YvonneTran476 at 20:29, 9 March 2026

2026-03-09T20:29:55Z

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{{Short description|Dogra annexation of Ladakh in 1842}}
{{Original research|date=October 2024|reason=}}{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Chushul
| place = [[Ladakh]], [[India]]
| combatant1 = [[File:Sikh Empire flag.jpg|25px]] [[Sikh Empire]]
*[[File:Dogra Flag.png|25px]] [[Dogra dynasty]]
| territory =
| result = {{ublist|[[Dogra dynasty|Dogra]] victory<ref>{{cite book |last1=Francke |first1=August Hermann |title=A History of Western Tibet: One of the Unknown Empires |date=1998 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ |isbn=9788120813946 |page=161 |edition=illustrated, revised |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0EwAQAAIAAJ}}</ref>}}
* Tibetan attack on Ladakh repulsed by [[Dogras|Rajputs]]
* [[Dogra dynasty]] annexes Ladakh<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/GENERALZORAWARSINGH/page/n118/mode/1up | title=General Zorawar Singh }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R4VuovXa5YUC&dq=Tibetans+repulsed+from+Ladakh&pg=PA228 | isbn=978-81-7387-124-5 | title=Buddhist Western Himalaya: A politico-religious history | date=2001 | publisher=Indus }}</ref>
| combatant2 = [[File:Flag of China (1862–1889).svg|25px]] [[Qing dynasty]]
*[[File:Flag of Tibet.svg|25px]] [[Tibet under Qing rule|Tibet]]
| commander1 = [[File:Dogra Flag.png|25px]] [[Gulab Singh]]<br>[[File:Dogra Flag.png|25px]] Jawahar Singh<br>[[File:Dogra Flag.png|25px]] Wazir Lakhpat<br>[[File:Dogra Flag.png|25px]] Diwan Hari Chand
| commander2 = [[File:Flag of Tibet.svg|25px]] General Ragasha{{KIA}}<ref name="auto2">{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/GENERALZORAWARSINGH/page/n117/mode/1up | title=General Zorawar Singh }}</ref>
| strength1 = Unknown
| strength2 = Unknown, but larger<ref name="auto2"/>
| casualties1 = Unknown
| casualties2 = Unknown
| partof = [[Dogra–Tibetan war]]
}}
The '''Battle of Chushul'''<ref>{{citation |last1=Sarkees |first1=Meredith Reid |title=Resort to War: A data guide to inter-state, extra-state, intra-state, and non-state wars, 1816-2007 |page=504 |year=2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvooAQAAMAAJ |publisher=CQ Press |isbn=978-0-87289-434-1 |last2=Wayman |first2=Frank Whelon}}</ref> was one of the major engagements of the [[Dogra–Tibetan war]] fought between the [[Dogra dynasty]] against the [[Tibetans]] under the [[Qing dynasty]]. The battle was fought on 6 September 1842, and ended with a Dogra victory.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite book |last=SUKHDEV SINGH CHARAK |url=http://archive.org/details/GENERALZORAWARSINGH |title=GENERAL ZORAWAR SINGH}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nath |first=Rajendra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sEYKDQAAQBAJ&dq=Tibetans+attacked+Ladakh+Dogra&pg=PT22 |title=Strategic Ladakh: A Historical Narrative 1951-53 and a Military Perspective |date=2016-09-01 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-85563-50-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite book |last=Shakabpa |first=Tsepon Wangchuk Deden |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lGyrymfDdI0C&dq=Sikh+troops+attacked+Tibet&pg=PA576 |title=One Hundred Thousand Moons: An Advanced Political History of Tibet |date=2010 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-17732-1 |language=en}}</ref>

== Background ==
The [[Dogras]] under the suizerenity of the [[Sikh Empire]] had invaded [[Tibet under Qing rule|Tibet]] in the [[Dogra–Tibetan war]], however lost their general, [[Zorawar Singh (Dogra general)|Zorawar Singh]] in a battle. Encouraged by the victory, the [[Tibetan people|Tibetans]] went on to invade [[Ladakh]]. The leader of the Dogra dynasty, [[Gulab Singh]] immediately sent relief forces and reinforcements, which included [[Sikhs|Sikh]],<ref name="auto3"/> [[Dogras|Dogra]] and [[Kashmiris|Kashmiri]] troops.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huttenback |first=Robert A |title=Gulab Singh and the Creation of the Dogra State of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh |url=http://pahar.in/mountains/Books%20and%20Articles/Indian%20Subcontinent/1961%20Gulab%20Singh%20and%20Creation%20of%20Dogra%20State%20of%20Jammu%20Kashmir%20and%20Ladakh%20by%20Huttenback%20from%20J%20Asian%20Studies%20v20%20s.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123065805/http://pahar.in/mountains/Books%20and%20Articles/Indian%20Subcontinent/1961%20Gulab%20Singh%20and%20Creation%20of%20Dogra%20State%20of%20Jammu%20Kashmir%20and%20Ladakh%20by%20Huttenback%20from%20J%20Asian%20Studies%20v20%20s.pdf |archive-date=2018-11-23 |access-date=2024-04-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Francke |first=August Hermann |url=http://archive.org/details/historyofwestern00ahfr |title=A history of Western Tibet : one of the unknown empires |date=1995 |publisher=New Delhi : Asian Educational Services |others=Public Resource |isbn=978-81-206-1043-9}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite book |last=Bhasin |first=Sanjeev Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8IZloNzI8BgC&dq=Tibetans+attacked+Ladakh+Dogra&pg=PA58 |title=Amazing Land Ladakh: Places, People, and Culture |date=2006 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=978-81-7387-186-3 |language=en}}</ref>

== Battle ==
The Battle took place on 6 September 1842. The [[Tibetan people|Tibetans]] invaded [[Ladakh]] under the command of General Ragasha. The Tibetans decided upon a night attack, however were found out and could not do any major damage, instead they were pushed back.<ref name="auto4"/><ref name="auto1"/> The Tibetans took shelter in a fortification, which was later attacked by the Dogras but had to withdraw. After four days, there was no clear victor. The Dogras decided to flood the Tibetan camp which was situated in a low level valley, after three days, the Tibetan camps were successfully flooded and had to be abandoned. When the Tibetans fled, the Dogras led several attacks and Wazir Mustaddi were sent to negotiate a truce, the Tibetan men came to the Dogra camped but were made prisoners.<ref name="auto4"/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gangdrug |first=Dhokham Chushi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BShZEAAAQBAJ&dq=Tibetans+attacked+Ladakh+Dogra&pg=PA31 |title=The Warriors of the Snowland - A History of Chushi Gangdrug - Volume One |date=2022-01-14 |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |language=en}}</ref> Among the seized, Tibetan General Ragasha was killed as an act of vengeance for [[Zorawar Singh (Dogra general)|Zorawar Singh]].<ref name="auto4"/> Another battle took place where the Dogras repulsed the Tibetans, many of the Tibetans being killed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Duggal |first=Kartar Singh |url=http://archive.org/details/maharajaranjitsi0000dugg |title=Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the last to lay arms |date=2001 |publisher=New Delhi : Abhinav Publications |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-81-7017-410-3}}</ref><ref name="auto4"/>
{{Cquote
| quote = "all old boundaries of Ladakh...repossessed by the Sikhs."
| author = Court of Lahore to British agent in Ludhiana
| source =<ref name="auto"/>
}}

== Aftermath ==
Upon hearing of this struggle, Raja [[Gulab Singh]] had sent 4,000 reinforcements. However, upon hearing of the victory at Ladakh, they halted their march. Gulab Singh himself arrived in Leh shortly afterwards, and ordered the building of a new fort in Leh, replacing the old one.<ref name="auto4"/> Gulab Singh also sent ''vakils'' (agents) to negotiate peace treaties with the Tibetan chiefs.<ref name="auto4"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=puPDDQAAQBAJ&dq=Tibetans+attacked+Ladakh+Dogra&pg=PA187 |title=Social Regulation: Case Studies from Tibetan History |date=2016-09-27 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-33125-9 |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Rajputs]]
[[Category:Dogra–Tibetan war]]

Battle of Chushul - Revision history

YvonneTran476 at 20:29, 9 March 2026