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{{Short description|Shah Shujah's expedition to Kandahar}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Kandahar Expedition (1833–1834)
| width =
| partof = Durrani insurgency
| image = File:Kandahar 1857.png
| image_size = 300px
| alt =
| caption = Sketch of Kandahar in 1857
| date = January 1833 – 1 July 1834
| place = [[Kandahar]]
| map_type =
| map_relief =
| map_size =
| map_marksize =
| map_caption =
| map_label =
| result = {{ublist|[[Emirate of Afghanistan|Barakzai Afghan]] victory{{sfn|Lee|2019|p=205}}}}
* [[Shuja Shah Durrani]] forced to retreat
* Beginning of the [[Standoff at the Khyber Pass (1834–1835)]]
| combatants_header =
| combatant1 = '''[[Barakzai dynasty|Barakzais]]''' [[Principality of Kandahar]] [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (1823–1839).svg|12px]] [[Principality of Kabul]] (1833–1834) [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (1823–1839).svg|12px]] [[Emirate of Kabul]] (1834)
| combatant2 = '''[[Durrani dynasty|Durranis]]''' {{flagicon image|Flag of the Durrani Kingdom.svg}} [[Durrani Empire]] (in exile) {{tree list}}
* {{flag|British Empire}}
** {{flag|East India Company}}{{sfn|Lee|2019|p=205}}
{{tree list/end}}
'''Supported by:''' {{flag|Sikh Empire}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Jonathan |title=Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2019 |isbn=9781789140101 |pages=205 |language=English}}</ref>
| commander1 = [[Pur Dil Khan]] [[Kohan Dil Khan]] [[Rahim Dil Khan]] [[Mehr Dil Khan]] [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (1823–1839).svg|12px]] [[Dost Mohammad Khan]] [[File:Flag of Afghanistan (1823–1839).svg|12px]] [[Mohammad Afzal Khan]]
| commander2 = [[File:Seal of Shah Shuja Ul Mulk of the Durrani empire and dynasty.svg|14px]] [[Shuja Shah Durrani]]{{WIA}} {{flagicon|East India Company}} William Campbell{{POW}}{{sfn|McChesney|Khorrami|2012|p=201}}{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}}
| strength1 = Numerically inferior 20,000 men from [[Dost Mohammad Khan|Dost Mohammad]] (only 3,000 engaged by Dost Mohammad){{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=72}}
| strength2 = 30,000 (Initial)<ref>{{cite book | last=Dalrymple | first=W. | title=The Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan | publisher=Bloomsbury | series=Borzoi book | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4088-1830-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ud4_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA478 | access-date=15 June 2020 | page=90}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=McChesney|first1=Robert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9QkzAQAAQBAJ|title=The History of Afghanistan (6 vol. set): Fayż Muḥammad Kātib Hazārah's Sirāj al-tawārīkh|last2=Khorrami|first2=Mohammad Mehdi|date=19 December 2012|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-23498-7|language=en}}</ref> 80,000 men (during siege of Kandahar){{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}}
| casualties1 = Unknown
| casualties2 = Heavy losses{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}}{{sfn|McChesney|Khorrami|2012|p=202}} Up to 16,000 killed<ref>{{Cite book |last=Adamec |first=Ludwig W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AAHna6aqtX4C |title=Historical Dictionary of Afghanistan |date=2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-7815-0 |language=en|page=240}}</ref>
| notes =
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Conflicts in Afghanistan (1900-1950)}}
}}

Beginning in January 1833, [[Shah Shujah Durrani]], the [[List of heads of state of Afghanistan|deposed Afghan emperor]], led an expedition to re-claim [[Durrani Empire|his throne]]. Raising a force while in exile in the [[Sikh Empire]], he marched through [[Sindh]] to Kandahar, besieging it from 10 May 1834 until 1 July 1834.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dodwell |first=Dodwell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nFuFzwEACAAJ |title=The Cambridge History Of India; Volume V |date=2022-10-27 |publisher=Creative Media Partners, LLC |isbn=978-1-01-927310-4 |language=en|page=543}}</ref> Shah Shujah would be defeated by the Barakzai rulers of [[Principality of Qandahar|Kandahar]] and [[Emirate of Afghanistan|Kabul]].

==Background==
Following the death of [[Timur Shah Durrani]], the [[Durrani Empire]] was plunged into a succession crisis with Timur Shah's 24 sons. Prominent sons of these would be [[Mahmud Shah Durrani]], [[Zaman Shah Durrani]], and [[Shah Shujah Durrani]]. [[Zaman Shah Durrani]] would take the throne after the death of Timur Shah in a [[succession crisis]], where [[Mahmud Shah Durrani]] was confined to ruling the [[Herat (1793-1863)|Realm of Herat]], while Shah Shujah would work for Zaman Shah ordinated at [[Peshawar]]. Mahmud Shah would be forced to flee to [[Persia]] after [[Zaman Shah Durrani|Zaman Shah]] would invade [[Herat]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Drahm |first1=Abdel |title=Afghanistan A History From 1260 To The Present |journal=AAF |date=2020 |page=159 |url=https://archive.org/details/Book_1094 |access-date=29 October 2021}}</ref> Mahmud Shah would return on multiple attempts to seize the throne from his brother, finally succeeding in 1801. [[Shah Shujah Durrani]] would attempt to thwart Mahmud Shah's attempts, but was repelled and was forced to flee.{{sfn|Drahm|2020|p=163}}

[[Shah Shujah Durrani|Shah Shujah]] would return with rebel leaders, Sher Muhammad Khan to topple Mahmud Shah and would succeed, placing himself on the throne in 1803, making [[Mahmud Shah Durrani|Mahmud Shah's]] reign last just under 2 years.{{sfn|Drahm|2020|p=166}}

[[Mahmud Shah Durrani]] returned in 1809, plotting to usurp the throne once again, Mahmud centralized his forces with Fateh Khan and his son, [[Kamran Shah Durrani|Kamran]] at [[Kandahar]] before marching to [[Kabul]]. [[Shuja Shah Durrani]], seeing this had scrambled his forces at [[Jalalabad]] and met [[Mahmud Shah Durrani|Mahmud Shah's]] army at the old [[Kabul-Jalalabad Road]] near Nimla.{{sfn|Drahm|2020|p=174}} Shah Shujah had previously attempted a campaign in [[Kashmir]], and his forces were repelled, hence he was unable to bring together a proper army to try and repel [[Mahmud Shah Durrani]] and his allies, being defeated in the [[Battle of Nimla (1809)|Battle of Nimla]].{{sfn|Drahm|2020|p=174}}

Shah Shujah thus lost the crown and fled to exile in the [[Sikh Empire]], where he began plans to reclaim Afghanistan under his own rule.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=48-72}}

==Siege of Kandahar==
Seeking to launch another attempt to reclaim his rule in Afghanistan, Shah Shujah marched his men through the [[Bolan Pass]] in April, which coincided with [[Ranjit Singh]] moving from [[Lahore]] to [[Battle of Peshawar (1834)|attack]] [[Peshawar]] and dislodge [[Sultan Mohammad Khan|Barakzai rule there]].{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=72}}{{sfn|Lee|2019|p=205}} In May 1834, Shah Shujah reached Kandahar and besieged the city, but had trouble effectively storming it due to lack of siege equipment and poor quality of troops. Despite this, Shah Shujah had a great numerical superiority over his Barakzai enemies, with some estimations that his army had reached a size of over 80,000 men.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}} Despite this, Shah Shujah feared the arrival of [[Dost Mohammad Khan|Dost Mohammad]] to aid his half-brothers in Kandahar, but still believed he was miles from reaching Kandahar.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}}

On 29 June, the Shah Shujah ordered his men to scale the walls of Kandahar with ladders, however they were defeated, with many being killed and wounded from the failed assault.{{sfn|McChesney|Khorrami|2012|p=202}} Short skirmishes followed after this until Dost Mohammad Khan had arrived, who now began clashing with Shah Shujah's force. When Dost Mohammad arrived, skirmishes and clashes broke out even further, and at one point, Shah Shujah chose to fight in the day instead of night, wishing to give his soldiers time to rest after being fatigued.{{sfn|McChesney|Khorrami|2012|p=203-204}} Thus, Shah Shujah began battle again and overcame Dost Mohammad's force, who was slowly being pushed back, as Shah Shujah's forces reached the walls of Kandahar. However, following this, much of the Barakzai troops who had drawn up on the flanks began engaging Shah Shujah's armies, with over 3,000 men under Dost Mohammad Khan and Sardar Mir Afzal Khan. Sardar Mir Afzal Khan himself attacked Shah Shujah.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=73}}{{sfn|McChesney|Khorrami|2012|p=203-204}} Shah Shujah was wounded during the battle,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ali Ahmad Jalali |url=http://archive.org/details/oceanof-pdf.com-a-military-history-of-afghanistan-ali-ahmad-jalali |title=Afghanistan: A Military History from the Ancient Empires to the Great Game |date=2021-12-15}}</ref> fearing to be captured, fled. When his forces saw him fleeing, they abandoned and fled the battlefield. As the rout commenced, an English general, William Campbell, was wounded and also captured by the Barakzai forces.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=74}}

==Aftermath==
With this, Shah Shujah was forced to withdraw, and leave behind all his baggage. Amongst the baggage captured, Dost Mohammad found out of British aid in the expedition of Shah Shujah.{{sfn|Dalrymple|2013|p=74}}{{sfn|Lee|2019|p=205}} This would not be the last attempt of Shah Shujah to seize the throne of Afghanistan, as in 1839, he, alongside British forces would contend with [[Dost Mohammad Khan]] for rule over Kabul in the [[First Anglo-Afghan War]].{{sfn|Lee|2019|p=225}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1833-1834 expedition of Shah Shujah Durrani}}
[[Category:Battles involving Afghanistan]]
[[Category:1834 in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:1830s conflicts]]
[[Category:Kandahar]]
[[Category:Kandahar Province]]
[[Category:Wars involving Afghanistan]]

Kandahar Expedition 1833 1834 - Revision history

Rudra2020 at 01:29, 5 May 2026