Battle of Malakand Pass

The Battle of Malakand Pass pass took place in the Malakand Pass between a British expeditionary force commanded by Robert Low, a General of the British Indian Army against tribal Chitralis during the Chitral Expedition.^[2][3][4][5]

Battle of Malakand Pass
Part of the Chitral Expedition
Date 3 April 1895 Location Malakand Pass, British India Result British victory
Belligerents
British Empire United Kingdom British Raj	Chitralis
Commanders and leaders
Maj. Gen. Robert Low Brig. Gen. Bindon Blood	Umra Khan
Units involved
1st Gordon Highlanders 1st Bedford Regiment 37th Dogras Pro-British Chitralis	Tribesmen
Strength
c. 16,000	12,000+ tribesmen
Casualties and losses
11 killed, 51 wounded	500+ killed[1]

Background

Main article: Chitral Expedition

Following the siege on Chitral Fort by Chitrali forces led by Umra Khan, British authorities in India organised a military relief force, numbering at around 16,000 British and Indian soldiers, to push back the rebel tribesman laying siege to the fort. In order for the relief force to reach the fort, they had to cross over the Malakand Pass to reach into the Swat and Jandol areas. The British had limited geographical information on the area and had to travel over mountain paths to reach their destination, encountering hostile tribesmen along the way.^[6]

The Battle

British forces had encamped below the Malakand pass by early April. Initially, the pass was defended by only a few rebel tribesmen. However, once the British intention became clear, considerable numbers of additional tribesmen made their way to the mountain pass, numbering in the thousands.^[6]

The battle took place over the course of five hours on 3 April 1895, when British and Indian forces began to fight their way up the mountain pass, with artillery supporting their movements from nearby mountain tops. By this time, an estimated 12,000 tribesmen, half of which were armed with firearms, were defending the pass. Over the course of five hours, 11 British soldiers and over 500 tribesmen were killed.^[6]

Aftermath

Following the battle, the tribal forces retreated to the Swat valley and were pursued by the British Bedford regiment and the British-Indian 37th Dogras regiment as far as Khar, Bajaur.^[6]