https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Battle_of_Malakand_PassBattle of Malakand Pass - Revision history2026-10-28T03:03:46ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Malakand_Pass&diff=490151&oldid=prevLizetteGoble: put up initial details needs work2025-07-25T17:39:11Z<p>put up initial details needs work</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|1895 battle between a British expeditionary force and Chitrali tribesmen}}<br />
{{Use Pakistani English|date=January 2025}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}<br />
{{Infobox military conflict<br />
| conflict = Battle of Malakand Pass<br />
| partof = the [[Chitral Expedition]]<br />
| image = <br />
| image_size = <br />
| caption = <br />
| date = 3 April 1895<br />
| place = [[Malakand Pass]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />
| result = British victory<br />
| casus = <br />
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[British Empire]]<br />
*{{flag|United Kingdom}}<br />
*{{flag|British Raj}}<br />
| combatant2 = [[Chitralis]]<br />
<br />
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Maj. Gen. [[Robert Low (Indian Army officer)|Robert Low]]<br>{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} Brig. Gen. [[Bindon Blood]]<br />
| commander2 = [[Umra Khan]]<br />
| strength1 = {{circa}} 16,000<br />
| strength2 = 12,000+ tribesmen<br />
|units1 = 1st [[Gordon Highlanders]]<br>1st [[Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment|Bedford Regiment]]<br>[[37th Dogras]]<br>Pro-British Chitralis<br />
|units2 = Tribesmen<br />
| casualties1 = 11 killed, 51 wounded<br />
| casualties2 = 500+ killed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://onwar.com/data/chitral1895.html|title=British Intervention in Chitral 1895|work=onwar.com}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
The '''Battle of Malakand Pass''' pass took place in the [[Malakand Pass]] between a British expeditionary force commanded by [[Robert Low (Indian Army officer)|Robert Low]], a General of the [[British Indian Army]] against tribal [[Chitralis]] during the [[Chitral Expedition]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UYG-BAAAQBAJ&q=sir%2520bindon%2520blood%2520chitral&pg=PA55|title=A Frontier Campaign: A Narrative of the Operations of the Malakand and Buner Field Forces, 1897–1898|last1=Fincastle|first1=The Viscount|last2=Eliott-Lockhart|first2=P. C.|date=2012-02-02|publisher=Andrews UK Limited|isbn=9781781515518|page=55|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MvB8J_AvbVgC|title=The Story of the Malakand Field Force|last=Churchill|first=Winston|date=2010-01-01|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=9780486474748|page=61|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HvE_Pa_ZlfsC|title=The Victorians at War, 1815-1914: An Encyclopedia of British Military History|last=Raugh|first=Harold E.|date=2004-01-01|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781576079256|page=48|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J8wsAwAAQBAJ|title=The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan|last=Churchill|first=Winston|date=1902-01-01|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=9780486447858|page=213|language=en}}</ref><br />
== Background ==<br />
{{main article|Chitral Expedition}}<br />
Following the siege on [[Chitral Fort]] by Chitrali forces led by [[Umra Khan]], British authorities in India organised a military relief force, numbering at around 16,000 British and Indian soldiers, to push back the rebel tribesman laying siege to the fort. In order for the relief force to reach the fort, they had to cross over the Malakand Pass to reach into the [[Swat District|Swat]] and [[Jandol State|Jandol]] areas. The British had limited geographical information on the area and had to travel over mountain paths to reach their destination, encountering hostile tribesmen along the way.<ref name=BritBat>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishbattles.com/north-west-frontier-of-india/siege-and-relief-of-chitral/|title=Siege and Relief of Chitral|work=BritishBattles.com}}</ref><br />
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== The Battle ==<br />
British forces had encamped below the Malakand pass by early April. Initially, the pass was defended by only a few rebel tribesmen. However, once the British intention became clear, considerable numbers of additional tribesmen made their way to the mountain pass, numbering in the thousands.<ref name=BritBat/><br />
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The battle took place over the course of five hours on 3 April 1895, when British and Indian forces began to fight their way up the mountain pass, with artillery supporting their movements from nearby mountain tops. By this time, an estimated 12,000 tribesmen, half of which were armed with firearms, were defending the pass. Over the course of five hours, 11 British soldiers and over 500 tribesmen were killed.<ref name=BritBat/><br />
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== Aftermath ==<br />
Following the battle, the tribal forces retreated to the [[Swat District|Swat valley]] and were pursued by the British Bedford regiment and the British-Indian 37th Dogras regiment as far as Khar, [[Bajaur District|Bajaur]].<ref name=BritBat/><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:1890s conflicts]]<br />
[[Category:1895 in British India]]</div>LizetteGoble