[11] In the western parts (modern day Poonch Division of Azad Kashmir) the local tribes had entrenched themselves within the hills.

Their appeal was accepted, and Ranjit Singh attacked Poonch with an army numbering up to sixty-thousand, bringing with him an assortment of hill-cannons.

As was tradition, since the Sudhan led coalition had approached for peace before any combat had occurred, they would be allowed to retain autonomy over the region and Shams Khan and the other sardars were not deprived of their rulership, but were now subject to the Sikh Empire, with taxes being established.

In the year 1836, Shams had arrived home from the court of Dhian Singh with his permission, and began to rally support with the local tribes.

At around the same time, the Yusufzai had begun a revolt against the Sikh Empire, the leader of the Dogras Gulab Singh had to march to Peshawar deal with the threat.

The battle did not have a clear victor, but Hari Singh Nalwa, a respected and valued general of the Sikh Empire whom took part in the conquest of Kashmir and other regions had been killed.

Rumors of the death of Gulab Singh in the campaign too sprung up, alongside that of a total Sikh defeat which promoted dissidence in Poonch, as the locals now believed that the empire was crumbling.

Though Gulab had raised a sizeable and professional army, he chose not to engage the rebellion immediately to minimize the number of Dogra casualties.

This either neutralized them as foes, or turned a small number to his side completely, resulting in them aiding Gulab with either information or later fighting against the rebels.

Though the majority of the local population managed to escape Gulab's forces by taking refuge in nearby hills, their homes were looted, fields destroyed and cattle seized.

[7][22][24] After the retreat, Gulab concluded that the report was a ploy by Shams, and news of the forces under Zorawar and Labh defeating the rebels arrived.

Widespread famine occurred throughout the region, due to the uncultivated fields and the sowing season already over by the time the Dogra and Sikh forces withdrew.

The cruelty shown by the Dogra forces was not forgotten, with British contemporaries being appalled at the treatment of the rebellious tribes and the people of Poonch as a whole by Gulab.

In 1846, after the Dogra Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir was created and became a princely state of the British, Gulab Singh was forced to address the issue of his cruelty.