Lytton and the Peshawar Conference

Abstract

It is no secret that men make history. While the great man theory has been discredited, few historians can ignore the impact of an individual upon immediate events. Robert Lytton, the principal character in this paper, was by no stretch of the imagination a great man. He was a rather average individual with no outstanding attributes. In 1876, when he was appointed Viceroy of India, he was a forty-four year old career diplomat without a reputation. By means of an unsought appointment, however, he was placed in a position to control events of important consequence. In the second half of the nineteenth century the main source of British concern regarding India's security was the threat posed by the steady advance of Russia in Central Asia. Since Afghanistan separated British India from the Russian Empire, relations with its ruler became a vital concern for English statesmen. In 1873, after almost forty years of diplomatic controversy, London and St. Petersburg reached an agreement which recognized that Afghanistan was in Britain's sphere of influence. Despite this understanding, in 1874, following Disraeli's rise to power, British foreign policy regarding Afghanistan became more aggressive and dogmatic. To increase Britain's influence in Afghanistan, Lytton was sent to India with instructions to gain for Britain the right to station military officers inside Afghanistan's borders. Lytton's efforts to achieve this by negotiation culminated in the confence at Peshawar in the early spring of 1877. Unfortunately for both parties the Peshawar proceedings collapsed. Largely because of Lytton's inability to appreciate the Afghan position and his inflexible and suspicious nature, it proved to be the final effort to increase Britain's influence by peaceful means. From that time on Lytton used increasingly forceful methods to achieve his aims; one year later Britain invaded Afghanistan. The major documentation for this study was drawn from the Parliamentary Papers, which fortunately include an impressive collection of letters, notes and minutes pertaining to Anglo-Afghan diplomatic relations.