This work is a chronological account of the struggle between the Afghan Amirs of Kabul and the Manghit Dynasty of Bukhara for Balkh province (wilayat) during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Drawing extensively on India Office Records, Persian and native oral sources, the book provides a unique insight into an important, but little-studied Central Asian region. Structured around the history of Maimana's Mingid dynasty, the book details the various military campaigns, whilst also examining critically Britain and Russia's role in the 'Afghanisation' of Balkh during the period of...