On offer: an original (i.e. not a later reproduction) antique print "The Lahore Gate of the Bala Hissar.", Kabul, Afghanistan. Offered matted ready to frame.
A view of the Episode of the Second Anglo-Afghan War, from 1878 to 1880, Kabul, Afghanistan. The print is not stuck down so can be easily removed from the mat if desired.
DATE PRINTED: 1880
SIZE: The printed area including titles is approx. 21.5 x 16.5 cm, 8.5 x 6.5 inches (medium) plus margins. The mat is approximately 28 x 23 cm.
ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Unknown
PROVENANCE: Published in "British Battles on Land and Sea.", Vol. IV, by James Grant. [Cassell Petter & Galpin, London, Paris & Melbourne, c1880].
TYPE: Antique wood plate engraving printed on paper.
VERSO: There is text printed on the reverse side.
CONDITION: Good. Suitable for framing. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not significant unless otherwise stated.
AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic antique print, published at the date stated above. I do not offer reproductions. It is not a modern copy. The term 'original' when applied to a print means that it was printed at the first or original date of publication; it does not imply that the item is unique.
RETURNS POLICY: I offer a no questions returns policy. All I ask is that you pay return shipping and mail back to me in original condition.
POSTAGE / SHIPPING COSTS: I only charge postage for the first print ordered. There is no additional postage charge if you order more than one print.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: British forces re-occupied Kabul in October 1879 in a fresh phase of the war, as a consequence of the killing of the British Resident Sir Louis Cavagnari and his mission in September 1879. General Roberts who led them aimed to secure his force at Kabul and establish a line of communication with the rest of the British forces via the Khyber Pass. The cantonment here offered a secure and easily defendable position close to the city; it was large enough to accommodate the troops and provided easy access eastwards through the Khyber Pass towards Peshawar, northwards towards Kohistan and westwards into the Chardeh Plain. The ancient citadel of Bala Hissar or High Fortress dated from the 5th century AD and encapsulated Afghan history, with successive invasions and rulers adding to and rebuilding different parts of it. It was the seat of power and much of Kabul city lay within it and its rulers sheltered within its thick walls. Babar, the founder of the Mughal empire, stayed at these commanding heights in the 16th century, he embellished the fortress and wrote poetry extolling the views it afforded. When the British under General Roberts occupied Kabul in 1879 they stayed here too. When leaving, they partially destroyed it as a lesson to the Afghans..
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