMBS, V.C., G.C.B.

Lieutenant-General Sir James Hills-Johnes, V.C., G.C.B.
                 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR JAMES HILLS-JOHNES, V.C., G.C.B.

FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART, BART., G.C.B., G.C.S.I., C.I.E.
                                           
FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART, BART.,
G.C.B., G.C.S.I., C.I.E.
SKETCH TO ILLUSTRATE THE ENGAGEMENT AT NAJAFGARH IN AUGUST, 1857.
             SKETCH TO ILLUSTRATE THE ENGAGEMENT AT NAJAFGARH IN AUGUST, 1857.

A Plan to illustrate the Seige of Delhi, 1857.
                         SIEGE OF DELHI 1857
LORDS CLYDE AND SANDHURST. (SIR COLIN CAMPBELL AND SIR WILLIAM MANSFIELD.)

LORDS CLYDE AND SANDHURST.
(SIR COLIN CAMPBELL AND SIR WILLIAM MANSFIELD.

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JAMES OUTRAM, G.C.B.

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JAMES OUTRAM, G.C.B.

BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, K.C.B.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL SIR HENRY LAWRENCE, K.C.B.

THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW, November, 1857
THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW, November, 1857
Engagement before CAWNPORE on the 6th. December 1857.
Engagement before CAWNPORE on the 6th. December 1857.
Plan of the Engagement on the Banks of the KALI NADI at KHUDAGANJ January 2nd. 1858.
Plan of the Engagement on the Banks of the KALI NADI at KHUDAGANJ January 2nd. 1858.

GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BROWNE, V.C., G.C.B., K.C.S.I.
GENERAL SIR SAMUEL BROWNE, V.C., G.C.B., K.C.S.I.

LADY ROBERTS (WIFE OF SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS)
LADY ROBERTS
(WIFE OF SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS)


THE EARL CANNING, K.G., G.C.B., G.M.S.I.,VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA
THE EARL CANNING, K.G., G.C.B., G.M.S.I.,
VICEROY AND GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA

THE STORMING OF THE CONICAL HILL AT UMBEYLA BY THE 101ST FOOT (BENGAL FUSILIERS)
THE STORMING OF THE CONICAL HILL AT UMBEYLA BY THE 101ST FOOT (BENGAL FUSILIERS)

FIELD-MARSHAL LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA, G.C.B., G.C.S.I.

FIELD-MARSHAL LORD NAPIER OF MAGDALA, G.C.B., G.C.S.I.

THE EARL OF LYTTON, G.C.B., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY of INDIA.

THE EARL OF LYTTON, G.C.B., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E.,
VICEROY OF INDIA.
THE ATTACK ON THE PEIWAR KOTAL.
THE ATTACK ON THE PEIWAR KOTAL.

MY GURKHA ORDERLIES.
GURKHA ORDERLIES.

MY SIKH ORDERLIES.
SIKH ORDERLIES.

ONE OF MY PATHAN ORDERLIES.
PATHAN ORDERLIES.
ONE OF MY PATHAN ORDERLIES.

PATHAN ORDERLIES.
ENTRANCE TO THE BALA HISSAR, KABUL.
ENTRANCE TO THE BALA HISSAR, KABUL.

Map of the CHARDEH VALLEY, KABUL, and the BALA HISSAR.

PLAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE DEFENCES OF SHERPUR AND THE OPERATIONS ROUND KABUL
12th to 23rd December, 1879.
CROSSING THE ZAMBURAK KOTAL.
CROSSING THE ZAMBURAK KOTAL.

SKETCH OF THE ROUTE TAKEN ON THE MARCH FROM KABUL TO KANDAHAR. AUGUST. 1880.

THE THREE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA-GENERAL SIR FREDERICK SLEIGH ROBERTS, GENERAL SIR ARTHUR E. HARDINGE, GENERAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART
                                            THE THREE COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA

GENERAL SIR FREDERICK SLEIGH ROBERTS.  GENERAL SIR ARTHUR E. HARDINGE. GENERAL SIR DONALD MARTIN STEWART.
THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA.
THE MARQUIS OF DUFFERIN, K.P., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E.
VICEROY OF INDIA.
HIS HIGHNESS ABDUR RAHMAN, AMIR OF AFGHANISTAN.
HIS HIGHNESS
ABDUR RAHMAN, AMIR OF AFGHANISTAN.

MAP of THE RUSSIAN FRONTIERS in CENTRAL ASIA.

LADY ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR.

LADY ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR.

THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE, K.G., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E., VICEROY OF INDIA.
THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNE, K.G., G.C.M.G., G.M.S.I., G.M.I.E.
VICEROY OF INDIA.


FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS ON HIS ARAB CHARGER 'VONOLEL.'
FIELD-MARSHAL LORD ROBERTS ON HIS ARAB CHARGER 'VONOLEL.'


CHAPTER I.

Forty years ago the departure of a cadet for India was a much more1852 serious affair than it is at present. Under the regulations then in force, leave, except on medical certificate, could only be obtained once during the whole of an officer's service, and ten years had to be spent in India before that leave could be taken. Small wonder, then, that I felt as if I were bidding England farewell for ever when, on the 20th February, 1852, I set sail from Southampton with Calcutta for my destination. Steamers in those days ran to and from India but once a month, and the fleet employed was only capable of transporting some 2,400 passengers in the course of a year. This does not include the Cape route; but even taking that into consideration, I should doubt whether there were then as many travellers to India in a year as there are now in a fortnight at the busy season
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