The Treaty of Gandamak — When Afghan Pride Was Sold, and Pakistan’s Sacrifice Was Forgotten.

The Treaty of Gandamak — When Afghan Pride Was Sold, and Pakistan’s Sacrifice Was Forgotten

History often preserves not only victories but also betrayals — moments when nations sold their honor for survival. One such moment was the Treaty of Gandamak (1879), a document that remains an indelible stain on Afghanistan’s history — a day when Afghan pride was bartered for personal safety and foreign gold.

The late 19th century was marked by the Great Game between Britain and Russia — an imperial chessboard stretching from Europe to Central Asia. Afghanistan, caught between two empires, became the battlefield of influence. When Amir Sher Ali Khan rejected the entry of the British mission and welcomed the Russians instead, the British responded with the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878).

Sher Ali died during the war, leaving his son, Amir Yaqub Khan, to face the humiliation of defeat. On May 26, 1879, at the small village of Gandamak, he signed a treaty with British envoy Sir Louis Cavagnari — a treaty that effectively surrendered Afghanistan’s sovereignty. The British took control of Khyber Pass, Kurram, Pishin, and Sibi, while the Afghan ruler received an annual stipend of merely six lakh rupees.

It was not diplomacy — it was desperation. History recalls that Amir Yaqub Khan pleaded:

“Take my men, my women, my land — but spare my life.”

That was the day Afghan independence died, and subservience was institutionalized.

The Legacy of Surrender

The Treaty of Gandamak allowed the British to station a political envoy in Kabul — a symbol of domination. The Afghan people saw this as an insult, and their outrage erupted into rebellion. Cavagnari and his mission were killed, yet the humiliation could not be undone. Later, under Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, Afghanistan formally accepted British control over its foreign policy — setting the stage for the Durand Line agreement that still divides hearts and territories today.

Those who today chant slogans of “Lōr aw Bar Afghan Yū Dī” (“Afghans are one, north and south”) must revisit this chapter. Their ancestors traded the honor of Pashtuns to foreign masters — not Pakistan.

Pakistan, on the other hand, emerged not from betrayal but from sacrifice. Over five million lives were lost in the struggle for independence in 1947. The blood of martyrs built Pakistan — not the bribes of colonial empires.

From Betrayal to Ingratitude

Yet, in modern times, Afghanistan — instead of acknowledging Pakistan’s historical support — has too often chosen to side with those who harm the Muslim world. While Pakistan opened its borders to over four million Afghan refugees, providing shelter, education, and livelihood for decades, the gratitude was replaced by hostility.

When NATO and Western powers invaded Afghanistan, it was Pakistan that faced the consequences — terrorism, border attacks, and millions displaced internally. Still, Pakistan stood firm for regional peace. But what did it receive in return? Accusations, conspiracies, and alliances with foreign powers who never shed a drop of blood for the Afghan cause.

Pakistan’s Sacrifice vs. Afghan Amnesia

The difference between the two nations lies in how they earned their place in history:

• Afghanistan signed treaties of submission.

• Pakistan signed its freedom with the blood of millions.

It is ironic that those whose ancestors surrendered their sovereignty to foreign colonizers now accuse Pakistan — a nation born through resistance — of being a puppet of the West. The facts of history expose the hypocrisy.

The Moral of Gandamak

The Treaty of Gandamak is more than a historical event; it is a mirror. It reminds every nation that freedom cannot coexist with cowardice. Nations that sell their honor for gold lose not only their land but their soul.

Today, Afghanistan’s leadership must remember that siding with the enemies of Islam or turning its back on Pakistan is not a sign of pride — it is a repetition of the same moral weakness that led to Gandamak.

Pakistan, despite its struggles, continues to stand as a fortress of faith, a homeland built on sacrifice, and a defender of Muslim dignity. Those who betray their friends for foreign favor will find themselves on the wrong side of history — again.

Conclusion

History’s message is clear:

Freedom is earned through sacrifice, not sold for safety.

Afghanistan must reflect on its past and recognize who stood by it in every storm — not the West, not the colonizers, but Pakistan, the only Muslim nation that bore the burden of its neighbor’s pain with open arms.

If Afghan pride is ever to rise again, it must begin with truth, gratitude, and self-respect — virtues that Pakistan demonstrated through its own blood.

Syed Ali Raza Naqvi Bukhari

Founder & Chairman of Tehreek Istehkam Pakistan, Author of “Law of God” and “Social Democratic System.”

Advocate for Truth, Social Justice, and Reform.