ORDER OF BATTLE // October 6, 1879
Battle of Charasiab
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 15,800 estimated
British Empire
3,800
Medium-confidence figure
Afghans
12,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Charasiab was fought on 6 October 1879 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, pitting a British and Indian force of approximately 3,800 troops under Lord Roberts against an Afghan force of around 12,000 regulars and tribesmen. The engagement took place within the broader context of the British effort to reassert control in Afghanistan following the outbreak of hostilities in 1878. Roberts's force was substantially outnumbered, and the battle represented a direct test of British operational reach as the campaign pushed toward Kabul. The outcome and its precise effect on the campaign are not recorded in available sources, but the action formed part of the advance that characterized British operations in this phase of the war.
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