Battle of Malandari Pass (1586)
# Battle of Malandari Pass (1586)

Battle of Malandari Pass was fought in Buner between the Mughal army, led by Raja Birbal, and the Afghan tribesmen, led by Malik Kalu Khan Yousafzai in 1586.

Birbal is believed to have died in the battle alongside 8,000 Mughul soldiers.

## The Battle

The Mughals annihilated the whole Yousafzai tribe after Mullah Meru's defeat and death in 1581 AD, and Kalu Khan Yusufzai decided to take over the task of restoring the Yousafzai’s organisation and unity. In the jirga that Yousafzai organised after consulting his friends and supporters, Ayub son of Rusi, Babu son of Saifu Aba Khel Mandanr, Mirwais son of Mullah Meru, and other individuals associated with Yousafzai took part. Yousafzai's country was visited by this jirga as it preached about togetherness and issued ominous warnings about the consequences of divide.Ain-i-Akbari claims that Kalu Khan travelled to Agra with Mughal Emperor Akbar when he went to the Kabul region to chastise Mirza Muhammad. He was treated well, but he eventually left Agra. Khwaja Shamsuddin Khwafi detained him close to Attock and then took him to court. He ran away once more, went back home, and eventually became the leader of the seditious elements. Abu Fazal does not specifically state how Akbar took Kalu Khan to Agra or why or under what circumstances.

The Yousafzais had selected Ghazi Khan Malezai to serve as their leader while Kalu Khan was away. But soon after, Ghazi Khan was killed in Bajaur in a battle with the Mughals. Kalu Khan, who had just returned from Agra, also joined the fight. He was once again chosen by Yousafzais to lead the tribe in Damghar, Swat.

Between the Karakar Pass and the Malandrai Pass, the Yusufzai Afghans under the command of Kalu Khan routed the combined forces of Zain Khan and Raja Birbal. Birbal lost his life in this battle. According to Mughal historian Khafi Khan, 40,000–50,000 Mughal men perished in this battle. However, Badoani claims that around 8000 Mughal men perished as a result of the entire episode.

## See Also

* Graveyard of Empires
* Yusufzai Afghans
* Afghan-Mughal Wars
* Sher Shah Sur
* Kushal Khan Khattak
* Ahmad Shah Durrani
