Afghanistan: 'The main street in the bazaar at Caubul in the fruit season'; a lithograph by Louis Haghe (1806 - 1885) from an original sketch by James Atkinson (1780 - 1852). From Sketches in Afghaunistan; originally published in 1842. The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought between British India and Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game; the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia; and also marked one of the worst setbacks inflicted on British power in the region after the consolidation of British Raj by the East India Company.