For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the fanatic Pathan (Afghani Pashtun Tribes) warriors of the Northwest Frontier of the Raj (British Imperial India), Pathans were a constant menace to Imperial control. Raids, wars, punitive expeditions, threats, bribes and the like were commonplace events as these warlike tribesmen resisted Imperial authority.
Rather armed with flintlock rifles like these men or more modern rifles as time progressed, no British officer took lightly the thought of fighting these warriors, not if they wanted a long life that is. Many a great career in Imperial service was started, or cut short, during these conflicts on the Northwest Frontier-including that of a young Winston Churchill in the late 1890's. Never fully conquered, the Pathans remained a thorn in the side of Imperial Britain until the end of the Raj in 1947, when it became a problem for other nations well into the 21st century.
No comments:
Post a Comment