Battles of Peshawar Akali Phula Singh

1 battles of peshawar

1.1 initial take on of peshawar
1.2 grandeur battle of peshawar
1.3 martyrdom

battles of peshawar
initial take on of peshawar

jamrud fort near khyber, 19th century

ranjit singh got opportunity try takeover pathan capital in 1818 after finding afghan frontier left open during civil war , murder of wazir fateh khan, ruler of peshawar region. ranjit singh asked akali phula singh familiar attock , surroundings advice regarding situation akali phula singh told him of how khyber pass used gateway punjab , way block alliance between pathan , afghani soldiers. ranjit singh made decision attack. high ranking generals in attack general hari singh nalwa , akali phula singh.

sirdar yar mohhamand khan , dost mohammad azim khan, wazir of kabul , head of barakzai tribe, in charge of city when sikh army approached. fled yusufzai hills. after sikhs took on city given jehandad khan however, when ranjit singh returned lahore yar mohammad reconquered city. ranjit singh sent expedition peshawar. yar mohammad accepted rule of sikh raj , agreed pay tax of rs. 50,000 empire. neighbouring cities of darband, mankerah, dera ismail khan, , dera ghazi khan added sikh raj.

grandeur battle of peshawar


muhammad azim khan

in 1823 dost muhammad azim khan peacefully takes on peshawar brother sirdar yar mohammand khan under rule of ranjit singh s raj. muhammad azim khan declares jihad against sikh empire , islamic religious teachers motivated around 25,000 jehadi pathans join under mohammad azim khan army. ranjit singh preparing recapture ancient city sent 2,000 horsemen under kanwar sher singh , diwan kirpa ram check advance of afghans. army division sent under hari singh nalwa first group. next maharajah alongside akali phula singh, sardar desa singh majithia, sardar fateh singh ahluwalia joined , reached attock.

sher singh , hari singh crossed attock river via boat bridge , took on jahangira fort after small battle. mohammmad azim khan dispatched army of ghazis under dost muhammad khan , jabbar khan fight against sikhs near jahangira. mohammad azim khan destroyed boat bridge @ attock mahajarah ranjit singh , army not able cross. maharajah ranjit singh started construction of new bridge received news large number of ghazis had encircled army across river , khalsa army had chance of being wiped out there. maharajah ranjit singh ordered army swim across river , sikh forces successful without loss of men , luggage , maharajah ranjit singh reached jahangira. during time jai singh attariwala had left sikh army in 1821 , joined azim khan came ranjit singh instantiated him former rank. here army strategically divided 3 formations. 800 cavalry , 700 infantry soldiers placed under akali phula singh.

martyrdom

akali hanuman singh mural @ baba atal sahib

the army prepared storm peshawar , sikh army come ardas akal purakh asking victory , formalize upcoming departure battlefield. upon completion of ceremony ranjit singh heard news of delay of general ventura , sikh artillery , cannons told army stop , tried tell nihang army stop planned attack. akali phula singh refused break khalsa s gurmata made in presence of guru granth sahib fight tonight , fight last without turning back. told ranjit singh may army nihangs leaving battle , won t turn back. akalis entered battlefield first. nihangs charged @ army on horseback when reached army abandoned horses , fought through enemies swords. ranjit singh seeing nihangs successful charge , seeing how nihangs out numbered on battlefield ordered rest of army enter battlefield. prince kharak singh s army charged @ enemy , general ventura had arrived. ranjit singh ordered general balu bahadur s gurkha army attack enemy behind.

in uoper desh region after severe hand-to-hand combat akali phula singh wounded in leg came fight on horse. whilst fighting on horse horse got shot came battlefield on in howdah on elephant upon fired down , attain martyrdom. around time general ventura, hari singh nalwa, , sirdar budh singh attacked muhammad azim khan s army. when ghazis heard azim khan ran away lost hope , defeated. sikhs chased away surviving enemies , after winning battle news of akali phula singhs death spread around army. ranjit singh tears in eyes along other sirdars reached akali phula singhs body lying in howdah. ranjit singh covered body shawl , returned campsite in dismay. next day akali phula singh cremated , ashes deposited in lunda river. akali phula singh succeeded jathedar baba hanuman singh nihang.