Location
Royal Armouries Museum (and Online)
Speaker: N.R. Jenzen-Jones, Editor, Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms
For a brief period in the late 19th century, Afghanistan was able to mass-produce a modern military firearm in the form of the Martini-Henry rifle. This was possible due to a programme of rapid industrialisation brought about through the vision and perseverance of Abdur Rahman Khan, the ‘Iron Emir’ – with assistance from British and British Indian engineers, foremen, and craftsmen. In addition to rifles, the Emir’s new workshops produced Afghanistan’s first machine-minted coinage, its first machine-made cartridges, and a host of other products, and saw the introduction of Afghanistan’s first steam engines, its first electricity, and even its first railway.
In this lecture, N.R. Jenzen-Jones explores the brief but fascinating life of the Kabul Arsenal, some of the broad range of outputs produced by its steam-powered workshops, and the personalities behind these achievements.
To register for this event, please go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-lecture-rifles-of-the-iron-emir-tickets-759655087817