Ambela campaign facts for kids

The Ambela campaign of 1863 was a military operation by the British Empire in a border area. This area was between what is now Afghanistan and British India. The campaign was fought against a group called the Hindustanis. These Hindustanis had set up a base at Malka.

The Hindustanis were a group of people who often caused trouble for the British. They would raid villages and cause damage. Because of this, the British sent military groups to try and control them. In earlier missions, the Hindustanis always managed to escape into the nearby hills. In 1858, a British force led by Sir Sydney Cotton managed to push them out of their main base.

By 1863, the Hindustanis had gathered again at Malka. This was a mountain outpost. A British force, led by Neville Bowles Chamberlain, planned to destroy Malka. They set up their main camp in the Chamla Valley. They could reach this valley through the Ambela Pass. However, they soon faced a much larger local force. They were attacked by the Swati, Bunerwal, and Hindustani tribesmen. More British soldiers were sent to help. These reinforcements eventually broke through the pass. The Bunerwal tribe then surrendered. After that, the British went on to burn Malka. This mission resulted in about 1,000 British soldiers being injured or killed. The number of local casualties is not known.

The Expedition Begins

The leader of the Punjab Province gave permission for a military mission. This mission included 6,000 soldiers. It was led by Brigadier General Neville Bowles Chamberlain. Their goal was to destroy Malka. The Lieutenant Governor made this decision without asking the main commander of the Frontier Force.

Chamberlain chose the Chamla Valley as his main base. He picked the Ambela Pass as the way to get there. He thought the local Bunerwal people would be friendly to the British. But this was not true. Other local groups had convinced the Bunerwals that the British wanted to take their land. So, the Bunerwals decided to fight back.

The first group of British soldiers reached the Ambela Pass on October 20. They had a tough time moving through the rough land. It took two more days for the rest of the soldiers to arrive at the base.

Fighting at Crag Piquet

On October 22, a small group of British soldiers scouting the area was attacked. They were attacked by some Bunerwal tribesmen. Because of this, General Chamberlain decided to make his position stronger. He built defenses on two rocky hills in the pass. These hills were called Eagle's Nest and Crag Piquet. But these spots could only hold a small number of soldiers.

The local tribes had gathered a large force of about 15,000 fighters. These included Swatis, Bunerwals, and Hindustanis. The two rocky hills became places of very intense fighting. On October 30, Crag Piquet saw fierce hand-to-hand combat. Two soldiers, George Fosbery and Henry Pitcher, were awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery.

Crag Piquet was captured by the local fighters three times over the next four weeks. But each time, the British soldiers fought back and took it again. On November 20, General Chamberlain was badly wounded. More soldiers were gradually sent to help. This was ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Hugh Rose. He replaced Chamberlain with Major General John Garvock on December 6.

General Garvock led an attack with two groups of soldiers. There were 4,800 men in total. They were supported by the 11th Bengal Cavalry. This cavalry was led by Colonel Dighton Probyn, who also had a Victoria Cross. This force broke out of the pass. The Bunerwals surrendered to Garvock on December 17. He then sent a group of soldiers to burn Malka. The British brought peace back to the area. But it came at a cost of 1,000 soldiers being injured or killed.