Battle of Jamrud
Jamrud, at the mouth of the Khyber Pass, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
What happened
The Sikh Empire's army under its commander-in-chief Hari Singh Nalwa fought an Afghan army led by Akbar Khan, son of Emir Dost Mohammad Khan. The Sikh Empire had built a fort at Jamrud, guarding the Khyber Pass on the Afghan frontier. An Afghan army attacked it, and Hari Singh Nalwa led a charge but was mortally wounded. The Sikh garrison held the fort until reinforcements came from Lahore, and the Afghans withdrew.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Historians disagree over who won: the Afghans killed the great Sikh general but failed to take the fort or Peshawar. The Sikh Empire kept its frontier at the Khyber Pass.
What came next
Dost Mohammad sent an apology to Maharaja Ranjit Singh and asked for Peshawar, which was refused. The Sikh government strengthened its hold on Peshawar.
Timeline
- 29 April 1791Hari Singh Nalwa is born.
- 1822Hari Singh Nalwa founds Haripur.
- October 1836The Sikhs seize Jamrud and begin a fort.
- 30 April 1837The Battle of Jamrud.
- 30 April 2013India issues a stamp in his memory.