Battle of Maiwand
Maiwand, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan
What happened
An Afghan army under Mohammad Ayub Khan fought a British and Indian brigade under Brigadier General George Burrows. During the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Ayub Khan marched on Kandahar with a large army. Burrows's much smaller brigade went out to stop him and met his army near the village of Maiwand. After a long artillery duel, the British left side broke, and the brigade retreated to Kandahar.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was a major Afghan victory over a British army. It forced the British to send a relief army to Kandahar.
What came next
General Frederick Roberts marched an army from Kabul to Kandahar and won a battle there on 1 September 1880.
Did you know?
Afghan tradition says a young woman named Malalai rallied the fighters at Maiwand, and she is honoured as a national heroine, though her story is legend rather than documented history.
Timeline
- 27 July 1880Ayub Khan wins at Maiwand.
- August 1880Roberts marches from Kabul to Kandahar.
- 1 September 1880Roberts wins at Kandahar.
- 1886The Maiwand Lion memorial is unveiled in Reading, England.