Mian Sadik Ali Khan Kalhoro

Mian Sadik Ali Khan Kalhoro was a king of the Kalhora Dynasty that ruled Sindh.

Battle

The Kalhoran army had hardly had a chance to rest when a camelman brought a letter from MÃÂr Fateh AlÃÂÃ¢ÂÂs brother, MÃÂr GhulÃÂ¡m AlÃÂ, to their camp. The note informed them that MiÃÂ¡n AbdunnabÃÂ had advanced as far as LÃÂ¡dkÃÂ¡nah with a BorÃÂ³hÃÂ force that had been given to him by Muhammad NasÃÂr, the KhÃÂ¡n of KalÃÂ¡t. Commanding this force was AbdunnabÃÂ's son-in-law Zarak, who had been promised that the MÃÂ¬an, when reinstated, would give him 3 lakhs of rupees and a part of his territory; further, the letter stated the army had been joined by MehrÃÂ¡b and DhingÃÂ¡nah JatÃÂ´ÃÂs and by the Jhinjans, KhÃÂ³sahs, NuhmardÃÂs, and other tribes.

When MÃÂr AbdullÃÂ¡h, the commander of the Kalhoran forces, got this news, he immediately ordered his troops in the direction of the enemy, whom he met at the bridge of ChÃÂ¡lak. There he halted opposite the enemyÃ¢ÂÂs camp. MÃÂan AbdunnabÃÂ, believing that the BalÃÂ³ches had arrived there after a difficult journey, and thus were fatigued, advised his officers to attack immediately.

AbdunnabÃÂ's forces were then hastily formed into three divisions, the center being led by AbdunnabÃÂ himself with forces of JatÃÂ³ÃÂs and KhÃÂ³sahs. AbdunnabÃÂ's right wing consisted of KalÃÂ¡tÃÂs or BrÃÂ³hÃÂs under Zarak, as well as the left wing of NuhmardÃÂs. Seeing the advance of the enemy, MÃÂr AbdullÃÂ¡h likewise divided his army into three divisions. He ordered Mian Sadik, who had been brought on an elephant to the battlefield, to engage AbdunnabÃÂ's army with MÃÂrzÃÂ³ FakÃÂr and his son BÃÂ¡ghah. MÃÂr Fateh KhÃÂ¡n, with his force of NizÃÂ¡mÃÂ¡nÃÂs, was instructed to engage the NuhmardÃÂs. MÃÂr AbdullÃÂ¡h, together with his cousin MÃÂr Fateh AlÃÂ KhÃÂ¡n on his right and MÃÂr SuhrÃÂ¡b KhÃÂ¡n on his left, proceeded to attack the BrÃÂ³hÃÂs.

After a fierce gun battle, the forces of MÃÂr Fateh KhÃÂ¡n, himself recovering from a bullet wound sustained in a prior battle with RÃÂ¡jpÃÂºt forces, were forced to retreat. At the same time, AbdunnabÃÂ gained the upper hand over the column under MÃÂan SÃÂ¡dik AlÃÂ and drove it back. Seeing this, MÃÂr AbdullÃÂ¡h and his cousins dismounted and, swords in hand, made a vigorous attack on the center of the enemy. In the resulting confusion, Zarak BrÃÂ³hÃÂ, Mehrab JatÃÂ³ÃÂ, and a number of other veteran soldiers were killed. MÃÂan AbdunnabÃÂ's army then fled in confusion and panic, leaving much booty for the BalÃÂ³ches. Finally victorious, the MÃÂan and the MÃÂr returned to KhudÃÂ¡bÃÂ¡d.

Sources

This article includes content derived from History of Sind - translated from Persian books by Mirza Kalichbeg Fredunbeg (1853-1929), published in Karachi in 1902 and now in the public domain.