Which British Governor-General pursued the 'Forward Policy' towards Afghanistan, leading to the disastrous First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42)?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Lord Auckland implemented the Forward Policy to establish a permanent British sphere of influence in Afghanistan, which catastrophically culminated in the First Anglo-Afghan War between 1839 and 1842. Other Governor-Generals like Lord William Bentinck focused primarily on domestic administrative and social reforms rather than aggressive trans-border interventions. Governor-General policies and imperial expansions form an essential segment of modern Indian history syllabi.