Mohmand campaign of 1897–1898 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Mohmand campaign |
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The First Mohmand campaign was a military operation by the British against the Mohmand people. It took place from 1897 to 1898.
Why the Conflict Started
The Mohmands are a Pashtun tribe. They live in the hills north-west of Peshawar. This area was part of the North-West Frontier Province. Today, it is part of Pakistan.
The British had sent troops against the Mohmands many times before. These were called "punitive expeditions." They happened in 1851–1852, 1854, 1864, 1879, and 1880. But the biggest fights were in 1897–1898.
In 1897, many tribes on the border of India started to rebel. These tribes were mostly independent. However, a new border line, called the Durand Line, was drawn in 1893–1894. This line brought the tribes under British influence.
The tribes worried that the British would take over their lands. This fear led to an expedition against the Waziri tribe in 1894. Other things also caused the 1897 uprising.
For example, the Turks had an easy win over the Greeks in 1897. This made many Muslim people around the world feel excited. Also, the Amir of Afghanistan, Abdur Rahman Khan, wrote a religious book. Some parts of it seemed to encourage strong feelings against Christians. This made border Muslims more ready to fight.
The British did not realize how much unrest was growing. Everything seemed calm. Then, on June 10, 1897, Indian soldiers were attacked. They were guarding a British officer in the Tochi Valley. The British had set up armed posts there after an expedition in 1894-95.
Later, on July 29, the forts at Chakdara and Malakand were suddenly attacked. These forts were in the Swat valley. They had been held since the Chitral expedition of 1895. The usually peaceful Swatis attacked for several days. They were led by a person known as the "Mad Mullah" during the Siege of Malakand.
On August 8, the Mohmands raided the village of Shabkadar. This village was very close to Peshawar and in British territory. At the same time, the Afridis surrounded British forts on the Samana ridge. These forts had been there since 1888 and 1891. Within a few days, the Afridis captured all British posts in the Khyber Pass.
The Campaign Begins
The British formed a group called the Malakand Field Force. It was led by Major-General Sir Bindon Blood. This force gathered at Nowshera. They reached the Malakand fort on August 1. The next day, they helped the soldiers at Chakdara.
The British decided to deal with the Mohmands right away. Two groups of soldiers from Sir Bindon Blood's division moved from Malakand. At the same time, another group led by Major-General Edmond Elles moved from Peshawar. The plan was for these two groups to meet in Bajour.
Around September 6, the two forces moved forward. Major-General Blood reached Nawagai on September 14. He sent one group of soldiers to cross the Rambat Pass. This group was attacked at Markhanai on the night of the 14th. They were told to go north and punish the tribesmen in the Mamund valley.
On September 15, Brigadier-General Jeffreys camped at Inayat Killa. The next day, he moved into the Mamund valley with three groups of soldiers. They faced strong resistance. A retreat was ordered, and the tribesmen followed. When it got dark, General Jeffreys and a small group were cut off. They had to defend some buildings until help arrived. In this fight, 149 soldiers were hurt or killed.
This setback made General Blood's position difficult. He decided to stay at Nawagai and wait for General Elles. He also told General Jeffreys to continue fighting in the Mamund valley.
From September 18 to 23, these operations were successful. Several villages were burned, and the Mamunds became discouraged. Meanwhile, the camp at Nawagai was heavily attacked on the night of September 20. About 4,000 men from the Hadda Mullah's group attacked. The attack was stopped, and the attackers lost many men.
On September 21, Generals Blood and Elles met at Lakarai. After they joined forces, General Elles moved to deal with the Upper Mohmands. They were in the Jarobi and Koda Khel valleys. His actions quickly brought them under control. General Elles's group had finished its job. They returned to take part in the Tirah campaign. Their total losses were about 30 killed and wounded.
On September 22, General Blood joined General Jeffreys. On the 24th, he left for Panjkora. On the 27th, General Jeffreys continued his operations in the Mamund valley. He destroyed many villages. On the 30th, he met strong resistance at Agrah and had 61 casualties.
On October 2, General Blood arrived at Inayat Killa with more soldiers. On the 5th, the Mamunds gave up. The British lost 282 men in the Mamund valley. Their force there was never more than 1,200 men. After marching into Buner, the Malakand field-force was disbanded on January 21. The goals of the expedition were fully met, even though the country was very difficult to travel through.
Winston Churchill's Role
Winston Churchill was a young soldier and a war reporter during this campaign. He wrote his first non-fiction book about it. It was called The Story of the Malakand Field Force.
In his writings, Churchill described how the British forces acted. He wrote: "We proceeded systematically, village by village... we destroyed the houses, filled up the wells, blew down the towers, cut down the great shady trees, burned the crops and broke the reservoirs in punitive devastation." He noted that the tribesmen watched from the mountains as their homes were destroyed. He also wrote that "At the end of a fortnight the valley was a desert."
See also
- Second Mohmand campaign
