Opinion In Dehradun, a slice of Afghanistan

Dehradun’s connection with Afghanistan goes back to Ahmad Shah Durrani, considered the founder of modern Afghanistan. In 1747, he unified various Afghan tribes and established the Durrani Empire, which roughly covers the geographical area that is now Afghanistan.

In 1803, Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk became the ruler, only to be deposed in 1809 by his predecessor Mahmud Shah in the battle of Nimla, bringing to an end a tumultuous and unstable period of rule.

After Mahmud Shah’s death, Dost Mohammad Khan ascended the throne in 1823. It is an era that coincided with the Great Game, a period marked by geopolitical rivalry between the British and Russian Empires for influence in Central Asia, with Afghanistan as the crucial buffer state.

In the early 1830s, Shah Shuja sought British assistance to help him regain the throne of Afghanistan. The British were interested in establishing a friendly ruler in Afghanistan — they were concerned that Dost Mohammad Khan appeared inclined towards the Russians.

This sparked the Anglo-Afghan War (1838-1842), where the combined forces of the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh confronted Dost Muhammad Khan’s Afghan forces, culminating in the removal of Dost Mohammad Khan and the reinstatement of Shah Shuja. In 1840, during the conflict, Dost Mohammad Khan was captured by the British and exiled to India.

Dehradun resident Mohammad Ali, who claims to be a direct descendent of Dost Mohammad Khan, says the king settled down in Dehradun, which served as a garrison town and a key military station for the British forces.

“The main reason for settling down here was Dehradun’s cool climes and its lush jungles which provided the emir enough prey for hunting. Dost Mohammad was very fond of his favourite pulao and managed to bring Basmati rice sealed in hollowed out bamboo from Kunar province of Afghanistan. He then gave the rice to the local farmers to grow in their fields,” says Mohammad Ali.

Back in Afghanistan, Shah Shuja was facing a rebellion, with Afghan factions viewing him as a British puppet. By 1842, the situation deteriorated rapidly and the British decided to withdraw from Kabul in the face of mounting Afghan resistance and harsh winter conditions.

The vacuum left by the departing forces created an opportunity for Dost Mohammad Khan’s return to the throne. After his death, he was succeeded by his son and then his grandson Yakub Khan. Unpopular for signing the ‘Treaty of Gandamak’ with the British, which granted limited autonomy to Afghanistan but caused internal unrest, in 1879, Yakub Khan abdicated the throne. Initially imprisoned by the British, he later found himself in exile in British India – and, like his grandfather Dost Mohammad, ended up in Dehradun.

Upon arrival, Yakub Khan, who drew a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 from the British, promptly acquired the property that’s now known as Kabul House.

“They used to stay in Dehradun during the winters, and in summers, they would spend the days at Radha Bhawan in Mussoorie,” says Mohammad Ali.

Constructed in 1871, Radha Bhawan is one of the earliest and most expansive estates in the region.

The Parade Ground in Dehradun is considered to be another favourite hangout of the Afghan royals. There are stories of how only the Afghan royals and the British were allowed on the ground, where they rode their horses.

It is believed that the Afghan royals also planted fruit trees like the mulberry and apricot in Dehradun. Being patrons of music, they are said to have introduced the rubab, a stringed instrument, to Dehradun.

In 1924, Yakub Khan died in Dehradun and was buried in Punjab.

By the 1940s, there were reportedly over 500 descendents of the Afghan royalty living in India. After Partition in 1947, most of them went to Pakistan or Afghanistan.