With some reason Britain feared that Russia would gain control of Afghanistan and use it as a gateway to attack British India. To avoid this Britain tried to ensure that Afghanistan was pro British even to the extent of political interference in the internal workings of governance and Royal succession . This interference was bitterly resented and led on several occasions to outright war in which Britain suffered a number of reverses even on one occasion having an occupying force trying to extricate itself from Kabul back to India being totally wiped out. This political and military manoevering between British India and Russia with Afghanistan as the prize was known as the `Great Game’and gave rise to a host of Kipling’s stories and ballads. We will see that Gurkhas played a significant part in this deadly game.