The Governor General who followed a spirited “Forward” policy towards Afghanistan was:
- Minto
- Dufferin
- Elgin
- Lytton
Explanation
Option (d) is correct
- Lord Lytton inaugurated and followed the “forward policy,” which in his own words is somewhat as follows: “Afghanistan is a State far too weak and barbarous to remain isolated and wholly uninfluenced between two great military empires such as England and Russia. It is our policy to cultivate on our northwestern border a strong bulwark, by aiding Afghanistan to become a powerful and prosperous State, provided its power be friendly to ourselves and its prosperity in harmony with that of those other frontier States whose welfare and independence we are resolved to defend against all aggression.” He launched the Second Anglo‑Afghan War and even considered partitioning Afghanistan, reflecting this aggressive stance. The war enabled British control over Afghan foreign affairs, though later tempered by avoiding overt steps like placing a resident in Kabul
