Battle of Najafgarh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Najafgarh
Part of the Indian rebellion of 1857
British troops clash with Sepoy mutineers at the 1857 Battle of Najafgarh.
Date 25 August 1857 Location Najafgarh, 18 miles (29 km) west of Delhi, India Result British–EIC victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom East India Company	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
John Nicholson	Bakht Khan
Strength
2,500 16 guns	approx. 6000 13 guns
Casualties and losses
25 killed 70 wounded	approx. 800 killed 13 guns captured

The Battle of Najafgarh was an important fight during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. It happened while the British were trying to capture Delhi. A large group of Indian soldiers left Delhi. Their plan was to sneak around and attack the British from behind. But a smaller British group marched out to stop them. They won the battle because the Indian soldiers were confused by the tough land and by arguments among their leaders.

The Siege of Delhi

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 started when Indian soldiers, called sepoys, rebelled. These sepoys worked for the British East India Company. They were stationed in Meerut and rose up against their British officers.

After rebelling, they marched to Delhi. There, they were joined by many people from the city. More sepoys from nearby areas also joined them. On May 11, 1857, they took control of Delhi. British officers and civilians were killed during this time.

The rebels said they would fight for the old Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah II. He didn't really want to, but he agreed to support them. News of the Emperor's return to power made many other sepoy groups rebel. They also marched to Delhi to join the fight.

A small British force moved towards Delhi. They set up camp on a ridge outside the city. They waited for more soldiers to arrive before trying to attack the city. The sepoys and other Indian fighters attacked the ridge many times. But each time, they were pushed back into Delhi.

At first, the Indian forces didn't have strong leaders working together. Each sepoy group didn't want to take orders from others. Bahadur Shah made his son, Mirza Mughal, the Commander in Chief. But Mirza Mughal had no military experience. Most sepoys didn't listen to him.

On July 1, sepoy groups from Bareilly arrived in Delhi. They brought 4,000 Muslim fighters called ghazis. Their leader was Bakht Khan, an experienced artillery officer. The Emperor was happy with the new troops and money. He made Bakht Khan the Commander of his armies.

However, other sepoy officers were jealous of Bakht Khan's power. Bakht Khan led a big attack on the British on July 9. It almost worked, but the British pushed them back. After more attacks failed, Bakht Khan's critics convinced Bahadur Shah to change things. By the end of July, a group of ten men, led by Mirza Mughal, was put in charge of the army.

Indian Army Moves

By mid-August, the last major groups of sepoys had reached Delhi. But many sepoys were losing hope. They were discouraged by their losses and arguments among their leaders. They also didn't have enough supplies, so many were leaving.

Bakht Khan then suggested attacking the British from behind. This plan was a bit late. A large group of Indian soldiers would leave Delhi and head west. They would pretend to go to Jaipur. But instead, they would turn back and cross the Jumna Canal. This canal protected the British rear. They planned to cross at a bridge in Najafgarh.

The Indian force left Delhi on August 24. It was raining heavily. The group included sepoy regiments from Bareilly, Nasirabad, and Nimach. There were about 8,000 soldiers in total, with 13 cannons.

They reached the Jumna Canal late that day. But the bridge at Palam, which they wanted to use, had been destroyed by the British. They knew this might happen. However, it took them 24 hours to fix the bridge properly. During this time, the soldiers were soaked by rain and had no food. Supplies in Delhi were very low.

On August 25, the Nimach sepoy group led the way. They moved along the edge of the Najafgarh jhil, which is a swamp.

British Army Moves

Bakht Khan's attack was launched at least ten days too late. On August 14, the British had received strong reinforcements. This was the Punjab Moveable Column. It had 4,200 soldiers, including British, Sikh, and Punjabi units.

Their commander was Brigadier John Nicholson. He was known as a strong and determined soldier. This was different from the nervous commander of the Delhi Ridge troops, Major General Archdale Wilson.

On August 24, Bakht Khan's force was seen leaving Delhi and moving west. Nicholson was sent to stop them. He set out early on August 25. Sir Theophilus Metcalfe went with him as a guide. Metcalfe had barely escaped Delhi on May 11. Despite the heavy rain and floods, Nicholson pushed his men to march quickly.

By 4:00 PM, Metcalfe had found the Nimach troops. Their main group, with four cannons, was in a caravanserai. This was a resting place for travelers. It was behind a stream. Nine more cannons were placed between the caravanserai and the bridge at Palam. Most of the tired Indian soldiers were setting up camp. They had put down their weapons and gear.

The Battle Begins

The Indian cannons covered the bridge over the stream. But Nicholson's soldiers crossed by a shallow part of the stream upstream. They lined up in two rows. The British cannons fired at the caravanserai.

Nicholson gave the order to advance. He personally led the 61st Foot and 1st Bengal Fusiliers. They charged across 200 yards (180 meters) of mud to attack the caravanserai. On their right, the 2nd Punjab Infantry attacked the village of Najafgarh itself.

As they tried to escape, the Nimach troops lost many soldiers. They were hit by cannon fire as they tried to cross or go around the Najafgarh swamp. The soldiers who survived were saved by the Nasirabad group. This group advanced on the British right side.

The Punjab infantry lost their commanding officer. They were held up until the 61st Foot came to help them. However, Bakht Khan did not move his own Bareilly group forward. Instead, he retreated to Delhi once the defeated Nimach soldiers ran through his position.

The British captured all of Bakht Khan's cannons. They also caused many casualties among the Indian forces. Still, Nicholson didn't know the Bareilly group was at Palam. He was disappointed he couldn't attack them the next day. He complained to his friend John Lawrence, saying he had no information or even a guide.

Results and Aftermath

The British were very happy with their victory. It was their first clear success against a rebel force in over two months. On the Indian side, the sepoys became more and more discouraged.

Their defeat happened mostly because of poor organization. The soldiers were hungry and exposed to the heavy monsoon rains. There were also many arguments among their commanders. Just three days before the battle, the Nimach commanders had tried to remove Bakht Khan from his position. Bakht Khan's refusal to help them when they were attacked caused even more disagreements.