The Battle of Balakot was fought between the forces of

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh (13 November 1780 – 27 June 1839) was the founder and first maharaja of the Sikh Empire, in the northwest Indian subcontinent, ruling from 1801 until his death in 1839. Born to Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl ...

and

Syed Ahmad Barelvi Syed Ahmad Barelvi, also known as Sayyid Ahmad Shahid, (1786–1831) was an Indian mujaddid, Islamic revivalist, Islamic scholar, scholar, and commander, military commander from Raebareli, a part of the historical United Provinces of Agra an ...

Balakot Balakot (; ; ) is a town in Mansehra district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The town was significantly damaged during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake but was later rebuilt with the assistance of the Government of Pakistan. Geography Balakot is l ...

on 6 May 1831. Barelvi had declared ''

jihad ''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...

'' against the

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

and established a camp in Balakot along with Shah Ismail Dehlvi and his tribesmen. Kanwar Sher Singh besieged the valley and attacked his camp at night. The battle lasted all day. The Sikh soldiers eventually killed Syed Ahmad Barelvi, along with hundreds of his followers.

Battle

After facing opposition from Pashtun tribes, Sayyid Ahmed Barelvi shifted to Balakot in 1831. On 6 May 1831,

's Syed Ahmad Barelvi#Jihad movement and Islamic State, Mujahideen forces prepared for the final battle at

in the mountainous valley of

Mansehra Mansehra (Urdu, ) is a city in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. By population, it is the List of largest cities in Pakistan, 71st largest city in the country and the List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, ...

. Sikh troops under Sher Singh started landing at Balakot. The Sikh forces were superior in number and training to the Mujahideen. They had warned Syed Ahmed that they would execute him and his followers if they didn't retreat, to which Syed Ahmed refused to surrender. Sikhs quickly besieged the valley on all sides. During the fight, Barelvi was killed and beheaded by the Sikhs. A large group of Mujahideen fighters did not realize that Syed Ahmad had been killed and went in search of him. Besides, small groups of Mujahideen were killed while fighting in different places. In the battle, Shah Ismail Dehlvi was also killed by the Sikh soldiers.Profile of Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh on Encyclopedia Britannica
Retrieved 16 August 2018 Thus, the battle was a victory for the Sikhs who had now added Balakot to their empire and extended the western border of the

Sikh Empire The Sikh Empire was a regional power based in the Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. It existed from 1799, when Maharaja Ranjit Singh captured Lahore, to 1849, when it was defeated and conquered by the East India Company, Br ...

which included Balakot and the whole of

Mansehra District Mansehra District (Urdu, ) is a district in the Hazara Division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Pakistan. Mansehra city serves as the headquarters of the district. The district has a Hindkowan majority, with a significant Pashtun and Kohista ...

. After this major victory, the Sikhs turned towards capturing

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

from the

Afghans Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...

References

{{Reflist Battles involving the Sikh Empire Conflicts in 1831 Syed Ahmad Barelvi Military history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mansehra District 1831 in India

Battle

See also

References