#TheGreatGame was well and truly on from 1839 on #ThisDayInHistory when 10,000 British & Indian troops crossed the #BolanPass into #Afghanistan. The competition between Britain & Russia for control of #CentralAsia led Britain into the #FirstAngloAfghanWar and humiliating defeat.

Colonial accounts claim William Brydon as sole survivor of the #1842RetreatFromKabul, #ThisDayInHistory in the #FirstAngloAfghanWar. In fact, he made it out with several #sepoys, and hundreds were later released. But of the 16,000 people in the retreat column, few indeed escaped.