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Kennedy's Military History Blog

By Kennedy Hickman, About.com Guide to Military History

Second Anglo-Afghan War: Ayub Kahn Victorious at Maiwand

Friday July 27, 2007

July 27, 1880 - Near Maiwand, Afghanistan an 8,500-man Afghan army led by Ayub Kahn routs and almost destroys a British brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. George Burrows. Departing Kandahar with 2,600 combat troops, Burrows had orders to support a friendly Afghan army in blocking Ayub Kahn's advance. Following the desertion of his ally, Burrows sought to attack Ayub Kahn on his own. Meeting near Maiwand, Burrow's troops were able to inflict massive casualties on the Afghans before having their line broken. In the resulting rout, nearly 75% of Burrows's command was lost (right), marking one of the few times in the 19th century that an Asian army defeated a Western power.

Photograph Courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

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