Military campaigns in Northwest British India

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This list of military campaigns in northwest British India represents the most important such events. The border region between British India and Afghanistan has always been a source of trouble. In the case of the expeditions mentioned, which often penetrated Afghan territory up to 1907, it is difficult to distinguish whether they are small colonial wars of conquest or the suppression of uprisings. 110 campaigns can be documented for the period from 1849 to 1900, 64 of which occurred in the period 1878-98.

The riots increased in the years when the monsoon rains were low. 1876–79 was one of the greatest famine in India. For the north-west region, it is assumed that 400,000 people died from starvation by 1878. The same applies from 1896. Although hunger was greatest in the Deccan , the entire subcontinent was severely affected by the three years of lack of rain.

Between 1907 and 1910 at least 30,000 Martini Henry rifles , 90,000 of which had been bought by German and French arms dealers from Australian and New Zealand stocks, crossed the Persian Gulf to Kandahar and from there to the border region. A naval blockade from 1911 onwards prevented this weapon smuggling, which was a threat to the British.

year place opponent course
Dec 1849 Sanghao village The village, which was heavily fortified on a rugged mountain peak, refused to recognize British rule. Lt.-Col. Bradshaw and Lt. Lumsden advanced with two regiments and 200 local auxiliaries. In return, around 10,000 locals gathered in the area, who were dispersed by a cavalry attack. The place was finally destroyed in January 1866 by Brig. Dunsford with 4,000 men, after there was renewed resistance.
Feb. 1850 Akhor Village on Kohat Pass Afridi The villagers attacked a group of engineers who were building the road over the pass. Under the command of Brig. Colin Campbell , in the presence of Sir Charles Napier , two regiments and mounted artillery advanced on elephants with 25½-inch mortars. Looting was expressly prohibited. After a two-day battle at the pass and the surrounding mountains, the British captured and destroyed some villages.
March to May 1850 Sam Ranizai; Shakot village Afridi Brig. Campbell advanced in March against several thousand insurgents in the Swat Valley who initially agreed to pay a fine. When this did not take place, action was taken against them on May 15 with 3270 men and artillery, which were transported through the jungle by elephants. The battle broke out near the village of Shakot . After initially fierce resistance in a narrow valley, the defenders fled. The place was completely destroyed.
December 1852 Hassanzai The punitive expedition was sent across the snow-capped Black Mountains in three columns to atone for the murder of customs officers. Several villages were burned down.
May 1852 and November 1853 Pranghar village Utman Khel Brig. Colin Campbell was dispatched against the tribe living in the mountains north of Peshawar after they had repeatedly undertaken forays into the plains. The village of Pranghar was attacked on May 11th and destroyed after the defenders had escaped. The locals continued their attacks on the plain. Lt. Hodson advanced into the region with a total of 1700 men and destroyed several villages.
Apr. 1858 Kudu Khel Maj. Gen. Sir Sydney J. Cotton advanced with 4877 men in three columns against the trunk and left a trail of destroyed strongholds and villages. This campaign demonstrated the superiority of the Lee Enfield rifle, which was used for the first time in the region .
Oct. to Dec. 1863 Umbeyla campaign Pashtuns , called Hindustani Fanatics In order to repel incursions into British territory, Sir Neville Chamberlain advanced since October 20 after skirmishes in the mountains against the Malka base . The tribal warriors had been defeated by December 15th and lost an estimated 3,000 men. On the British side, 15 officers, 34 European soldiers and 189 sepoys were killed , about three times as many were wounded.
1867 Black Mountains To strengthen the border post after increased unrest, several regiments were sent to the mountains of the region in the summer, sometimes in forced marches, under the command of Brig. AT Wilde. The insurgents were completely defeated by the grueling three-week campaign, during which the British suffered from constant water shortages.
Dec 1878 Khyber Pass region Afridi Ever since the Second Anglo-Afghan War began, Afridi fought over the Khyber Pass, the gateway to Afghanistan. Brig. GA Tyler, VC was deployed with 2,500 men and five cannons. The troops were surrounded by local troops in the Bazar Valley on the night of December 21 . As soon as they began to climb a steep road (350 m elevation gain over 2.5 km) the next morning, they came under fire. About 100 Afridi, entrenched in front of a narrow ravine, were driven out by a bayonet attack, the British were able to move up to 6 km to the top of the pass with resistance when the enemy suddenly let go of them. The troops then carried out their task of keeping the pass clear.
Oct. 1877 to Feb. 1878 Jawaki -Afridi Under the brigadiers Keyes (2,000 men and six cannons) and Ross (cavalry and auxiliaries), a British punitive expedition moved into the region. They were regularly shot at by snipers from the heights. In return, they practiced a " scorched earth policy " in the areas they crossed . At three in the morning on December 1st, the insurgents' bulwark in Jammu was captured, and the defenders fled. The Jawaki leader sought peace negotiations in January but found the British conditions unacceptable. After 250 cavalrymen defeated the Jawaki on February 15, they capitulated.
Feb. 1878 Sapir and Shakot villages Utman Khel Captains W. Battye and PLN Cavagnari rode their troops 32 miles through the night, followed by a 6-mile forced march so that they reached Sapir at dawn, which they occupied without resistance to subdue the locals. The rebuilt town of Shakot was similarly stormed by the same troops in March. British troops covered 50 miles in 24 hours.
April 1879, Jan. 1880 near Dakka Fort Sarbans In April, 130 Indian colonial troops, who were staying in the cemetery in Kam Dakka village , were attacked by Sarbans. They managed to defend themselves by bayonet attacks and rifle fire until the afternoon, when three companies of British troops and two companies of Gurkha reinforcements with two cannons arrived from Dakka. A retreat of the trapped was only possible after the attackers, who had got within 100 m of the cemetery, had been repulsed by an attack. However, the attackers kept fire on the retreating British until the next day when further reinforcements drove them away. About 200 tribesmen and six British people died. Captain Garrett O'Moore Creagh , later Commander in Chief in India, received the Victoria Cross for bravery.

On January 11, 1880, Sarbans again invaded British territory. About 200 British and 600 Indian troops with four guns advanced against them from Dakka under Colonel Boisragon on the 14th. Some of the attackers had buried themselves in the hills near Gata and were driven away on the 15th after artillery fire. A column that was supposed to stab them in the back came too late because of the difficult terrain, so most of the Sarbans escaped. Nevertheless, they had around 70 dead and 140 wounded. The British had used 200 cannon balls and around 14,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, plus two dead and three wounded.

1879 Bazaar Valley Zakha Khel -Afridi
Afridi Fighters (1878)

Gen-Lt. Maude advanced against the tribe with 3,500 men and eight cannons in order to subdue them. The troops were held up in difficult terrain by continuous minor attacks. The general, who feared that further advance could trigger a major frontier war, had digged in a defensible position and asked for instructions. Although he was allowed to advance further, he withdrew to British Indian territory.

1879 Zawo Zaimukht The tribe has been restless since the war in Afghanistan. Gen.-Maj. Tytler , VC sent out with a British regiment and Indian troops on December 8, 1879. After advancing against heavy resistance through a gorge to a village 5 km from the target, the guns carried along were brought over the left flank up to 650 m to the place from where they began with the bombardment. Two columns then stormed the village. The next morning, further fierce resistance was taken on Zawo, which, along with two other villages, was burned down. The British lost two soldiers, while the Pashtuns lost around 40 dead and 100 injured.
1881 Mahsud Waziris After the end of the second Afghanistan war, enough troops were available to advance to a previously unconquered part of Waziristan . A column, under Brig. TJ Kennedy, with 4,000 infantry of the Punjab Frontier Force came from Tank . Brig. JJH Gordon came from Bannu . There were 4,000 mules, 1,500 ponies, 6,500 camels and 9,000 sutlers with the troops. Heliographs were used for communication between the two columns .

The population did not resist. The expedition was disbanded on May 22nd when it was made clear to the locals that they could not keep their mountainous homeland independent of the power of the British Empire. The Bodzar Field Force, which came through in November on the way back from Kandahar , had a similar effect .

Oct. 1884 Zhob Valley (دریائے ژوب) The expedition under Brig. Sir OV Tanner, with 4220 infantry, 561 cavalry and ten cannons, was intended to prevent the locals of the region from continuing to hinder the construction of roads and railways with attacks. The troops, who marched 700 miles through November 22, encountered no armed resistance but suffered heavy disease losses.
Sept. 1888 Black Mountains On September 7th, the Hazara Field Force under Brig. JW McQueen moved out as a punitive expedition for two officers killed. It consisted of 9,500 men, including Gatling machine guns , three mountain batteries and a pioneer company. They only took supplies for five days and 100 rounds per rifle. The troop, which was divided into five columns, was attacked by snipers in the mountainous terrain from October 3rd. In return, a number of villages were destroyed until the rebels dispersed after fierce minor skirmishes. The force returned to British territory on October 13th.
March - June 1891 Black Mountains The two columns with 7,300 men and 15 guns, under Maj.-Gen. WL Ellis, advanced towards the village of Kanar on March 12th. The residents who shot from their flat roofs had to surrender after the British occupied the surrounding higher ground. The villages in the area that refused to submit were destroyed in the weeks that followed. The troops were back on June 9th.
Oct. 1890 Zhob Valley Dost Mohammed The Zhob Field Force had the task of bringing down the rebels around Dost Muhammed. Maj. Gen. Sir George Stuart White entered the valley on October 1st. Since he did not find what he was looking for, there were no fighting. The general then decided to impress the locals by letting his troops climb Mount Takht-i-Suleiman (3375 m), which was considered to be impassable from the east, even for chamois. The British soldiers and their sepoys managed to do this with great effort.
1891 Khanki valley Orakzai -Afridi The earlier campaigns against the Orakzai, 1863, 1868 under Maj.Jones and Lt. PLN Cavagnari and in 1869 with two companies under Lt.-Col. The Keyes had only temporarily pacified the tribe.

In January 1891, the first Miranzai Field Force, commanded by Gen. Maj. Exit Sir William Lockhart . There was little resistance. In the face of several cases of frostbite at night temperatures of down to −20 ° C, the apparently successful force was disbanded. In the following days, however, there were ambush attacks on retreating smaller detachments.

Lockhart assembled a second field force of 7,400 men that advanced on April 17th. A larger area was covered, most of which was first mapped. Bulwarks, mostly brick towers, etc. The forts were blown up in the presence of the locals.

1892 Chagarzai region Isazai The locals in the Chagarzai region allied against the colonial rulers in 1892. The trigger for such a coalition, which is unusual in the region, was the belief that the British were planning to march on Thakot . Maj. Gen. Lockhart started an expedition of 6,250 men with two guns and - for the first time in the north-west region Maxim MGs - to pacify the Isazai in the area of ​​Baio. You got to the place without resistance and destroyed the fort there, then you withdrew.
Turn of the year 1894/5 Waziristan In order to secure the final demarcation of the border in Waziristan, a larger force had been assembled. The local population attacked them at night in their camp in Wana . Lt.-Gen. Lockhart then formed the Waziristan Field Force from three brigades, each with artillery, local infantry and cavalry. In December, they marched through the Mahsud area and forced reparations. Two brigades returned to the barracks by January 22nd, the third under Col. Gaselee secured the work of the border commission until the Field Force was officially disbanded on March 30th.
July 1897 Swat valley Afridi
Afghan chiefs at the Khyber Pass (1879)

Surprisingly for the British, around 20,000 Afridi attacked the Malakand post . After several days of fierce fighting, they moved on to the Chakdara post . The Malakand Field Force was made up of 6,800 infantrymen, 700 cavalrymen and 24 guns, commanded by Sir Bindon Blood . They marched first to Malakand. From there a column horrified the Chakdara camp after fierce fighting. Blood advanced from Thana on August 17th after further reinforcements had arrived . At Landaki he encountered 5000 of his opponents who controlled the area from a ledge. Meiklejon's brigade attacked on the left flank, whereupon the surprised Afridi fled. There were two Victoria Cross awards, one to Alexander Murray, Viscount Fincastle .

Summer 1897 Madda Khel In June there was an attack on a political officer. Its escort of 300 local infantry only had 16 rounds per man. The two guns they were carrying did not open fire on the attackers until they were 100 m away. The troops were able to withdraw and defend until the attackers were driven away by incoming reinforcements.

In retaliation, the Tochi Field Force was formed under Maj. Gen. Corrie-Bird marched off on July 20th. Smaller skirmishes continued until October. Then the population was forced to submit and pay fines. The unit was officially dissolved in January 1898.

Aug 1897 Orakzai and Chamkannis There was dissatisfaction among the population groups since the campaign in 1891, which, among other things, led to the permanent establishment of a military post in Samana in the following year . Due to the growing unrest, the British found themselves forced in August 1897 to reinforce under Maj.-Gen. Send Yeatman-Biggs to the region. On the very hot August 28th, a battle broke out - 86 soldiers of the Scots Fusiliers were incapacitated by heat stroke. The next day reinforcements arrived in Kohat , who managed to threaten several forts with difficulty over the next few days. In the meantime, the tribesmen ransacked the villages. Further reinforcements then dispersed the attackers and the population had to submit.
Summer 1897 Shabqadar Fort Sarbans On August 7, 4–5,000 followers of the Hadda Mullah attacked the Shab Kadar Fort and looted and destroyed the village of Shangargarh. The 47 border police at the fort repulsed the attack. A force under Lt.-Col. Came from Peshawar as reinforcement. Woon. They pursued the attackers and met them the next morning in a strongly defended position on a hilly plain. Because of the difficult terrain, the artillery could only be brought into position after an hour, during which the Sarbans were advancing against the British left flank. Woon ordered a retreat so as not to be cut off from the dakka fort. The commander of Peshawar, Brig. Elles, took command after arrival with further reinforcements and let the cavalry fall from the left in the back of the Sarbans, whereupon they fled. They left about 200 dead. On the British side, nine were killed and 65 wounded.

Immediately afterwards a punitive expedition was organized, also to secure the area of ​​the Dir and the road to Chitral . In the extreme heat, Ellis advanced with two brigades without encountering serious resistance. On September 22nd, he met the returning Malakand Field Force under Bindon Blood. The united force advanced against the Bedmanai Pass, which was believed to be strongly defended, in fact only a weak opponent was found. On September 24th, all fortified towers and villages in the Mitai and Suran valleys were destroyed. The same thing happened the next day in the Shindarra Gorge. On the 27th, nine Koda Khel villages were attacked in the same way. The march through the region continued until October 4th, when the population had paid their fines.

October 1897 to early 1898 Tirah Valley Afridi, Orakzai
Map with locations of the Tirah campaign

In September 1897 the Afridi and Orakazai revolted against British rule and stormed Fort Saragarhi ( Battle for Saragarhi ). General Lockhart, who commanded the army corps in Punjab , was given the task of suppressing the uprising with around 35,000 men. The base of operations was the place Kohat . Operations began in mid-October 1897. After initial setbacks, the Pashtun fighters, who resorted to guerrilla warfare, were gradually pushed back. After stronger resistance and the onset of severe frost, the British returned to their camps in December.

The Afridi, who feared another offensive by the British in the spring, finally consented to negotiations that were concluded in April 1898. They pledged to pay fines and to deliver weapons.

January 1898 Bunerwals and Chamlawal Unlike the other Pashtuns, the tribes of the Bunerwal and Chamlawal had not submitted to the campaign of the previous year. Blood therefore advanced against them in January with the Buner Field Force from two infantry brigades. The opposing strength was estimated at 3–4,000 men, most of whom had muskets. When conquering the Tanga Pass, the British artillery fired very precisely from a great distance. The population fled from the advancing infantry. The tribes soon submitted.
Nov. 1902 Gummati Sailigi Capt. (later Sir) John S. Donald , the Deputy Commissioner of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), newly created in 1901 , was assigned to take action with 500 men against "bandits" in their bulwark in Gummati (13 km from Bannu ). Their leader Sailigi should be responsible for some murders. The fort was soon surrounded and was shot at from a distance of 900 m with little effect. Only the bombardment from 90 m perforated the walls. Several British officers fell while attempting the storm, which then succeeded. All of the defenders were killed.
Feb. 1908 Bazaar Valley Zakha Khel
Sir James Willcocks

The Secretary of State ordered a punitive expedition against the Zakha Khel, most of which were armed with modern Martini-Henry rifles. Although the region had been quiet since 1897/98, there were repeated minor raids on British territory. The Zakha Khel Field Force set up in Walai (near Ali Masjid on the Khyber Pass), from where columns were sent out on February 19 to destroy the surrounding villages. There were isolated firefights, including on the 21st after the destruction of Halawi. After other tribes of the Afridi had refused to support the Zakha Khel, they submitted on the 27th. The British troops under the command of Gen. Maj. Sir James Willcocks was marching back to Jamud near Peshawar on March 1st . During this mission, 10-pounder breech loaders with smokeless powder were used for the first time in the NFWP.

Apr. 1908 Sarbans While the expedition in the Bazar Valley was underway, some mullahs among the Sarbans heated up the mood. A small combat-ready group formed, who wanted to rush to the Zakha Khel's aid, but came too late. However, they did not dissolve, but instead became a catalyst for around 10,000 dissatisfied people who gathered in the border region. They attacked various border guards for three days, but were easily kept in check. On the night of April 23rd they attacked the guard at Matta ( مٹہ) and Gardhi Sadar. The barbed wire barn could not be stormed and the attackers withdrew to a nearby 300 m high mountain, where they had Willcocks followed that morning. By the time the British reached the heavily defended top at around 9 a.m., the Sarbans had already fled. On their retreat, the British came under fire from snipers again. There were around 500 dead among the attackers and 62 killed among the colonial rulers. The troops returned to Peshawar on the 29th.

On May 1, there was another attack, this time on the 600-man garrison of Landi Kotal on the road to the Khyber Pass. Reinforcements drove the Afghans back across the border on the 4th. In the following three weeks there were minor skirmishes until the population submitted and paid fines of Rs 10,000 . The cost of the Mohmand Field Force , which was not allowed to advance across the border for political reasons, was Rs 150,000.

March 1910 Bannu District Mahsud A smaller group attacked Banda Ayaz Khan (near Lakki , 32 ° 41'25 "N, 70 ° 50'5" E). The Border Military Police sent out to pursue lost a captain and six men. Of the 30 mahsud captured, eight were killed and three wounded. Those captured were later hanged.

literature

Modern map of the border area
  • Featherstone, Donald; Colonial Small Wars 1837-1901; Newton Abbott 1973; ISBN 0-7153-5711-5
  • Herbert, Edwin; Small Wars and Skirmishes 1902-18; Nottingham 2003; ISBN 1-901543-05-6
  1. ^ Sections up to 1900 after: Featherstone, Donald; Colonial Small Wars 1837-1901; Newton Abbott 1973; ISBN 0-7153-5711-5
  2. ^ Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy; Vol. III, p. 192
  3. ↑ Klein, Ira; When the Rains Failed; IESHR, Vol. 21 (1984), pp 199, 209-10
  4. ^ Contemporary pamphlet: Sir George Cooper and the Famine in the North Western Provinces; Calcutta 1878
  5. ↑ Davis, Mike; Late Victorian Holocausts; London 2001; ISBN 1-85984-739-0
  6. ↑ Herbert (2003), p. 99
  7. ^ Uncle of the British Prime Minister of the same name 1937–1940
  8. ↑ Clodfelter, Michael; Warfare and Armed Conflicts…; Jefferson NC ³2008, p. 241.
  9. ↑ 31.57 ° N, 73.48 ° E
  10. ↑ Clan of the Sarban-Pashtuns, en: Sarbans
  11. ↑ a b en: Siege of Malakand , en: Shabqadar
  12. ↑ en: Buner Valley
  13. ↑ Herbert (2003), pp. 94-103.

See also