Anglo-Persian War

The 1856–1857 conflict between Britain and Qajar Persia, fought chiefly over Persian control of Herat and ending with Persia’s withdrawal from the city.

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Siege of Herat (1856): The Qajar siege and capture of Herat in 1856, which triggered Britain’s declaration of war. Persia’s capture of Herat precipitated Britain’s military intervention.
Qajar Iran: The Iranian dynasty that ruled Persia from 1789 to 1925. Qajar rulers pursued control over Herat during the dynasty’s later decades.
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar: The Qajar shah who ruled Persia from 1848 to 1896. He authorized the Persian campaign that resulted in Herat’s capture.
Iranian sovereignty: The authority of the Iranian state to govern its territory and conduct foreign relations. The treaty constrained Persian claims over Herat while asserting limits on outside intervention.
British expedition to Persia: The British military campaign in southern Persia during the Anglo-Persian War. British forces struck Persian positions and ports to compel withdrawal from Herat.
Siege of Herat (1837–1838): A failed Qajar siege of Herat that provoked British opposition and heightened Anglo-Persian tensions. It established a precedent for British resistance to Persian attempts to take Herat.
Mohammad Yusuf of Herat: A ruler of Herat whose claim and political choices figured in the city’s mid-nineteenth-century struggle for power. The crisis surrounding his position contributed to Persia’s intervention in Herat.
Afghanistan: A landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Herat remained within the Afghan political sphere after Persia’s withdrawal.
Treaty of Paris (1857): The treaty that ended the Anglo-Persian War and required Persia to relinquish claims to Herat. Its terms converted British military pressure into Persia’s formal withdrawal.
Great Game: The nineteenth-century strategic rivalry between the British and Russian empires in Central Asia. British concerns about Russian influence shaped its response to Persia’s move on Herat.