Group of Timuris
1878
This image of a group of Timuri tribesmen is from an album of rare historical photographs depicting people and places associated with the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The Timuris are considered a subset of the nomadic-pastoral Aimaq peoples and live primarily in eastern Iran and western Afghanistan. They speak a distinct language that draws on Indo-European and Indo-Iranian roots, but most Timuris would also understand Farsi. Small groups live near the Khyber Pass, and are relatively integrated into Pashtun culture. The four Timuri men shown here are well-dressed in traditional chapans (overcoats), woolen loose-fitting pants, and turbans. This image is by Sir Benjamin Simpson (1831–1923), an avid amateur photographer who spent many years in the Indian Medical Service and served as deputy surgeon general in the Southern Afghanistan Field Force in 1880–81. The Second Anglo-Afghan War began in November 1878 when Great Britain, fearful of what it saw as growing Russian influence in Afghanistan, invaded the country from British India. The first phase of the war ended in May 1879 with the Treaty of Gandamak, which permitted the Afghans to maintain internal sovereignty but forced them to cede control over their foreign policy to the British. Fighting resumed in September 1879, after an anti-British uprising in Kabul, and finally concluded in September 1880 with the decisive Battle of Kandahar. The album includes portraits of British and Afghan leaders and military personnel, portraits of ordinary Afghan people, and depictions of British military camps and activities, structures, landscapes, and cities and towns. The sites shown are all located within the borders of present-day Afghanistan or Pakistan (a part of British India at the time). About a third of the photographs were taken by John Burke (circa 1843–1900), another third by Sir Benjamin Simpson (1831–1923), and the remainder by several other photographers. Some of the photographs are unattributed...
- Filename
- 11512.jpg
- Copyright
- acku Afghanistan
- Image Size
- 1800x1490 / 521.5KB
- Contained in galleries
- AFGHANISTAN