Tempo:
Europeanization of the Anny
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Singh Sandhawalia. So also went Allard, Ventura, and the Gurkha, Balbhadra, with their newly trained battalions. Prince Sher Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa led the advance columns. They spanned the Attock by means of a pontoon bridge and occupied the fort ofJehangiria. The Maharajah followed in easy stages and arrived on the eastern bank of the river by the end of January. To his dismay he found that the Afghans had destroyed the pontoon bridge and after an early thaw of snow the Attock was in spate. His son was now besieged in the fort with the entire country roundabout thirsting for his blood. The men investing Jehangiria were Azim's brothers, Dost Mohammed (who had more than once paid tribute to Lahore) and Jabbar Khan, the ex-governor of Kashmir. The Durbar army forded the Attock early one morning, losing much valuable equipment. But the Punjabis caught the enemy unawares and compelled them to retire from Jehangiria. The Khattak and Yusufzai tribesmen entrenched themselves on an eminence called Pir Sabal{ or Tibba Tiri on the plain betweenjehangiria and Peshawar. The main Afghan force under Azim Khan's brothers was separated from the tribal ghazis by a small but swift-running stream, the Landai. The Punjabi artillery by-passed the tribesmen, reached the bank of the Landai, and trained its heavy guns on the opposite bank. When Azim Khan was apprised of the situation, he made a dash from Peshawar and joined his brothers on the bank of the Landai. They could not cross the stream because of the guns on the other side. Before the brothers could find an unguarded ford and go to the help of their tribal allies, the Punjabis launched an attack on Pir Sabak hill. The tribal las'Jcars (army) fought desperately but were overcome by the Durbar's Gurkhas and Mussalman Najibs. Then Phula Singh and his nihangs moved up to give them the coup de grace. They drove the Khattaks and Yusufzais before them; the heavy artillery on the Landai wheeled round and opened up a barrage to complete the slaughter. Four thousand tribesmen were left dead on the field. Mohammed Azim Khan watched the massacre from the other side of the stream without being able
255
Singh Sandhawalia. So also went Allard, Ventura, and the Gurkha, Balbhadra, with their newly trained battalions. Prince Sher Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa led the advance columns. They spanned the Attock by means of a pontoon bridge and occupied the fort ofJehangiria. The Maharajah followed in easy stages and arrived on the eastern bank of the river by the end of January. To his dismay he found that the Afghans had destroyed the pontoon bridge and after an early thaw of snow the Attock was in spate. His son was now besieged in the fort with the entire country roundabout thirsting for his blood. The men investing Jehangiria were Azim's brothers, Dost Mohammed (who had more than once paid tribute to Lahore) and Jabbar Khan, the ex-governor of Kashmir. The Durbar army forded the Attock early one morning, losing much valuable equipment. But the Punjabis caught the enemy unawares and compelled them to retire from Jehangiria. The Khattak and Yusufzai tribesmen entrenched themselves on an eminence called Pir Sabal{ or Tibba Tiri on the plain betweenjehangiria and Peshawar. The main Afghan force under Azim Khan's brothers was separated from the tribal ghazis by a small but swift-running stream, the Landai. The Punjabi artillery by-passed the tribesmen, reached the bank of the Landai, and trained its heavy guns on the opposite bank. When Azim Khan was apprised of the situation, he made a dash from Peshawar and joined his brothers on the bank of the Landai. They could not cross the stream because of the guns on the other side. Before the brothers could find an unguarded ford and go to the help of their tribal allies, the Punjabis launched an attack on Pir Sabak hill. The tribal las'Jcars (army) fought desperately but were overcome by the Durbar's Gurkhas and Mussalman Najibs. Then Phula Singh and his nihangs moved up to give them the coup de grace. They drove the Khattaks and Yusufzais before them; the heavy artillery on the Landai wheeled round and opened up a barrage to complete the slaughter. Four thousand tribesmen were left dead on the field. Mohammed Azim Khan watched the massacre from the other side of the stream without being able
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