1819 Kashmir expedition
| Battle of Shopian | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Afghan-Sikh Wars | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sikh Empire
|
 Durrani Empire
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Ranjit Singh Dewan Mokham Chand Kharak Singh Hari Singh Nalwa |
Jabbar Khan Agar Khan |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 8000 soldiers | 10,000 | ||||||
| 1819 Kashmir expedition | |
|---|---|
| Part of Afghan-Sikh Wars | |
| Type | Military Expedition |
| Location | Kashmir |
| Objective | Annex Kashmir to Sikh Empire |
| Date | 20 April 1819 – 5 July 1819 |
| Executed by | Sikh Army |
| Outcome | Decisive Sikh Victory |
The Battle of Shopian took place on 3 July 1819 between an expeditionary force from the Sikh Empire and Jabbar Khan, the governor of the Durrani Empire province of Kashmir. It was the decisive battle in the 1819 Kashmir expedition
From 1814 to 1819, the Sikh Empire was forced to send successive punitive expeditions against the hill states of Bhimber, Rajauri, Poonch, Nurpur, and others. By subduing rebellions in these states the Sikh Empire was attempting to keep control of the routes through the Pir Panjal range and into Kashmir. However the Durrani Empire kept de facto control of the areas because the Pir Panjal Range blocked supplies and fresh troops to the Sikh armies.
By 1819, Azim Khan had taken a force of troops to Kabul. Birbal Dhar, Azim Khan's revenue minister, traveled to Lahore, the capital of the Sikh Empire, and asked Maharaja Ranjit Singh to annex Kashmir from the Durrani Empire. He informed Ranjit Singh that Azim Khan was no longer leading the Durrani forces in Kashmir, and supplied information on invasion routes into Kashmir.
The Sikh expeditionary force established two armories for the expedition at Gujrat and Wazirabad. On 20 April, Ranjit Singh ordered 30,000 men from Lahore to the hill states at the foot of the Pir Panjal range. The expedition was split into three columns: Dewan Mokham Chand commanded the advance force, Kharak Singh commanded the rear guard, and Ranjit Singh commanded a reserve of 10,000 troops protecting the supply train. The expeditionary force marched to Bhimber and resupplied, capturing the fort of a local Hakim without resistance. On 1 May, both columns of the Sikh Army reached Rajouri and its ruler, Agar Khan rebelled and forced a battle. Hari Singh Nalwa took command of a force and routed his army, which offered an unconditional surrender after losing most of its men and war supplies. Agar Khan was caught attempting to escape and sent to Bhimber, where Ranjit Singh was holding his Durbar (court). His brother, Rahimullah Khan, was appointed the raja of Rajauri in return for assistance in navigating the Behram Pass.
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Wikipedia