A photographic account of the expedition to rescue the British force besieged in the fort at Chitral in 1895. Chitral is a town and district situated in the Hindu Kush on the North-West Frontier, reached only by crossing over high passes and therefore inaccessible for much of the year. In 1892, the old ruler or “Mehtar” of Chitral died, precipitating a power struggle between his sons and brothers. A British force of 400 men marched from Gilgit to try and impose order but was besieged in the fort so two British expeditions then set out to relieve them. The British sent political agent Surgeon Major George Robertson to Gilgit to report on a dispute between rival claimants to the throne of Chitral. Sher Afzal attacked the force in Chitral Fort which was then besieged. The smaller group from Gilgit under Col. James Kelly reached Chitral first, taking the Chitralis by surprise by coming through the mountains in winter, crossing the 12,000 ft Shandur Pass through the deep snow with heavy guns on sledges. Kelly made an arduous journey through the snowy passes from Gilgit, fighting two actions on the way. He arrived to find that the Chitralis have discontinued the siege. The larger force of 15,000 men from Nowshera under Maj-Gen. Sir Robert Low reached them from Peshawar over the Lowari Pass, stormed the Malakand Pass and broke the Chitrali resistance and helped to secure the area. The region remained tranquil until further unrest led to the Malakand Field Expedition.
