View source for Battle of Attock (1787)

{{Short description|Battle in September 1787}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Battle of Attock
| place             = [[Attock]]
| partof            = [[Afghan-Sikh Wars]]
| date              = September 1787
| result            = {{ublist|Inconclusive}}
* No battle fought
| combatant1        = [[File:Sikh Akali flag.svg|30px]] [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Dal Khalsa]]
| combatant2        = [[File:Abdali flag.png|30px]] [[Durrani Empire]]
| commander1        = Unknown
| commander2        = [[File:Abdali flag.png|20px]] Bakshi Madad Khan
| strength1         = Unknown
| strength2         = 21,700<ref name="Gupta">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheSikhsVol.IvTheSikhCommonwealthOrRiseAndFallOfSikh/page/n449/mode/2up?q=1772|title=History Of The Sikhs Vol. IV The Sikh Commonwealth Or Rise And Fall Of Sikh Misls|author=Hari Ram Gupta|date=1982|pages=439–443}}</ref>
| casualties1       = Unknown
| casualties2       = Unknown
}}
{{Campaignbox Afghan-Sikh Wars}}
The '''Battle of Attock''' was fought on September 1787 between the [[Dal Khalsa (Sikh Army)|Sikh Army]] and [[Durrani Empire|Afghan forces]] led by Bakshi Madad Khan as part of the [[Afghan–Sikh Wars]].

==Background==

[[Timur Shah Durrani]], the emperor of the Durrani Empire, decided to start his fifth campaign in [[Punjab]]. In the previous campaign, which took place in December 1785, Timur entered the lands of India to meet the Mughal emperor [[Shah Alam II]], who had been inviting him.<ref name="Gupta"/><ref name="Patwant">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=27XYeylUzWwC&dq=timur+shah+shah+alam+1785&pg=PT89|title=The Sikhs|author=Patwant Singh|date=2007|isbn=9780307429339}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7LM9AAAAMAAJ&q=timur+shah+shah+alam+1785|title=English East India Company and the Afghans, 1757-1800|author=Birendra Varma|date=1968|pages=47}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58tEAQAAIAAJ&q=timur+shah+shah+alam+1785|title=Patna University Journal|volume=19|date=1964|pages=73}}</ref>

The [[Rajput]] princes had been constantly appealing to Timur for assistance against [[Mahadji Sindhia]]. After multiple requests from Maharaja Bhakt Singh, in September 1787 Timur Shah made Bakshi Madad Khan the commander of 15,000 horses, 5,000 troops and 1,700 camel–riders.<ref name="Gupta"/>

==Battle==

The path of the Afghan army was blocked by the Sikhs at [[Attock]]. Bakshi decided to not cross the [[Indus River]] and marched along the western banks. The Sikhs followed them on the other side of the river and, finding the Sikhs ready to oppose, Bakshi eventually gave up and retreated to [[Kabul]].<ref name="Gupta"/>

==Aftermath==

During the winter of 1788, Timur Shah invaded India again, leading to the Battle of Sialkot.<ref name="Gupta"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== See also ==

* [[Nihang]]
* [[Martyrdom in Sikhism|Martyrdom and Sikhism]]

{{coord missing|Pakistan}}

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[[Category:Conflicts in 1787]]
[[Category:18th century in the Durrani Empire]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Sikh Confederacy]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Durrani Empire]]
[[Category:Attock District]]
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