The Anglo-Marri Wars is the name given to three major military conflicts between the
Marri Baloch tribesmen and the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
in the independent eastern
Baloch tribal belt (now known as the North-Eastern region of
Baluchistan,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
). The conflicts took place in the 19th and 20th centuries, specifically in 1840, 1880, and 1917.
During these wars, battles were fought mostly in the mountainous tribal areas of
Kohistan-e-Marri and adjacent localities. These areas are now under the administrative control of
Kohlu
Kohlu (Urdu and bal, ) is the capital of Kohlu District in Pakistan's Balochistan province.In· May 1892 a sub-tahsil was established at Kohlu, the income being treated as a part of the Zhob
Zhob (; ) or Zhobak (), formerly known as Appozai ...
,
Sibi
Sibi (Sindhi: سيوي ur, ) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hindu lad ...
,
Bolan,
Barkhan,
Nasirabad, and
Dera Bugti
Dera Bugti ( Balochi and Urdu: ) is a district within the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It was established as a separate district in 1983.
Administration
The district is administratively subdivided into Four sub-divisions, these are:
* Pirko ...
districts of the Baluchistan province.
First Anglo-Marri War: 1840
Context
By the 1840s, the Baloch had almost lost their national identity after the martyrdom of
Mir Mehrab Khan
The Khanate of Kalat ( bal, کلاتءِ ھانات) was a Baloch Khanate that existed from 1512 to 1955 in the centre of the modern-day province of Balochistan, Pakistan. Its rulers were Brahui speakers. Prior to that they were subjects of ...
, a Baloch ruler. The subsequent British suzerainty over
Kalat State
The Khanate of Kalat ( bal, کلاتءِ ھانات) was a Baloch Khanate that existed from 1512 to 1955 in the centre of the modern-day province of Balochistan, Pakistan. Its rulers were Brahui speakers. Prior to that they were subjects ...
also reduced the Baloch national identity.
[Baluchistan: Political Struggle by Justice Munir Ahmed Marri]
At the same time, without the consultation and agreement of the Baloch, a type of mutual understanding had been formalized between the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
and kingdom of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
for the distribution of
Baloch territories between them.
The people of the Kalat State and the Baluch tribesmen felt that the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
and
Iranians were becoming masters of their fate.
According to Mir Khuda Bakhsh Marri, the invasions of the Kalat State and the martyrdom of Mir Mehrab Khan, at the hands of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, opened the doors of Balochistan to British interference in political and military affairs. British suzerainty over Balochistan was also a strong possibility. At the same time it generated reactionary feelings of
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
among the Baloch.
Cause
The negative relations between the Marri people and the British started in 1840 due to attacks made on the communications of Sir
John Keane's army after it had passed through the
Bolan Pass
Bolān Pass ( ur, ) is a valley and a natural gateway, through the Toba Kakar range in Balochistan province of Pakistan, south of the Afghanistan border. The pass is an stretch of the Bolan river valley from Rindli in the south to Darwāza ...
.
[Encyclopedia of Britannica, 11th Edition] In March 1840, Sir John Keane decided that there was a dire need to capture the
Kahan and its fort from the Marri tribesmen.
Battles of Kahan
An
punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beh ...
against the Marri was launched by the
British military, which ended in failure. Major Claiborne was repulsed in an attempt to storm the Naffusak Pass, losing 179 of his troops, with an additional 92 wounded out of his force of 650 troops. Many of his troops died of heat and dehydration. The fort of Kahan was forced to capitulate with the honors of war.
Aftermath
The First Anglo-Marri War proved to be a disastrous campaign for the British overall. Although they held the fort of Kahan throughout the campaign, the British forces were unable to establish a proper safe passage to Kahan and continue reinforcing the Kahan Regiment with resources. The Marri tribesmen however faced no such difficulties in their chain of supplies to the area as they were native to the region and were well aware of the hilly terrain.
After this war, in 1843, the Marri once again rose up against the British forces.
This time, the cause of the clashes was the occupancy of
Sindh by the forces of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. Being a Baluch tribe, the Marri were worried about the fate of their neighboring state and their ruler. Colonial officer
Richard Isaac Bruce wrote about the Marris:
The Forward Policy and its results by Richard Isaac Bruce
/ref>
″''The Marris were considered absolutely incorrigible, and were proclaimed outlawed and blockaded on all sides. A proclamation was issued on the Sind Frontier offering a reward of ten rupees for the capture of any Marri.''"
Second Anglo-Marri War: 1880
In 1880, during the Second Afghan War
The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the ...
, Marri tribesmen made frequent raids on the British line of communications, ending with the plunder of a treasure convoy. A force of 3070 British troops under Brigadier-General Macgregor
MacGregor or Macgregor may refer to:
People
* MacGregor (surname)
* MacGregor (filmmaker), a Spanish commercial cinematographer and film director
* Clan Gregor, a Scottish clan
* Macgregor baronets, related individuals including a British Army Br ...
marched through the country. The tribe submitted and paid Rs 1/4 lakh (£12,500) out of a fine of 2 lakhs (£20,000). They also gave hostages for their future good behaviour.
Third Anglo-Marri War: 1917
During World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, British forces were facing a shortage of recruits and started a campaign to enlist the Marri, who ultimately refused to join the British ranks. As a result, clashes broke out in large areas of the Marri land. These actions lasted for many months under the leadership of General Mir Khuda e Dad Khan Marri, with both sides suffering hundreds of casualties. Ultimately Dad Khan Marri embraced martyrdom with two of his younger brothers. In the end the Marri tribe agreed to support the British forces, and were paid money for doing so. Despite this, they still refused to send their youth to join the war.
References
Bibliography
* ''Defence of Kahan'' by Charles Reynolds Williams
* ''The Gazetteer of Baluchistan (Sibi)'', Gosha-e-Adab publication, Quetta, 1986 (First 1906)
* ''Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series (Baluchistan)'', Sheikh Mubarak Ali, Lahore, 1976 (First 1908)
* ''Baluchistan Historical & Political Processes'' by A.B. Anwar, New Century Publications London, 1985
* ''The Forward Policy'' by Richard Isaac Bruce, Gosha-e-Adab publication, Quetta, 1977 (First 190
* ''Marri Baloch Jange Mazzahimat'' (English: Marri Baloch, war of resistance) by Shah Mohammad Marri, Takhleeqat publication, Lahore, 1991
* ''Balochistan Siasi Kashmakash mudhamirat w rujhanaat'' (English: Baluchistan: Political Struggle) by Justice Munir Ahmed Marri, Gosha-e-Adab publication, Quetta, 1989
* ''Popular Poetry of the Baluches'' by M. Longworth Dames, The Royal Asiatic Society London, 1907
* '' Inside Baluchistan'' by Mir Ahmad Yar Khan (Khan of Kalat), Royal Book Co. Karachi, 1975
* ''Problems of Greater Baluchistan'' by Dr. Inayat Baluch
* ''History of Baluch Race & Baluchistan'' by Mohammad Sardar Khan Gishkori, Gosha-e-Adab publication, Quetta, 1979 (First 1958)
* ''Search Lights on Baluches & Baluchistan'' by Justice Mir Khuda Bakhsh Marri, Gosha-e-Adab publication, Quetta, 1977 (First 1974)
Sources
* {{EB1911 , wstitle=Marri, volume=17 , page=753
Wars involving the United Kingdom, Marri
Conflicts in 1840
Conflicts in 1880
Conflicts in 1917