Waziristan Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Waziristan campaign 1936–1939 consisted of a number of operations conducted in Waziristan
by British
and Indian forces
against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region. These operations were conducted in 1936–1939, when operations were undertaken against followers of the mysterious Fakir of Ipi, a religious and political agitator who was spreading anti-British sentiment in the region and undermining the prestige of the Indian government in Waziristan at the time.
s, the government of India decided to move troops through the Khaisora Valley. This would be achieved by marching a column from the garrison at Razmak
to the east, to join up at the village of Bichhe Kashkai with a column from the Bannu Brigade, which would advance from the south from Mir Ali
. By this stage of British rule in India
there were strict rules governing such expeditions on the North West Frontier, and as the purpose of the expedition was only as a demonstration to the tribesmen of government resolve, the decision was made that no offensive action was to be taken unless troops were fired upon.
The Razmak column, known as Razcol, began the march without incident, but after three days came under fire while traversing a narrow valley about 10 miles (16.1 km) short of Bichhe Kashkai. Intense fighting ensued as the column had to fight its way through to the village, while the two Indian battalions that made up Tocol from Mir Ali ran into even tougher opposition and were delayed until the following day. The supply situation was desperate and casualties numbered around 100, so it was decided to withdraw both columns back to Mir Ali. This was achieved, but the picquets and rearguard were heavily engaged on numerous occasions before they arrived.
The outcome of the expedition was the reverse of the desired outcome as instead of demonstrating government resolve and strength, it had in fact highlighted their weakness and the Fakir's support rose dramatically. For the next year, trouble and insurrection spread throughout Waziristan, as Wazirs, Mahsuds, Bhittanis, and even Afghans from across the border rallied to support the Fakir's cause. By April 1937, four extra brigade
s had been brought in to reinforce the garrisons at Razmak, Bannu
and Wana
and at the height of the campaign in 1937, some 60,000 regular and irregular troops were employed by the British in an effort to bring to battle an estimated 4,000 hostile tribesmen.
While the British attempted to stamp out the insurrection by drawing the lashkars into decisive engagement, the Fakir of Ipi remained at large (and indeed was never caught), and on the main, the tribesmen managed to avoid being drawn into battle using guerilla tactics of ambush in order to keep the initiative and in doing so they inflicted considerable casualties upon the British and Indian troops. An example of this occurred in April 1937, when a convoy from Wana was ambushed in the Shahur Tangi defile
. Using captured mountain guns and modern rifles, the vehicles were destroyed and the exits blocked, and in the ensuing battle seven officers and 45 men were killed, while another 47 were wounded. The tribesmen did not have everything their way, however, as the British began quartering the troubled areas and destroying hostile villages with both air and ground forces. These forces included five batteries
of mechanised field artillery, two companies
of Mk II and Mk IIb Light Tanks and six squadron
s of aircraft including Hawker Hart
s, Westland Wapiti
s and Hawker Audaxs.
By December 1937, the Fakir's support began to wane and following this, the decision was made to withdraw most of the additional brigades that had been brought up to bolster the garrisons at Razmak, Bannu and Wanna as it was decided that their presence would only serve to inflame the situation.
Trouble flared up again in 1938–39, although to a much lesser extent. On 23 July 1938, a lashkar
launched a daring attack on the town of Bannu
, killing up to 200 civilians and damaging a considerable amount of property. As a result of this, British prestige was again weakened and support for the Fakir grew once again.
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
by British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Indian forces
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
against the fiercely independent tribesmen that inhabited this region. These operations were conducted in 1936–1939, when operations were undertaken against followers of the mysterious Fakir of Ipi, a religious and political agitator who was spreading anti-British sentiment in the region and undermining the prestige of the Indian government in Waziristan at the time.
Background
In 1936, trouble again flared up in Waziristan in the form of a political and religious agitator known as the Fakir of Ipi. There had been for some time growing unrest in the region, fueled by a perception of a weakening of British resolve to govern following a number of constitutional changes in India, however, following a trial of a Muslim student on a charge of abducting a Hindu girl, the Fakir of Ipi began spreading anti-British sentiment in earnest, claiming that the government was interfering in a religious matter.Operations
In late November 1936, in order to reassert the perception of control over the region, with the approval of the Tori Khel malikMalik
Malik is an Arabic word meaning "king, chieftain".It has been adopted in various other, mainly Islamized or Arabized, Asian languages for their ruling princes and to render kings elsewhere. It is also sometimes used in derived meanings...
s, the government of India decided to move troops through the Khaisora Valley. This would be achieved by marching a column from the garrison at Razmak
Razmak
Razmak is one of the three sub-divisions of North Waziristan Agency in Pakistan, the other two being Miranshah and Mirali. Inhabitants are Uthmanzai Wazirs. Razmak is further sub-divided in three Tehsils. Tehsil being the lowest administrative unit in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of...
to the east, to join up at the village of Bichhe Kashkai with a column from the Bannu Brigade, which would advance from the south from Mir Ali
Mir Ali
Mir Ali is a town of North Waziristan in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It is located at 32°59'4N 70°15'24E with an altitude of 655 metres and lies close to the border with Afghanistan. In October 2007, a battle killed 175 near the town.The residents of Mir Ali are Dawar and...
. By this stage of British rule in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
there were strict rules governing such expeditions on the North West Frontier, and as the purpose of the expedition was only as a demonstration to the tribesmen of government resolve, the decision was made that no offensive action was to be taken unless troops were fired upon.
The Razmak column, known as Razcol, began the march without incident, but after three days came under fire while traversing a narrow valley about 10 miles (16.1 km) short of Bichhe Kashkai. Intense fighting ensued as the column had to fight its way through to the village, while the two Indian battalions that made up Tocol from Mir Ali ran into even tougher opposition and were delayed until the following day. The supply situation was desperate and casualties numbered around 100, so it was decided to withdraw both columns back to Mir Ali. This was achieved, but the picquets and rearguard were heavily engaged on numerous occasions before they arrived.
The outcome of the expedition was the reverse of the desired outcome as instead of demonstrating government resolve and strength, it had in fact highlighted their weakness and the Fakir's support rose dramatically. For the next year, trouble and insurrection spread throughout Waziristan, as Wazirs, Mahsuds, Bhittanis, and even Afghans from across the border rallied to support the Fakir's cause. By April 1937, four extra brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s had been brought in to reinforce the garrisons at Razmak, Bannu
Bannu
Bannu is the principal city of the Bannu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is an important road junction and market city. Bannu is a very old city, founded in ancient times; however, the present location of the downtown Bannu was founded by Sir Herbert Edwardes in 1848,...
and Wana
Wana
Wana is the largest town of South Waziristan Agency in Pakistan's FATA . It is the summer headquarters for the Agency's administration, Tank located in neighbouring Tank District being the winter HQ-Colonial history:...
and at the height of the campaign in 1937, some 60,000 regular and irregular troops were employed by the British in an effort to bring to battle an estimated 4,000 hostile tribesmen.
While the British attempted to stamp out the insurrection by drawing the lashkars into decisive engagement, the Fakir of Ipi remained at large (and indeed was never caught), and on the main, the tribesmen managed to avoid being drawn into battle using guerilla tactics of ambush in order to keep the initiative and in doing so they inflicted considerable casualties upon the British and Indian troops. An example of this occurred in April 1937, when a convoy from Wana was ambushed in the Shahur Tangi defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
. Using captured mountain guns and modern rifles, the vehicles were destroyed and the exits blocked, and in the ensuing battle seven officers and 45 men were killed, while another 47 were wounded. The tribesmen did not have everything their way, however, as the British began quartering the troubled areas and destroying hostile villages with both air and ground forces. These forces included five batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of mechanised field artillery, two companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of Mk II and Mk IIb Light Tanks and six squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s of aircraft including Hawker Hart
Hawker Hart
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
s, Westland Wapiti
Westland Wapiti
The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service....
s and Hawker Audaxs.
By December 1937, the Fakir's support began to wane and following this, the decision was made to withdraw most of the additional brigades that had been brought up to bolster the garrisons at Razmak, Bannu and Wanna as it was decided that their presence would only serve to inflame the situation.
Trouble flared up again in 1938–39, although to a much lesser extent. On 23 July 1938, a lashkar
Lashkar
Lashkar , a Persian word for army, may refer to:* Lascar, a type of sailor or Militiaman employed by the British in South Asia.* A town in Madhya Pradesh that is now part of the Gwalior municipality in India...
launched a daring attack on the town of Bannu
Bannu
Bannu is the principal city of the Bannu District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is an important road junction and market city. Bannu is a very old city, founded in ancient times; however, the present location of the downtown Bannu was founded by Sir Herbert Edwardes in 1848,...
, killing up to 200 civilians and damaging a considerable amount of property. As a result of this, British prestige was again weakened and support for the Fakir grew once again.
Aftermath
After 1939, the North West Frontier quietened down, and indeed remained reasonably peaceful, albeit apart from the occasional raid on a village or attack on a garrison, until the end of British rule in 1947.See also
- No. 31 Squadron RAFNo. 31 Squadron RAFNo. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-History:The squadron was formed at Farnborough on October 11, 1915. Its first deployment was to Risulpur, India with its BE2Cs and Farmans, and during this time it took...
- Waziristan campaign 1919-20
- North-West FrontierNorth-West Frontier (military history)The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
— Geography, economy, political situation, etc. - North-West Frontier (military history)North-West Frontier (military history)The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
Further reading
- Official History of Operations on the N. W. Frontier of India 1936–37. Naval & Military Press, and The Imperial War Museum, London. ISBN 1-84342-765-6
- Moreman, Tim. (1998) The Army in India and the Development of Frontier Warfare 1847–1947. Macmillan: London.