Britain The Bazar Valley campaign of 1908[2] was a punitive expedition against the Zakka Khel clan of the Afridi, a Pakhtun tribe inhabiting the mountains on the Peshawar border of the North West Frontier province of British India.

The Afridi tribes had learnt at last, that their secluded villages and mountain fastnesses, nestling along the base of the Safed Koh, could no longer be regarded as inaccessible if the country were invaded by a determined and well-equipped force.

It may confidently be asserted that the stability of the peace would have been more permanent, had it not been for the existence of certain sinister influences, which continually threatened to undermine the loyalty of the border tribesmen towards the British Government.

The mullahs dwelling in tribal territory as well as in Afghanistan were, by reason of their fanatical inclinations, ever prone to stir up strife against a foreign Government, while the presence of an anti-British party in Kabul afforded a sure guarantee that disaffected tribesmen could obtain encouragement and support from that centre.

A gang of some 30 Zakka Khel under Dadai raided the village of Sumari in the Kohat district, killing one Muhammadan and carrying off two Hindus and property for the value of Rs.

Many of them, and those the most important, were organised raids by large and well armed bodies of men on peaceful villages far in the interior of British administered districts, or direct attacks upon Government posts and property.

In a dispatch, dated 9 January 1908, to the Secretary of State for India, the Government proposed that, before having recourse to punitive methods themselves, in order to exhaust every possible alternative, Sir H. Deane, the Chief Commissioner and Agent to the Governor General in the North-West Frontier Province, should call in a jirga of the Afridi clans and announce to them that unless they put an end to the present state of affairs created by the Zakka Khel, the Government had decided to punish this section at once.

The attitude of the Afridis at this time showed no disposition on the part of other sections to identify themselves with the Zakka Khel and there was little reason to anticipate that they would join in opposing the British advance into Bazar.

On 1 February the Indian Government still urged that, in order to prevent a recurrence of similar events in future, steps should be taken to open up the country of the Zakka Khel section.

In a telegram received on 3 February from the Secretary of State, immediate action was approved of, provided that there was to be no annexation or occupation and that a strict limitation of time of duration of punitive operations was imposed.

Details of the operations contemplated were asked for and it was suggested that a small detachment acting with great celerity might be sufficient for actual punitive measures in Bazar.

During this period the passes surrounding the valley would be blockaded, and we propose to use a force of selected Khaibar Rifles who, we are assured, can be relied upon for the purpose, to assist in this.These proposals were approved of by the British Government on 6 February and at the same time the following restriction was imposed on subsequent action in Bazar Valley: It must be clearly understood that the end in view is strictly limited to the punishment of the Zakka Khels and neither immediately nor ultimately, directly or indirectly, must there be occupation or annexation of tribal territory.Sir H. Deane was instructed to assemble the Maliks of the Afridis and to inform them of British actions against the Zakka Khel.

Immediately after the dismissal of the jirga on 12 February a kharita was accordingly forwarded to him in the following terms:[1] I write to inform you that the Zakka Khel section of the Afridis have faithlessly broken their engagements with the Government of India and, notwithstanding the very kind and too compassionate treatment that I have meted out to them, have misunderstood my leniency and, by constant raids and murderous attacks on my law-abiding people, have filled up the cup of their iniquities.

This spur running out from the main watershed in a series of relatively small hills, ends in an abrupt peak, just above the great Zakka Khel stronghold, China.

Through the circle of mountains to the south-west and west go four principal passes the Mangal Bagh and the Bukar giving access to the Bara Valley, and the Thabai and Tsatsobi leading into Afghanistan.

The Thabai and Tsatsobi passes constitute the "back-doors" of the Bazar Valley, the "bolt-holes" into Afghan territory, by which, whenever their home is threatened from the Indian frontier, the tribesmen could retire, carrying with them their women and children and all moveable property.

Of all four the Chura was by far the easiest and it has the advantage, or disadvantage as the case may be, of leading through the territory of another clan, the Malikdin Khel, of which the chief, Yar Muhammad Khan, professed the deepest sympathy with the British cause.

Tsarkhum stands on a steep cliff overlooking the Bazar Tangi, and as the advanced guard reached this point fire was opened from the high hill Tsapara, and the left flank piquets, covered by the guns, were engaged the whole way to Walai, near where the column halted for the night.

Taking shelter from snipers the force bivouacked for the night in the nala about 1,500 yards (1,370 meters) due east of the crest of Khar Gundai, which was piquetted by the Seaforth Highlanders.

A piquet of the 45th Sikhs, forming part of an escort to a convoy of supplies, was attacked whilst on the lower slopes of Sara Paial hill by Anai Zakka Khel led by Multan.

The site selected for the camp, a well concealed position practically in the bed of the Walai Stream, was surrounded by the Khar Gundai and a circle of hills to the north, all of which were piquetted.

The Zakka Khel, who made fruitless attempts to follow up the retirement, lost heavily and it was noticeable that in future they were more careful to avoid open country.

[1] During the last few days the enemy had been seen gathering in considerable strength in the vicinity of Halwai, in the south-western corner of the valley, where they had been joined by many Sangu Khel and other Shinwaris from the direction of the Thabai pass.

Sangu Khel and other Shinwaris continued to arrive by the Thabai Pass, and although the most influential Maliks of the Afridi tribes were now assembling at Chura to arrange terms of peace, it was feared that the presence of these reinforcements would have the effect of delaying a settlement.

The maliks had urged that the presence of the troops in the valley was necessary in order to give weight to their representations to the Zakka Khel and that if they were withdrawn before their deliberations were completed, they could not guarantee the success of their mission.

General Willcocks had meanwhile been informed that no rigid limitation was imposed on his stay in the valley, provided a settlement was quickly arrived at and followed by the early withdrawal of the troops.

In spite of the interference of this outside element at the jirga, the counsels of the maliks prevailed and the representative elders of the Zakka Khel took an oath on the Koran to abide by their decisions.

However they were delayed by a miscellaneous lashkar consisting of Sangu Khel Shinwaris, about a thousand Ningra- haris and a few Mohmands, which advanced from the direction of the Thabai Pass.

Owing to these delays the Waiab Prga return to jirga arrived too late to be received at Walai on this day, and on the 27th they were met and conducted into camp by the Chief Political Officer after depositing their rifles for safe custody.

They deposited some rifles as a pledge that they would not allow Multan to settle in Tirah until he had been properly punished and they further made a petition that Government would request the Amir either to surrender him and like refugees or to expel them.