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. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

expedition against the Hindustani Fanatics in 1857–1858 was part of a long relationship since their first discovery of the Fanatics in 1852. The Expedition in 1857–1858 also coincided with the

1857 Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

, as

mutineers Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, bu ...

of the 55th Infantry had taken refuge and joined Sayyid Mubarak Shah, the son of Sayyid Akbar Shah of Hazara, who was linked to the

Hindustanis ''Hindūstān'' ( English: /ˈhɪndustæn/ or /ˈhɪndustɑn/, ; ) was a historical region, polity, and a name for India, historically used simultaneously for northern Indian subcontinent and the entire subcontinent, used in the modern day ...

as the former

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

and counselor under Syed Ahmed Barelvi, and had later been proclaimed the king of

Swat A SWAT (''Special Weapons and Tactics'') team is a generic term for a police tactical unit within the United States, though the term has also been used by other nations. SWAT units are generally trained, equipped, and deployed to res ...

and Hazara. Sayyid Mubarak Shah raised an army for the purposes of war in Panjtar, but the instability of his rule also meant he could not venture far for fear of losing control of his kingdom. The mutineers fought for Mubarak Shah in a battle, which increased his influence. Mubarak Shah borrowed a sum of money from a grey-haired Jamadar of the rebels, but the sum was soon exhausted, and he was unable to pay them more. Thus the mutineers were unwilling to fight for him. At the same time, Mubarak Shah's usage of the mutineers was seen as a threat to the influence of

Saidu Baba Akhūnd Abdul Ghaffūr (1794–1876; also known as Saidū Bābā and the Akhūnd of Swāt) was a prominent religious saint and founder of the State of Swat. The city of Saidu Sharif, that serves as the administrative capital of Swat District, ...

, the

Gujjar The Gurjar (or Gujjar, Gujar, Gurjara) are an agricultural ethnic community, residing mainly in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, divided internally into various clan groups. They were traditionally involved in agriculture, pastoral and nomadic ...

herdsman turned

religious leader Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, who expelled Mubarak Shah. Thus the advent of the mutineers in the region brought a political change in Swati politics. The Hindustani Fanatics were invited by Mubaraz Khan who invited the Hindustanis to the village of Chinglai. It was at this moment that a few border villages had asked appealed to the Hindustanis and Mubaraz Khan to come down and begin a way for

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The fighting of the Hindustanis was marked with

fanaticism Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or an obsessive enthusiasm. The political theorist Zachary R. Goldsmith provides a "cluster account" of the concept of fanaticism, identifying ten main attributes that, in various com ...

; they came boldly and doggedly on. They were all dressed in white, while some of the leaders wore

velvet Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...

cloaks. Inayat Ali's attacks were initially successful, and occupied both Nawakilla and Sheikh Jana. The British expeditions included the Battle of Shekh Jana in July 1857, Battle of Naranji in August 1857, Battle of Chinglee in April 1858. The British again sent an expedition storming the heights of Mangal Thana, where they found a

citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

built of large stone and fine timber to house a permanent and sizeable

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

. Finally, the battle of Sittana was fought at May 1858. The British reported Hindustani volunteers from Rampur as well as

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

among the dead. The Hindustanis who survived fled to the village of Malka, where they furnished to accommodate upwards of 3,000 men.pg.37 of the actual book
Sepoy Mutiny and the Revolt of 1857
' by Majumdar, R.C. Publication date 1957

References

{{Reflist 1857 in India Wars involving India