Afghan–Sikh capture of Kashmir (1812–1813)

The Afghan-Sikh Capture of Kashmir was an expedition in 1812-1813 led by Wazir Fateh Khan against the rebellious governor of Kashmir, Ata Muhammad Khan.

Afghan-Sikh Capture of Kashmir
Part of Sikh Expansion
DateDecember 1812 - February 1813
Location
Kashmir
Result Afghan-Sikh Victory[1]
Belligerents
Durrani Empire
Supported by
Sikh Empire		 Ata Khan's Kashmir state
Commanders and leaders
Wazir Fateh Khan
Azim Khan
Dewan Mokham Chand
Dal Singh Naherna
Jodh Singh Kalsia
Nihal Singh Attariwala		 Ata Muhammad Khan
Strength
Unknown number of Afghans
12,000 Sikhs		 Unknown

Event

In 1809, Ata Muhammad Khan declared independence of Kashmir and became its governor.[2] Wazir Fateh Khan desired to expel Ata Muhammad Khan from Kashmir for many reasons, mainly being that he had captured Shah Shujah Durrani. He was afraid that Maharaja Ranjit Singh would capture Attock and Peshawar while the Wazir was busy with Kashmir. Therefore, he striked a deal with the Maharaja and was given a chosen force of 12,000 Sikhs led by Dewan Mokham Chand.[3] Both the armies joined at the Jhelum and marched alongside each other until they reached the Pir Panjal Range, where Fateh Khan left the Sikh soldiers during heavy snowfall.[4] Learning about this, Mokham Chand promised the raja of Rajouri a jagir of 25,000 rupees if he tells the Sikhs a faster path towards Kashmir.[3] With the help of the Sikhs, the Afghans successfully captured Kashmir but broke their promise with the Sikhs and gave them none of the plunder.[5] However, the Sikhs managed to get Shah Shujah Durrani as he feared of being a prisoner when he goes to Kabul.[6] When he reached Lahore, he was forced to give up the Koh-i-Noor to the Maharaja.[7] As for Kashmir, the new governor was Fateh Khan's brother Azim Khan.[8]

See also

References
  1. Singh, Khazan (1914). History and Philosophy of the Sikh Religion. Printed at the "Newal Kishore" Press, ld. p. 308.
  2. Noelle, Christine (25 June 2012). State and Tribe in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan. Taylor & Francis. p. 6. ISBN 9781136603174.
  3. Hari Ram Gupta (1991). History Of The Sikhs Vol. V The Sikh Lion of Lahore (Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1799-1839). pp. 122–123. ISBN 9788121505154.
  4. Griffin, Lepel Henry (1892). Ranjit Singh. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  5. Chhabra, G.S (1960). Advanced study in History of the Punjab. p. 61.
  6. Cunningham, Joseph Davey (1918). A History Of The Sikhs From The Origin Of The Nation To The Battles Of The Sutlej. p. 152.
  7. Husain, Farrukh (2018). Afghanistan in the Age of Empires. Silk Road Books. ISBN 978-1527216334.
  8. Lee, Jonathan L. (8 March 2022). Afghanistan A History from 1260 to the Present. Reaktion Books. p. 176. ISBN 9781789140194.
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