Early British Reprensentations of Afghanistan

This course will be a guided discussion of readings related to the British presence in Afghanistan in the first half of the 19th century. Our entry point will be the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42), which ended in disaster for the British - nearly the entire British force, which consisted of 4,500 troops (both British and Indian) and 12,000 camp followers (including wives, children, and servants), was destroyed, either killed or taken prisoner by Afghan forces throughout January 1842. We will look at how the British represented this "fringe of empire" and its inhabitants before and after the war. Additionally, we will consider the importance of race and gender in the construction of these narratives. Finally, we will shift between the past and the present to demonstrate how the language of "treachery," "barbarism," and the "failed state" used in descriptions of Afghanistan have both a history and contemporary political significance. The goal of this course is not to provide simple answers for our present situation, but rather to allow us to think more critically about imperial power (and its failure), historical memory, and the politics of representation.

Readings: selections from various British narratives of Afghanistan in the 19th century (including Lady Florentia Sale, Alexander Burnes, and Mohan Lal), histories of the First Anglo-Afghan War and British Empire, and contemporary journalism related to Afghanistan. These readings do not need to be purchased. I will provide scanned copies of the selections from historical texts and point you to places online to find the others.

Assignments: None, but if we would like to share writing (whether historical, creative, journalistic, or otherwise), I am definitely open to incorporating a workshop component into our course. I am also open to commenting on any writing you might want feedback on.