Parwan Campaign (1840)

The Parwan Campaign was a military engagement during the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1840. It involved a British East India Company force under the command of Brigadier-General Robert Sale attempting to subdue local Afghan resistance in the Parwan Valley, north of Kabul. The campaign culminated in the Battle of Parwan Darra on November 2, 1840, where Sale's troops suffered a significant defeat at the hands of Afghan forces led by Dost Mohammad Khan.

The battle involved a poorly executed cavalry charge by the Bengal Lancers against the Afghan infantry who were adept at utilizing the terrain. The lancers were routed, contributing to a general loss of morale among the British forces. While Sale’s infantry managed to hold their ground, the overall result was a strategic setback for the British.

Following the battle, Dost Mohammad Khan unexpectedly surrendered to the British on November 4, 1840. Despite the British defeat at Parwan Darra, Dost Mohammad's surrender effectively ended the campaign, although it did not resolve the broader Afghan conflict. The defeat at Parwan Darra highlighted weaknesses in British military tactics and intelligence gathering during the First Anglo-Afghan War and bolstered Afghan resistance movements for a time.