The easy victory of the Turks over the Greeks in the Greco-Turkish War (1897) gave rise to excitement throughout the Muslim world, and the publication by the Amir of Afghanistan Abdur Rahman Khan, in his assumed capacity of king of Islam, of a religious work, in portions of which antipathy to Christians could be read, aroused militancy among the border Muslims.

[1] The growing unrest was not recognized, and all appeared quiet, when, on 10 June 1897, a detachment of Indian troops escorting a British frontier officer was suddenly attacked during the mid-day halt in the Tochi Valley, where, since the Waziri expedition of 1894-95, certain armed posts had been retained by the government of India.

[1] On 8 August the village of Shabkadar (Shankarghar), within a few miles of Peshawar, and in British territory, was raided by the Mohmand, while the Afridis besieged the fortified posts on the Samana ridge, which had been maintained since the expeditions of 1888 and 1891.

This brigade being sharply attacked in camp at Markhanai at the foot of the pass on the night of the 14th, was ordered to turn northwards and punish the tribesmen of the Mamund valley.

On the 15th ,Brigadier-General (afterwards Major-General) Jeffreys camped at Inayat Killa, and on the following day he moved up the Mamund valley in three columns, which met with strong resistance.

A retirement was ordered, the tribesmen following, and when darkness fell the general, with a battery and a small escort, was cut off, and with difficulty defended some buildings until relieved.

The junction having been effected, the latter, in accordance with the scheme, advanced to deal with the Upper Mohmand in the Jarobi and Koda Khel valleys, and they were soon brought to reason by his well-conducted operations.

[1] Winston Churchill accompanied the expedition as a second lieutenant and war correspondent, and wrote his first non-fiction book on it, The Story of the Malakand Field Force.