Frontier Campaign 1930–1931
Afridi Red Shirt Rebellion
North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)
Theater Khajuri / Tirah
Conflict Type Tribal & Political
Outcome British Victory
Belligerents & Factions
British Empire • British Army • British Indian Army • Royal Air Force
Frontier Tribal Forces • Afridi Clan Militias • Khudai Khidmatgar sympathy elements
▸ Operational Timeline & Key Moves
Summer 1930Tribal raids threaten Peshawar perimeter. 17 Oct 1930Two Brigade Groups advance to Bara and Miri Khel. Winter 1930Khajuri Plain fortified to block seasonal winter pastures. 16 Jan 1931Objectives completed; force withdraws.
Campaign Clasp: IGSM "North West Frontier 1930–31"
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"type": "Feature", "properties": { "title": "Peshawar (Qissa Khwani Bazaar)", "description": "Site of the 23 April 1930 firing on non-violent Red Shirt demonstrators, triggering province-wide unrest", "marker-symbol": "city", "marker-color": "#c9302c", "marker-size": "large" }, "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [71.5670, 34.0125]
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"type": "Feature", "properties": { "title": "Utmanzai (Charsadda)", "description": "Headquarters of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and the Khudai Khidmatgar movement", "marker-symbol": "town", "marker-color": "#d9534f", "marker-size": "medium" }, "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [71.6972, 34.1878]
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"type": "Feature", "properties": { "title": "Kajuri Plain / Bara", "description": "Staging area for Afridi tribal raids in August 1930; site of British road-building and counter-operations in early 1931", "marker-symbol": "danger", "marker-color": "#ec971f", "marker-size": "medium" }, "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [71.4600, 33.9100]
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"type": "Feature", "properties": { "title": "Tirah & Khyber Region", "description": "Mountainous tribal territory from which Afridi lashkars mobilized against British outposts", "marker-symbol": "mountain", "marker-color": "#6f42c1", "marker-size": "medium" }, "geometry": { "type": "Point", "coordinates": [71.1000, 33.8500]
] } The Afridi Redshirt Rebellion was a military campaign conducted by British Indian Army against Afridi tribesmen Ajab Khan Afridi in the North West Frontier region of the Indian Empire, now in Pakistan in 1930–1931.
The Afridi are a Karlani Pashtun tribe who inhabit the border area of Pakistan, notably in the Spin Ghar mountain range to the west of Peshawar and the Maidan Valley in Tirah.T H Holdich. . Khyber.ORG. Publishing Date: December 18, 2009.
The Afridis often clashed with the British Indian Army during British Raj's expansion towards the Afghan border, notably during the Anglo-Afghan Wars.L. Thomas, Beyond Khyber Pass, London, n.d. (ca. 1925)
In the summer of 1930 a rebellion by dissident Afridi tribesmen, known as Ajab Khan Afridi Redshirts, broke out. As this threatened the security of Peshawar, two Brigade Groups were sent to occupy the Khajuri Plain, west of Peshawar and south of the Khyber Pass. Their role was to open up the area by constructing roads and strong points. This would help prevent any future tribal infiltration towards Peshawar as well as being a punitive measure, since the Afridis had been accustomed to pasture their flocks on this low ground during the winter months.
On 17 October 1930 the British-led force crossed into the Tirah Valley at Bara, six miles from Peshawar, and advanced a further seven miles to Miri Khel. Here a fortified camp was constructed from which operations against the Afridis were conducted.
On 16 January 1931, the force was withdrawn, having accomplished its objective.
British Army that took part in the campaign received the India General Service Medal (1909) with the clasp North West Frontier 1930-31.
Under Mohammad Nadir Shah, Anglo-Afghan ties were strengthened; Nadir supported for British sovereignty over Pashtuns east of the Durand line and strayed neutral when Britain repressed the Afridi Redshirt rebellion. This pro-British stance drew strong opposition from Amanullah loyalists.
References