Battle of Bannu
In 1832, the Sikh Empire launched an expedition against the small mud fort of Malik Dilasa Khan, whose name was a "terror to the Sikhs"[3] and who had beaten from his mud fort Tara Chand, the bravest Sikh general.[3][4][5]
Battle of Bannu | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of Afghan-Sikh wars | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Local Pashtuns |
![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Malik Dilasa Khan |
![]() ![]() | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | 8,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 300 killed and 500 wounded[2] |
The Battle
Tara Chand had been exploiting the local Pashtun population by charging exorbitant taxes and committing various atrocities.[6] In response, Malik Dilasa Khan, along with other Pashtun tribesmen, rose up against Tara Chand's rule and challenged him to a battle.[7][8][9]
Malik Dilasa Khan and his followers managed to defeat Tara Chand's forces, leading to Jai Singh Atariwala death and the Pashtuns taking control of the region.[10][11]
Aftermath
The 8,000 strong Sikh Invading army was repulsed and fled into Punjab.[12] The Pashtuns/Afghans controlled the region until 1840, and the Sikh Empire was unable to obtain taxes from Malik Dilasa khan.[13]
References
- Griffin, Sir Lepel Henry (1890). "The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab".
- Griffin, Sir Lepel Henry (1890). "The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab".
- Griffin, Sir Lepel Henry (1890). The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab. Civil and Military Gazette Press. p. 292.
- Chopra, Gulshan Lall (1940). Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab. Government Printing. p. 200.
- Thorburn, Septimus Smet (1879). Report on the First Regular Land Revenue Settlement of the Bannu District in the Derajat Division of the Punjab. Central Jail Press. p. 22.
- Journal. 1843. p. 593.
- Asia: Journal of the American Asiatic Association. Asia Publishing Company. 1938. p. 362.
- Rashid, Haroon (2008). History of the Pathans: The Ghurghushti, Beitani and Matti tribes of Pathans. Haroon Rashid.
- Sen, N. B. (1943). Punjab's Eminent Hindus, Being Biographical and Analytical Sketches of Twenty Hindu Ministers, Judges, Politicians. New book society. p. 83.
- Saggar, Balraj (1993). Who's who in the History of Punjab, 1800-1849. National Book Organisation. p. 142. ISBN 978-81-85135-60-1.
- Punjab Revisited: An Anthology of 70 Research Documents on the History and Culture of Undivided Punjab. Gautam Publishers. 1995. p. 342.
- Sen, N. B. (1943). Punjab's Eminent Hindus, Being Biographical and Analytical Sketches of Twenty Hindu Ministers, Judges, Politicians. New book society. p. 83.
- Lawrence, Sir Henry Montgomery (2005). Political Diaries of the Agent to the Governor-general, North-West Frontier and Resident at Lahore: From 1st January 1847 to 4th March 1848. Sang-e Meel Publications. p. 341. ISBN 978-969-35-1766-8.