The Shadow on the Hills

The Shadow on the Hills!

Charles Keene

1878

Wood engraving by Swain

Punch (5 October 1878)

The British lion and the Indian carrying a rifle take note of the shadow of the Russian bear upon hills that might represent the Khyber Pass and which are labeled “Afghanistan.” As is common with cartoons about the Afghan situation, Russia appears as the potential danger rather than the Afghans themselves — something a bit bizarre given the infamous total destruction of the large 1842 expeditionary force.

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