Battle of Kafir Qala

Battle of Kafir Qala
Date	June 1818
Location	Kafir Qala, Afghanistan
Result	Disputed, see Result
Belligerents
Durrani Empire	Qajar Iran
Commanders and leaders
Fateh Khan (WIA); Sher Dil Khan; Kohan Dil Khan; Sher Mohammad Hazara; Mohammad Khan Qaraei-Torbati	Hasan Ali Mirza; Mirza Abdul Wahhab Khan; Faiz Ali Khan
Casualties and losses
Unknown	10,000 Killed[1]

The Battle of Kafir Qala (Persian: نبرد کافر قلعه, romanized: Nabard-e Kāfir Qal'ah) was fought in June 1818 between Iran and the Durrani Empire.

The Iranians had captured Herat in 1816 but were forced to abandon it when the Afghans resisted the occupation of the city with an intense guerrilla war on the countryside. In 1818 the Iranian Shah, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, sent his son Hasan Ali Mirza, with a huge Iranian army to recapture Herat. The Iranians marched from Khorasan and met the Afghan army shortly after crossing the border in the town of Kafir Qala.

Battle

Although the exact numbers are debatable, all sources agree that the Durrani forces outnumbered the Qajars more than 2 to 1.[2] The battle were set up as follows:

On Fateh Khan's right wing was Sherdil Khan with his Sistani, Firozkohi, and Jamshidi tribal forces.[3] On the left side he placed Kohandil Khan with Herati, Taymani, and Darazi troops. The forces of Banyad Khan Hazara, chieftain of the Hazara tribesmen of Bakharz and Jam, were positioned on the right side with Sherdil Khan. Mohammad Khan Qara'i was positioned on the left side with Kohandil Khan.[3]

On the Iranian side, Mirza ʿAbd al-Wahhab Khan “Mutamid al-Daula” and FayzʿAli Khan Qowanlu-ye Qajar formed the right side with their Khwajawand and 'Abd al-Maliki cavalry. In front of the right wing, Astarabadi infantry were placed with a single piece of artillery.[3] The flank of the right wing included Husayn Qoli Khan Bayat Nishapuri with the infantry of Khorasan.

During the battle, Fateh Khan was shot in the mouth. This had a grave impact on the morale of the Afghan army, forcing them to retreat to Herat.[2] The Qajars lost 10,000 men.[1]

Result

According to Christine Noelle Karimi, the result of the battle was inconclusive.[2] Both armies fled from each other, and the Hazaras plundered the baggage of both.[2][4] According to Percy Sykes the Afghans won by using strong and repeated cavalry charges, which broke the Persian infantry formations. As a result, the Persian army suffered 10,000 men and was forced to retreat, securing a clear Afghan victory.[1] According to Historian Faiz Muhammad the Battle of Kafir Qal‘ah is described as an Afghan victory, although both sides eventually withdrew from the battlefield. Afghan forces dominated the fighting and inflicted heavy pressure on the Iranian army, but the battle ended without a decisive pursuit after confusion followed the wounding of Wazir Fath Khan. As a result, neither side fully exploited the outcome, and both armies later retreated.[5]

References

^ a b c Brig. Gen. Sir Sykes, Percy (1940). A History Of Afghanistan Vol. I. Osmania University, Digital Library Of India. Macmillan And Company Limited. p. 390.
^ a b c d Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th-19th Centuries). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-3-7001-7202-4.
^ a b c McChesney, Robert; Khorrami, Mohammad Mehdi (2012). The History of Afghanistan. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-23498-7.[page needed]
^ Patterson, Michael O'Rourke (1988). A partial translation of 'Ayn al-Vaqayi' (Wellspring of Events): The third of twelve works in 'Bahr al-Fava'id: Kuliyat-i Riyazi' (Unlimited Benefits: The Complete Works of Riyazi) of Muhammad Yusuf (Thesis).[page needed]
^ Fayz Muhammad Kitab Hazarah (2012). The History Of Afghanistan Fayż Muḥammad Kātib Hazārah’s Sirāj Al Tawārīkh By R. D. Mcchesney, M. M. Khorrami (trans.,ann.). pp. 156–158.

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[:2-1] Brig. Gen. Sir Sykes, Percy (1940). A History Of Afghanistan Vol. I. Osmania University, Digital Library Of India. Macmillan And Company Limited. p. 390.

[:1-2] Noelle-Karimi, Christine (2014). The Pearl in Its Midst: Herat and the Mapping of Khurasan (15th-19th Centuries). Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-3-7001-7202-4.

[:0-3] McChesney, Robert; Khorrami, Mohammad Mehdi (2012). The History of Afghanistan. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-23498-7.[page needed]

[4] Patterson, Michael O'Rourke (1988). A partial translation of 'Ayn al-Vaqayi' (Wellspring of Events): The third of twelve works in 'Bahr al-Fava'id: Kuliyat-i Riyazi' (Unlimited Benefits: The Complete Works of Riyazi) of Muhammad Yusuf (Thesis).[page needed]

[5] Fayz Muhammad Kitab Hazarah (2012). The History Of Afghanistan Fayż Muḥammad Kātib Hazārah’s Sirāj Al Tawārīkh By R. D. Mcchesney, M. M. Khorrami (trans.,ann.). pp. 156–158.