Battle of Attock (1813)
Battle of Attock | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the Afghan-Sikh Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Sikh Empire | Durrani Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Dewan Mokham Chand Hari Singh Nalwa Sham Singh Attariwala Sultan Mahmud Khan |
Fateh Khan Barakzai Dost Mohammad Khan | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
10,000[3] | 15,000[4] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 2,000[5] |
The Battle of Attock (also known as the Battle of Chuch or the Battle of Haidru) took place on 13 July 1813 between the
Background
In 1811–12,
Both invasions began at
Ranjit Singh became annoyed at Fateh Khan's refusal to share plunder and opened negotiations with the renegade governor of
Battle
Fateh Khan set off from Kashmir in April 1813 and
Dewan Mokham Chand encamped 8 miles (13 km) from the Afghan camp,[13] unwilling to risk a decisive engagement, although both sides engaged in numerous skirmishes and took losses. On 12 July 1812, the Afghans' supplies were exhausted and Dewan Mokham Chand marched 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Attock to Haidaru, on the banks of the Indus River, to offer battle. On 13 July 1812, Dewan Mokham Chand split the cavalry into four divisions, giving command of one division to Hari Singh Nalwa (and to General Sardar Gurmukh Singh Lamba <<see Sir Lepel Griffin book>>) and taking command of one division himself. The lone battalion of infantry formed an infantry square protecting the artillery, with Gouse Khan commanding the artillery.[10] The Afghans took up positions opposite the Sikhs, with a portion of their cavalry under the command of Dost Mohammad Khan.
Fateh Khan opened the battle by sending his
Aftermath
Amritsar, Lahore, and other large cities across the Sikh Empire were illuminated for two months afterwards in rejoicing over the victory.[15] After his defeat at Attock, Fateh Khan made further multiple attempts to get back Attock, even writing a letter to Dewan Mokham Chand, asking to return Attock which could lead to good relations between two parties, but Mokham Chand refused and warned that the conquer-ship of Kashmir would be next.[16]In 1814, Yar Mohammad Khan, governor of Peshawar, attacked on Attock but was repulsed, following which Fateh Khan again sent a letter in 1815 asking to hand over Attock and restore it under Mahmud Shah's authority in exchange for Multan and paying the tax revenue of Kashmir.[17] During the last five years of his life from 1813 to 1818, Fateh Khan remained distressed over the loss of Attock.[18]
Notes
- ^ Anil Chandra Banerjee, The Khalsa Raj, (Abhinav Publications, 1985), 78.
- ^ a b c Jaques 2006, p. 81
- ^ Gupta 1991, p. 100.
- ^ Johar, Surinder Singh (1985). The Secular Maharaja: A Biography of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. p. 125.
- ^ Gupta 1991, p. 101.
- ^ Cunningham 1918, pp. 152–153
- ^ Griffin 1892, p. 190
- ^ a b c Cunningham 1918, p. 152
- ^ a b c Griffin 1892, p. 191
- ^ a b c d Prakash 2002, p. 330
- ^ Prakash 2002, pp. 329–330
- ^ a b Griffin 1892, p. 192
- ^ a b M'Gregor 1846, p. 170
- ^ Prakash 2002, pp. 330–331
- ^ M'Gregor 1846, p. 171
- ISBN 9788121505154.
- ^ Gupta 1991, p. 103.
- ^ Gupta 1991, p. 102.
References
- Cunningham, Joseph Davey (1918). A history of the Sikhs: from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej. London, New york: Oxford University Press.
- Clarendon Press.
- M'Gregor, William Lewis (1846). The history of the Sikhs; containing the lives of the Gooroos; the history of the independent Sirdars, or Missuls, and the life of the great founder of the Sikh monarchy, Maharajah Runjeet Singh. London: J. Madden.
- Jaques, Tony (2006). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E. ISBN 978-0-313-33537-2.
- Prakash, Om (2002). Encyclopaedic History of Indian Freedom Movement. Anmol Publications. ]