Hunza-Naga Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Hunza-Nagar Campaign was fought in 1891 by troops of the British Raj
against the princely state
s of Hunza
and Nagar in the Gilgit Agency
(now part of the Northern Areas of Pakistan
). It is known in Pakistan as the "Anglo-Brusho
War".
agent at Gilgit
. Towards the end of the 19th century just as imperial troops began consolidating territory in tribal areas - these tribes began to acquire rifles and ammunition. The British suspected Russian
involvement "with the Rulers of the petty States on the northern boundary of Jammu and Kashmir" (see Great Game)
Colonel
Algernon George Arnold Durand, commanded a force of approximately a thousand rifles and two guns. The British gained control of Nagar during a battle at Nilt Nagar (Jangir-e-Laye) in 1891. The fort at Nilt
was stormed, and after a fortnight's delay the cliffs beyond it were also carried by assault. Hunza and Nagar were occupied, the chief of Nagar was reinstated on making his submission, and the half-brother of the raja
of Hunza was installed as chief in the place of his brother.
The British awarded three Victoria Cross
es during this campaign.
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
against the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
s of Hunza
Hunza (princely state)
Hunza was a princely state in the northernmost part of the Northern Areas of Pakistan until 1974. The state was also known as Kanjut. The state bordered the Gilgit Agency to the south, the former princely state of Nagar to the east, China, to the north and Afghanistan to the northwest. The state...
and Nagar in the Gilgit Agency
Gilgit Agency
The Gilgit Agency was a political unit of British India, which administered the northern half of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Gilgit Agency was created in 1877 and was overseen by a political agent of the Governor-General of British India. The seat of the agent was Srinagar...
(now part of the Northern Areas of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
). It is known in Pakistan as the "Anglo-Brusho
Brusho
Brusho is - referred to Burushaski Speakers. Burushaski is spoken in Yasin Valley, Nagar valley and Hunza valley. Natives of these areas are called Brosho....
War".
Cause
The Hunza-Nagar Expedition was ostensibly due to the defiant attitude of the Hunza and Nagar chiefs towards the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
agent at Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
. Towards the end of the 19th century just as imperial troops began consolidating territory in tribal areas - these tribes began to acquire rifles and ammunition. The British suspected Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
involvement "with the Rulers of the petty States on the northern boundary of Jammu and Kashmir" (see Great Game)
Colonel
Colonel (UK)
Colonel is a rank of the British forces, ranking below Brigadier, and above Lieutenant Colonel. British Colonels are not usually field commanders; typically they serve as staff officers between field commands at battalion and brigade level. The insignia is two diamond shaped pips below a crown...
Algernon George Arnold Durand, commanded a force of approximately a thousand rifles and two guns. The British gained control of Nagar during a battle at Nilt Nagar (Jangir-e-Laye) in 1891. The fort at Nilt
Nilt
Nilt is a town in Gilgit District in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. It is located at 36°15'0N 74°25'0E with an altitude of 2260 metres . This area was conquered by the British in 1891 as part of the Hunza-Naga Campaign....
was stormed, and after a fortnight's delay the cliffs beyond it were also carried by assault. Hunza and Nagar were occupied, the chief of Nagar was reinstated on making his submission, and the half-brother of the raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of Hunza was installed as chief in the place of his brother.
The British awarded three Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es during this campaign.
Further reading
- Charles Welsh (editor), Famous Battles of the Nineteenth Century, (1905), (Wessels).
- Algernon George Arnold Durand, The Making of a Frontier: Five Years' Experiences and Adventures in Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Chitral, and the Eastern Hindu-Kush, (2002), (Adamant Media Corporation).