Beneath the barren peaks of the Hindu Kush, the river bends through a peaceful scene of lowing cattle, maize fields, and the serenity of Chitral’s ancient tribal palace.
But in 1895, this tranquil valley echoed with gunfire as a meagre British garrison held out against thousands of mountain tribesmen in a defiant six-week siege, one only lifted by the daring of the relief force.
The campaign in what is now north-western Pakistan was hailed as a “glorious episode” in the history of the Empire – with a Victoria Cross awarded, brutal bayonet fighting and starving survivors left like “walking skeletons”.
More than 120 years on, Chitral is once again the centre of a battle raging on the Pakistani frontier – this time over British-backed plans to save a war memorial raised for the heroes of the siege from destruction.
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